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people & Arts Monday 21 august 2017
Publicist: Jerry Lewis, comedian, telethon host, dies at 91

By LINDSEY BAHR innovator & icon,” Cook sonal anthem, the ballad
Associated Press wrote. “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jerry Lewis’ career spanned the From the 1960s onward, the
Lewis, the manic, rubber- history of show business in telethons raised some $1.5
faced showman who the 20th century, beginning billion, including more than
jumped and hollered to in his parents’ vaudeville $60 million in 2009.
fame in a lucrative part- act at the age of 5. He was He announced in 2011
nership with Dean Martin, just 20 when his pairing with that he would step down
settled down to become Martin made them interna- as host, but would remain
a self-conscious screen au- tional stars. chairman of the associa-
teur and found an even He went on to make such tion he joined some 60
greater following as the favorites as “The Bellboy” years ago.
tireless, teary host of the and “The Nutty Profes- “Though we will miss him
annual muscular dystrophy sor,” was featured in Mar- beyond measure, we sus-
telethons, has died. He was tin Scorsese’s “The King of pect that somewhere in
91. Comedy” and appeared heaven, he’s already urg-
Publicist Candi Cazau says as himself in Billy Crystal’s In this Sept. 5, 2005 photo, longtime host Jerry Lewis performs ing the angels to give ‘just
Lewis died Sunday of natu- “Mr. Saturday Night.” during the Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon in Beverly one dollar more for my
ral causes in Las Vegas with “Jerry was a pioneer in Hills, Calif. Lewis, the comedian and director whose fundraising kids,’” said MDA Chairman
telethons became as famous as his hit movies, has died. Lewis
his family by his side. comedy and film. And he died Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, according to his publicist. He was of the Board R. Rodney
Tributes from friends, co- was a friend. I was fortu- 91. Howell on Sunday.
stars and disciples poured nate to have seen him a (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) His fundraising efforts won
in immediately. few times over the past ing the world, working on a had to spend the night in him the Jean Hersholt Hu-
“That fool was no dummy. couple of years. Even at 91, stage version of “The Nutty the hospital. manitarian Award at the
Jerry Lewis was an undeni- he didn’t miss a beat. Or Professor.” A major influence on Car- 2009 Oscar telecast, an
able genius an unfathom- a punchline,” Lewis’ “The He was so active he would rey and other slapstick honor he said “touches my
able blessing, comedy’s King of Comedy” co-star sometimes forget the ba- performers, Lewis also was heart and the very depth
absolute!” Jim Carrey Robert De Niro said in a sics, like eating, his associ- known as the ringmaster of my soul.”
wrote Sunday on Twitter. “I statement. ates would recall. In 2012, of the Labor Day Muscular The French government
am because he was!” In the 1990s, he scored a Lewis missed an awards Dystrophy Association, jok- awarded Lewis the Cheva-
Comedian Dane Cook stage comeback as the ceremony thrown by his be- ing and reminiscing and lier of the Legion of Honor
considered Lewis to be a devil in the Broadway reviv- loved Friars Club because introducing guests, sharing in 1983 and Commander of
mentor. al of “Damn Yankees.” his blood sugar dropped stories about ailing kids and Arts and Letters the follow-
“The world has lost a true In his 80s, he was still travel- from lack of food and he concluding with his per- ing year. q

Comedian, civil rights activist Dick Gregory dies at 84

By DAISY NGUYEN “could I have lived in the He preached about the
Associated Press worst neighborhoods, at- transformative powers of
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dick tended the worst schools, prayer and good health.
Gregory, the comedian rode in the back of the Once an overweight smok-
and activist and who bus, and get paid $5,000 a er and drinker, he became
broke racial barriers in the week just for talking about a trim, energetic propo-
1960s and used his humor it?” nent of liquid meals and
to spread messages of so- Gregory’s sharp commen- raw food diets. In the late
cial justice and nutritional tary soon led him into civil 1980s, he developed and
health, has died. He was rights activism, where his distributed products for the
84. ability to woo audiences popular Slim-Safe Bahami-
Gregory died late Satur- through humor helped an Diet. When diagnosed
day in Washington, D.C. bring national attention to with lymphoma in 2000, he
after being hospitalized fledgling efforts at integra- fought it with herbs, exer-
for about a week, his son tion and social equality for cise and vitamins. It went in
Christian Gregory told The blacks. remission a few years later.
Associated Press. He had Democratic Sen. Cory In this Jan. 20, 2016 photo, long time civil rights activist, writer, He took a break from per-
suffered a severe bacterial Booker of New Jersey social critic, and comedian Dick Gregory, talks to the crowd forming in comedy clubs,
infection. tweeted, “Dick Gregory’s at the 16th annual Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, MLK saying the alcohol and
As one of the first black unflinching honesty & cour- Leadership Luncheon, at the University Area Community smoke in the clubs were
standup comedians to find age, inspired us to fight, Development Center, in Tampa, Fla. Gregory, the comedian unhealthy and focused on
success with white audi- live, laugh & love despite it and activist and who broke racial barriers in the 1960s and used lecturing and writing more
ences, in the early 1960s, all.” A tweet by actress/co- his humor to spread messages of social justice and nutritional than a dozen books, in-
Gregory rose from an im- median Whoopi Goldberg health, has died. He was 84. cluding an autobiography
(Scott Keeler /Tampa Bay Times via AP)
poverished childhood in St. said, “About being black in and a memoir.
Louis to win a college track America Dick Gregory has dent in 1968, when he got the Montreal hotel room He remained active on
scholarship and become passed away, Condolenc- 200,000 votes as the Peace where Lennon and Yoko the comedy scene until re-
a celebrated satirist who es to his family and to us and Freedom party can- Ono were staging a “bed- cently, when he fell ill and
deftly commented upon who won’t have his insight didate. In the late ‘60s, he in” for peace. canceled an Aug. 9 show
racial divisions at the dawn 2 lean on R.I.P” befriended John Lennon An admirer of Gandhi and in San Jose, California, fol-
of the civil rights move- Gregory briefly sought po- and was among the voices Martin Luther King Jr., Greg- lowed by an Aug. 15 ap-
ment. litical office, running unsuc- heard on Lennon’s anti- ory embraced nonviolence pearance in Atlanta.
“Where else in the world cessfully for mayor of Chi- war anthem “Give Peace and became a vegetarian He is survived by his wife, Lil-
but America,” he joked, cago in 1966 and U.S. presi- a Chance,” recorded in and marathon runner. lian, and 10 children.q