Comedian Gallagher, known for fruit-smashing routine, dead at 76

[BleedGopher]

I don't think I ever really thought he was funny, but the guy loved to smash a watermelon:

Comedian Gallagher died on Friday, CBS News has confirmed. He was 76.

The news was shared by Gallagher's manager, Craig Marquardo, in a statement.

"After a short health battle Gallagher, born Leo Gallagher, succumbed to his ailments and passed away surrounded by his family in Palm Springs, California," Marquardo said. The comedian had also experienced "numerous" heart attacks in the past, Marquardo said.

Gallagher credited himself with "physically engaging the audience" with his most popular bit, where he used a "hand-made sledgehammer he dubbed the 'Sledge-O'Matic'" to smash food onstage and spray it into the audience. Marquardo also said that the comedian was known for his "edgy style, brilliant wordplay, and inventive props."

The comedian rose to fame in 1980 with his comedy special "An Uncensored Evening," the first comedy stand-up special ever to air on cable television, according to Marquardo's statement. Gallagher went on to do 12 more stand-up specials for Showtime over the next 27 years, a record only beaten by George Carlin, and was ranked the "#1 comedian in America for 15 years."

Gallagher, comedian known for watermelon-smashing routine, dead at 76

The comedian's most popular bit involved smashing food on himself and his audience with a handmade sledgehammer.

www.cbsnews.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

I never really got that routine, or thought it was all that funny. I think he did have some funny stuff though outside of the fruit smashing.

I recall working with a guy when I was in college, early 90's, that had tickets for Gallagher's show and I've never seen someone so excited to be going to a show. I think he even had tickets in those first several rows where you have to wear the plastic bag to keep you clean. He was an odd guy anyway, and being so excited for Gallagher kinda cemented that as I recall

 

[Spaulding!No!]

I want to type ‘funnier than Saget’ but idk….hmmm

 

[short ornery norwegian]

on the 'celebrity death' front - Kevin Conroy died from cancer at the age of 66.

Conroy is known to geeks as "the voice of Batman." Conroy provided the voice for Bruce Wayne and Batman in various animated series, animated movies and video games for years.

He appeared as a live-action alternate-universe version of Bruce Wayne on the CW TV cross-over "Crisis on Infinite Earths."