Legendary comedian, George Carlin, died of a heart attack at the age of 71 at 5:55 p.m. PDT yesterday, after being admitted to St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica complaining of chest pain. Carlin, who had a history of cardiovascular problems, was a pioneer of modern-day stand up comedy and is widely regarded as one of the holy triumvirate of stand ups that also include Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor. New York Daily News says:
The Manhattan-born comedian, who always said his often-cynical satire simply reflected his real-life disdain for mankind’s greed, stupidity and inconsideration, had a history of heart problems. He also did a stint in rehab in 2003 for drug dependency. The TV network Comedy Central in 2004 named him the second best standup comedian of all time, behind Richard Pryor. Late last week the Kennedy Center announced he would receive its annual Mark Twain prize for American humor this November. Carlin became one of the most popular standup comedians in America in the 1960s and early 1970s through programs like “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
There’s nothing I could say that would be anywhere near as funny as anything George Carlin would say, so if you don’t have any of Carlin’s albums, I recommend going to a store and picking some up. They might even let you trade in your Jeff Foxworthy CDs for store credit. How exciting!
