Jun 23 2008
Sayng Goodbye to a true original
Yesterday, comedian George Carlin died of heart failure, he was 71 years old.
Carlin was born May 12, 1937 in New York City. The following July his Mother took Carlin and his older brother Patrick, then 5, and left his father, moving to a farm in the Catskills. They were legally separated in December 1937. His father would die seven years later; Carlin had said that he couldn’t remember him.
In 1953 Carlin dropped out of school and Joined U.S. Air Force in 1954. During his time in the service he receives three court-martial and frequent Article Fifteens (form of punishment just below court-martial). He was given general discharge under honorable conditions in 1957.
Carlin started his career in show business in July 1956 when he became a disc jockey job at radio station KJOE, Shreveport, La. In 1959 he moved on to Boston’s WEZE, where he worked for three months. Also in 1959 he landed a deejay job at KXOL, Ft. Worth, Texas, where he met Jack Burns.
In February 1960, Carlin and Burns left Texas for Hollywood in pursuit of a career as comedy team, Burns & Carlin. The following month Burns and Carlin took three-month job as morning radio team, “The Wright Brothers, at KDAY, Hollywood. In May 1960 - Burns & Carlin begin performing standup at Hollywood coffeehouse, Cosmo Alley and also recorded their only album, Burns & Carlin at the Playboy Club Tonight. The duo quit radio in June 1960 and worked nightclubs until March 19, 1962 when they parted ways. A few days later, George started solo standup career at the Gate of Horn in Chicago.
In 1963 Carlin and wife Brenda Hosbrook Carlin, who he met while playing Raquet Club in Dayton, Ohio in August 1960 and married June 3, 1961, gave birth to their only child, a daughter Kelly. The couple stayed together Thirty-six years, until she died May 11, 1997. It was Mother’s Day and one day before his sixtieth birthday.
Carlin credited her for standing by him through his acid and cocaine habits in the 60’s and 70’s and three heart attack(1978, 1982, and Valentine’s Day, 1991)
Along with an extensive film career, Carlin also wrote four books. His first book Sometimes A Little Brain Damage Can Help (1983) he described as more like a magazine. His First real book, Braindroppings (1997) stayed on NY Times bestseller list for 18 weeks. Napalm & Silly Putty (2002) spent 20 weeks on NY Times bestseller list. His latest, When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops? was Published in October 2004.
His first solo album, Take Offs and Put Ons, was released 1967, received Grammy nomination. His second album FM & AM (1972) went Gold and won a Grammy award. His fourth, Class Clown (1972) also went Gold, as did his fifth, Occupation: Fool (1973)- which was also nominated for a Grammy award- and sixth, Toledo Window Box (1974). He was also nominated for Grammy awards for An Evening with Wally Londo, Featuring Bill Slazso (1975), A Place for My Stuff (1981), Playin’ with Your Head, What Am I Doin’ in New Jersey (1988), Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics (1990), and Jammin’ in New York (1992)- for which he won.
Other accolades include receiving Hollywood Walk of Fame star (1987), being Inducted into “Comedy Hall of Fame” in 1994, a Lifetime Achievement Award at 15th Annual American Comedy Awards on Comedy Central in 2001, Free Speech Award from First Amendment Center at US Comedy Arts Festival 2002.
He will be missed.
So sad he was a really funny guy and he will definatly be missed.