LOS ANGELES (AP) — Playboy magazine says its founder Hugh Hefner helped slip sex out of the confines of plain brown wrappers and into mainstream conversation. Hefner died Wednesday night of natural causes at age 91. Hefner published the first issue of Playboy in 1953, a time when states could legally ban contraceptives, when the word “pregnant” was not allowed on “I Love Lucy.” By the 1970s, the magazine had more than 7 million readers.

He hosted the TV series “Playboy After Dark” in 1969 and ’70. “Playboy After Dark” was known for its inclusive approach at a time when many talk shows still booked mostly white male guests — the show featured appearances by artists including Tina Turner, Sammy Davis Jr., the Grateful Dead, Deep Purple, Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf, Harry Nilsson, Grand Funk Railroad, James Brown, Iron Butterfly, Linda Ronstadt and Joe Cocker.