Comedian Gallagher Dead: 5 Things To Know About Funny Man Known For Smashing Watermelons

Gallagher died astatine 76 connected Friday, November 11. The comic, whose afloat sanction was Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr., passed away due to organ failure, according to a connection from his manager Craig Marquardo to CNN. The comedian’s rep confirmed his decease successful a connection to HollywoodLife. “He passed distant contiguous successful Palm Springs, California, successful hospice care,” they said.

Known for his bombastic signifier show, which included him smashing watermelons, Gallagher was beloved by audiences for decades. The comedian had galore Showtime drama specials and performed each implicit the country. After decades successful the spotlight, he’s been wide referenced successful a fig of parodies and tributes implicit the years. He’s survived by his daughter Aimee and son Barnaby. Find retired much astir the comic here.

Gallagher died astatine 76 connected Friday. (Shutterstock)

1. Gallagher was a touring comic for implicit 40 years.

Gallagher’s drama vocation began successful the precocious 1960s, wherever helium performed astatine the Comedy Store and Ice House. He made his debut on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in 1975, which is considered a rite of transition for galore comedians. He performed galore times connected the amusement implicit the years. As a comic, Gallagher was considered an innovator of prop comedy, and earned the nickname “The Wizard of Odd,” per The New York Times. 

While helium utilized a wide array of props, his signature gag was astir well-known arsenic the “Sledge-O-Matic,” which progressive him taking a sledgehammer to a wide assortment of fruits, but the astir remembered were the watermelons. He said it was the archetypal regular that helium wrote successful a 2011 interrogation with Marc Maron on his WTF podcast. He released his archetypal peculiar An Uncensored Evening in 1980, and his astir caller show was astatine New York’s Gotham Comedy Club successful 2014 for Gotham Comedy Live.

2. He had a grade successful chemistry.

While his prop drama enactment whitethorn look precise simple, Gallagher’s aboriginal vocation earlier performing whitethorn astonishment some. He graduated with a grade successful chemic engineering from the University of South Florida, with a insignificant successful English. After helium graduated, helium worked concisely arsenic a chemist and besides arsenic a manager for instrumentalist Jim Stafford. He admitted that helium wasn’t definite what helium would’ve applied his grade towards, but suggested possibly crab probe successful the aforementioned WTF interview. He besides said helium continued to conscionable with physicists arsenic helium toured successful his career.

3. In aboriginal years, his enactment was criticized for violative stereotypes.

While galore beloved Gallagher’s silly signifier of prop comedy, immoderate aspects of his show courted contention aboriginal successful his career. He was reported to person made racist and homophobic jokes during his enactment successful a 2010 reappraisal by The Stranger. Marc Maron confronted Gallagher astir drafting connected racist stereotypes during the 2011 WTF interview, which led to the comedian walking retired connected the podcaster. “Why are you taking the different broadside of everything I say?” Gallagher asked soon earlier walking out.

Aside from his arguable jokes, Gallagher was sued by radical who said they were injured due to the fact that of his act. A pistillate successful 1990 claimed she was deed by a prop and unsuccessfully tried to writer him, per The Los Angeles Times. He besides claimed that helium was sued by assemblage members who were injured by immoderate of his prop drama successful a 2009 interrogation with The AV Club. “My security was really canceled astatine 1 constituent due to the fact that idiosyncratic sued maine saying that they had been wounded earnestly by a candy barroom successful the balcony. Somehow a candy barroom I deed with a tennis racket truthful the radical connected the balcony could person candy? Said that she was injured successful her eye, and the security institution decided not to combat her lawsuit and wage it disconnected and canceled me!” helium said. Gallagher would besides occasionally heckle comedians who were hired to unfastened for him.

Gallagher was astir beloved for his physical, prop comedy. (Shutterstock)

4. He sued his member implicit the ‘Sledge-O-Matic.’

During the 90s, Gallagher’s younger brother Ron Gallagher began to circuit and execute his brother’s routine, primitively with the original’s blessing. Ron performed nether the sanction “Gallager Too” oregon “Two.” He performed galore of the aforesaid prop drama jokes that his member did successful his act, per The Baltimore Sun. Gallagher aboriginal sued Ron for utilizing the “Sledge-o-Matic” regular against his wishes and besides that his performances were advertised arsenic being misleading, per Variety.

5. He ran for politician of California.

Aside from his drama vocation and technological interests, Gallagher besides had governmental aspirations. He ran arsenic an autarkic campaigner for politician of California successful 2003, but helium lone garnered astir 5,000 votes, according to election records.