Watermelon-Smashing Comic Passes at 76
Gallagher, the observational and prop comic identified for smashing watermelons as a part of his act, has died on the age of 76.
TMZ experiences that Gallagher handed away Friday, November eleventh, beneath hospice care. He had been in unwell well being after struggling a number of coronary heart assaults lately.
Throughout his heyday within the Nineteen Eighties, Gallagher was one of the crucial well-liked acts in comedy, filming a number of specials for HBO and Showtime. His signature bit concerned utilizing a big wood mallet — which he referred to as the “Sledge-O-Matic” — to smash watermelons and different objects. The section really started as a parody of the Veg-O-Matic commercials that saturated tv within the Sixties, however Gallagher’s wit ensured that the Slede-O-Matic lasted lengthy after the Veg-O-Matic had been all however forgotten.
In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Gallagher because the one centesimal finest standup comic of all time. He took subject along with his placement, nevertheless, saying in an interview on the time: “I regarded on the different folks and I used to be looking for anybody I ever heard of. How may I be behind folks I by no means heard of? … I made 13 one-hour reveals for Showtime. I invented the one-man present on cable.”
In 2003, Gallagher ran for governor of California within the state’s gubernatorial recall election, and completed in sixteenth place after receiving practically 5,500 votes.
Within the not too long ago launched “Bizarre Al” Yankovic biopic, Gallagher was portrayed by Paul F. Tompkins.
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