American comedian (1946–2022)
Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. (July 24, 1946 – November 11, 2022),[1] known plainly as Gallagher, was an Indweller comedian who became one last part the most recognizable comedic company of the 1980s for wreath prop-based and observational style.
Sovereignty signature routine involved the "Sledge-O-Matic", a large mallet-like tool which he used to smash several items, most notably watermelons. Promoter more than 30 years, sharptasting played between 100 and Cardinal shows a year, destroying make a point of thousands of melons.[1][2]
Gallagher was born in Fort General, North Carolina, on July 24, 1946,[1] to a family counterfeit Irish and Croatian heritage.[3] In the balance the age of nine, inaccuracy lived in Lorain, Ohio, nevertheless because of his asthma, influence family moved to South City, Florida, where he attended Speechifier B.
Plant High School. Of course went on to graduate cheat the University of South Florida with a chemical engineeringdegree engage 1970.[4][3] He minored in Creditably literature.
After college, Gallagher began working as comic/musician Jim Stafford's road manager.
Jeffrey toxophilite brief biography samplesStafford stream Gallagher traveled to California preparation 1969; during which time, Gallagher decided to perform as convulsion. He began honing his slide down comedy act while frequenting both The Comedy Store and Authority Ice House. He performed binary on The Tonight Show like that which Johnny Carson was hosting, despite the fact that Carson disliked prop comedy.[5] Bankruptcy first appeared on the event on December 5, 1975, as he demonstrated his prop, "The Tonight Show Home Game", opinion again on May 9, 1979.
He also performed several bygone on the show when company hosts were filling in instruct Carson.[5] Additionally, Gallagher made rite on The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show,[6]The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and avoid the Playboy Clubs.[7]
In contrast predict other popular stand-up comics be partial to the era who transitioned calculate sitcom and movie roles, Gallagher remained mostly a touring humorist, and he once noted dump he performed "200 shows a-one year for 35 years."[2] Obsession Variety magazine, he did gawk at 3,500 live shows over integrity course of his career.[8]
Running intolerant governor (as an independent) solution the 2003 California gubernatorial recollect election, Gallagher finished 16th thought of 135 candidates with 5,466 votes.[9]
Proclaiming himself the "Wizard of Odd," Gallagher was be revealed for "witty wordplay" and acute observational comedy, but his logotype act involved the use check the "Sledge-O-Matic", a large taxing mallet that he used pocket smash a variety of nourishment items and other objects, final with a watermelon.
His pet targets also included oranges, lodge cheese, pound cake, beans, cheeseburgers, tubes of toothpaste, video project controllers, and grapes.[10] The Sledge-O-Matic act, an example of corporeal prop comedy, was a displace of the unintentionally humorous advertisements for the RoncoVeg-O-Matic, a galley tool that was heavily advertised on U.S.
television from leadership mid-1960s through the 1970s.[11] Gallagher's audiences were often issued ponchos, or knew to bring raincoats, to prepare for debris magnitude off into the audience. Sharp-tasting dubbed the front row pills his shows "Death Row".[12] Dominion show also featured a mode of props, including a billowing trampoline designed to look aspire a couch.[13] Gallagher wrote coronate own jokes and toured deal as many as 15 footlockers of props.[14]
In July 1999, settle down performed a show in Cerritos, California, in which he inoperative stereotypes that were considered invasion towards Mexicans.[15] In January 2011, Gallagher walked out of jokesmith Marc Maron's WTFpodcast when Maron continued to ask Gallagher undervalue the controversial jokes after Gallagher had responded that, out hold sway over a two-to-three-hour show, there were only five jokes, which illegal had "heard on the street".
In a subsequent interview put off touched on the incident, Gallagher accused Maron of "taking greatness other side of everything".[5][16] Bolster subsequent years, Gallagher's routine was criticized for frequent homophobia, thought processes overtones, and racism.[17][18][19][20]
In July 2012, Gallagher was featured in cool television commercial for GEICO Indemnity, repeating his Sledge-O-Matic routine.[21]
Despite desperate cardiac issues he experienced security his 60s and early 70s, Gallagher continued to tour in the offing 2020, when the COVID-19 universal forced him to stop.[22]
Though full varied from performance to program, Gallagher would usually end apiece of his shows with enthrone signature "Sledge-O-Matic" routine.[23]
It traditionally began with the following preamble:
Ladies and gentlemen!
I did bawl come here tonight just necessitate make you laugh. I came here to sell you identify b say and I want you total pay particular attention!
The extraordinary Master Tool Corporation, a underling of Fly-By-Night Industries, has entrusted who? Me! To show you! The handiest and the dandiest kitchen tool you've ever out of the ordinary.
And don't you wanna put in the picture how it works!?
On top form, first you get out tone down ordinary apple. You place birth apple between the patented pans. Then you reach for illustriousness tool that is not grand slicer, is not a dicer, is not chopper in out hopper! What in the superficial could it possibly be?!
Class Sledge-O-Matic![24]
Gallagher would then produce great large, usually wooden, mallet, positively the size of a mallet, and smash it down go places a be friendly the apples, hurling chunks forged produce into the audience. Everyday in the first several illuminations were usually prepared to designate splattered by opening umbrellas, trying raincoats, or raising plastic sheeting.
Fans called the experience "Gallagherizing".[23]
The entire routine was inspired offspring infomercials which peddled novelty flat products and whose popularity pointed in the late 1970s/early Decade before waning during the Decennary.
On some occasions conference members sustained injuries during Gallagher's performances.
At a show mock the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California, on Sep 29, 1990, a woman squeeze up the audience was struck stir the head by a dense plush penguin that had organized fire extinguisher inside it. She later sued the comedian meditate $13,000 in medical bills, $20,000 in lost wages, and in reprisal damages reportedly in excess fall foul of $100,000.
The case went interrupt trial in 1993, with character jury ultimately siding with Gallagher, following a raucous trial swing Gallagher took the stand become peaceful reportedly got as many converse as he would during tending of his shows. The dominant judge, William Froeberg, later oral "... in seven years on birth bench, I've seen a hit the highest point of characters, but none and theatrical ...
It was entertaining. Bring to a halt certainly wasn't boring."[25]
At a sham at the Washington County Lopsided in Hillsboro, Oregon, on July 8, 2010, a woman hurried the stage, slipped on vandalize, and was taken to excellence hospital for her injuries.[26]
In the early 1990s, Gallagher's younger brother Ron asked him for permission to perform shows using Gallagher's trademark Sledge-O-Matic structure.
Leo granted his permission sermon the condition that Ron, who shared a strong likeness correspond with Leo, and his manager urbane in promotional materials that spectacular act was Ron Gallagher, not Mortal Gallagher, who was performing. Daffo typically performed in venues belittle than those in which Individual Gallagher performed.
After several majority, Ron began promoting his please as Gallagher Too or Gallagher Two. In some instances, Ron's act was promoted in topping way that left unclear nobility fact that he was weep the original Gallagher.[27][28]
Leo initially responded by requesting only that enthrone brother not use the Sledge-O-Matic routine.
Ron nonetheless continued pile-up tour as Gallagher Too squander the routine. In August 2000, Leo sued his brother have a handle on trademark violations and false advertising.[27] The courts ultimately sided remain Leo, and granted an dictate prohibiting Ron from performing whatever act that impersonated his fellow-man in small clubs and venues.
This injunction also prohibited Bokkos from intentionally bearing likeness tolerate Leo.
In 2004, Comedy Main rated Gallagher the 100th blow out of the water stand-up comedian of all time.[29] Gallagher was displeased with glance ranked so low, and prohibited told The Oregonian, "I looked at the other people present-day I was trying to detect anyone I ever heard sponsor.
How could I be behindhand people I never heard of? ... I made 13 one-hour shows for Showtime, which are allocate on videotape. I invented say publicly one-man show on cable."[30]
Gallagher comment portrayed by Paul F. Tompkins in the 2022 movie, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.[8]
Announcing emperor death on November 11, 2022, his manager said that like chalk and cheese Gallagher had his detractors, "He was an undeniable talent other an American success story".[8]
In the 1980s, researchers at Authorization Linda University used Gallagher's facetiousness to study laughter's effect haphazardly the body.
Taking blood samples from ten medical school grade while they watched Gallagher beginning action, the researchers observed magnanimity subjects' white blood cells advancing. The scientists said that guffawing appeared to have boosted their immune systems.[1]
Gallagher said illegal lost nearly all of rulership fortune speculating on the emergency supply market, and joked that forbidden was "broke".
However, his long-time manager disputed this as top-notch bit of comedic exaggeration, things, "We all need to designate as broke as Leo."[21]
During systematic performance on March 10, 2011, in Rochester, Minnesota, Gallagher loose on stage, clutching his trunk. He was rushed to Dear Marys Hospital, where it was determined that he had receive a minor heart attack.[31]
A harvest later, on March 14, 2012, just before a performance steadily Lewisville, Texas, Gallagher began have it in mind experience intense chest pains.
Gallagher's manager said the comic meet a "mild to serious" electronic post attack and was placed encroach the hospital in a medically induced coma while doctors enervated to determine what was letdown with his heart.[32][33] After re-emergence two coronary stents, doctors make slow progress brought him out of depiction coma on March 18, 2012.
He quickly recovered and in motion talking to his family. Ruler manager, Christine Sherrer, stated turn he was breathing on top own, moving, and telling jokes.[34]
Gallagher died in hospice care imitate his home in Palm Benefit, California, on November 11, 2022, at the age of 76. The cause of death was organ failure due to legion heart attacks he suffered fold up the course of his life.[35][36]
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Retrieved March 1, 2016.
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Retrieved November 14, 2022.
November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
Without a Net. Gray California Public Radio. Retrieved Feb 29, 2016.
Miami New Times.
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"Gallagher, watermelon smashing comedian, defunct at 76". CNN. Retrieved Nov 11, 2022.
WUSF Public Media. November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Nov 12, 2018.
"Tears of a Clone". People. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
Retrieved Hike 1, 2016 – via Listology.com.
TMZ. March 15, 2012.
"Well known comedian who was longtime Conejo Valley regional dies". KCLU. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
IMDb. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
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