Legendary cynical comedian George Carlin dies at 71
On Sunday June 22, comedian George Carlin died of heart failure at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California. According to Carlin’s publicist, Jeff Abraham, the comedian had been complaining of some chest pain earlier that day. Carlin was pronounce dead at 5:55pm Pacific Time. George Carlin is survived by his daughter Kelly Carlin McCall and long time partner Sally Wade. Kelly’s mother and George’s wife Brenda past away in 1997.
George Carlin as been entertaining audiences for decades dating back to the early 70’s. He got his first big television break on the Tonight Show with Jack Parr, where he became a regular returning personality when Johnny Carson took over as host.
George Carlin was always standing outside of the norm in is views, material, and appearance. When other comedians at the time were clean cut and wore suites, George Carlin was sporting a beard with his long hair tied back. He wasn’t afraid to discuss and poke fun at issues that most people find taboo. He was very straight forward in his thoughts about politics, religion, and society. All of his on stage material came from his observations and personal ideology but always with a humorous point to make.
Some of George Carlin’s most memorable moments include his arrest in Milwaukee, WI back in 1972. At the time, he created a stand up routine that revolved around “the 7 words banned from tevelevision and radio”. His arrest and comedy material eventually went before the supreme court where he was forbidden to continue with this material.
Throughout his comedic career, George Carlin has been more than just a stand up comedian even though he is most well known for his stand up routines, George has been a writer, actor, and radio personality. He has made 23 comedy albums and has had 14 cable specials on HBO. Among his accolades are 4 Grammy Awards and 5 nomination for the Emmy Award.