Who was comedian Gallagher? Tributes pour in as watermelon-smashing comic dies at 76

On the morning of November 11, 2022, the American comedian Leo Gallagher reportedly died at the age of 76. The comedian gained nationwide popularity in the 1970s and '80s by appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and in numerous Showtime specials.

Gallagher rose to fame with his signature sketch, "Sledge-O-Matic," where he took a large mallet to smash food on stage before ending in the main act — a watermelon. It quickly became the comedian's most legendary sketch and a major subject of parody.

The news of his demise was first shared by his former manager, Craig Marquardo, who stated that the comedian "succumbed to his ailments" in his California home. The statement further continued:

“He was the #1 comedian in America for 15 years, with some of that due to the popularity of his stand-up specials airing on MTV in its early days, bringing him an entirely new audience."

Following the news of Gallagher's death, many fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to the legendary comedian.

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Comedian Gallagher's early life and rise to fame

Gallaegher was one of America's most famous and loved comedians (image via Getty images/Michael S. Schwartz)

A native of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Gallagher earned a chemical engineering degree from the University of South Florida before moving to Los Angeles and developing his comedy act at legendary venue The Comedy Store. He first appeared on TV on ABC's The Jim Stafford Show, which aired in 1975.

In 1978, he starred on The Mike Douglas Show. Following this, he appeared on The Merv Griffin Show the next year. Moreover, the comedian has appeared on many talk shows throughout his career, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Match Game, David Letterman's NBC and CBS shows, and Howard Stern's TV and radio programs. He was also a regular on MTV and Comedy Central.

The prolific performer has notched a whopping 17 comedy specials during his over 50-year career. He was also portrayed by comedian Paul F. Tompkins in the new film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. In his later years, Gallagher also appeared in a Geico commercial and in the movie The Book Of Daniel.

In 2003, Gallagher was among more than 100 candidates running in the recall election for California governor, which was won by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Gallagher placed 16th out of 135 candidates with 5,466 votes.

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Netizens took to Twitter to express their disbelief at the comedian's death

In a statement provided by Marquardo to The Rolling Stones, Gallagher died from organ failure while surrounded by his family in Palm Springs, California. He was reportedly unwell and had multiple heart attacks.

With the news of his death surfacing on the internet, several Twitteratis began pouring tributes in honor of the legendary comedian.

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Gallagher's controversial past explained in the wake of comedian's death

The late stand-up was no stranger to controversy. His younger brother Ron also became a comedian, received Leo's initial blessing, and started his career as Leo's impersonator. In 2000, the latter sued Ron for trademark violations and false advertising and won the case. Ron was therefore barred from using his brother's routines.

Leo Gallagher became increasingly controversial in recent years, stereotyping Mexicans and making racist and homophobic jokes. He even walked out of an interview in 2011 with Marc Maron after he confronted him about his statements.

In 2004, Gallagher was last placed on Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time list. Expressing his displeasure at the low rank, he told the Oregonian's Ed Condran:

“I made 13 one-hour shows for Showtime, which are available on videotape. I invented the one-man show on cable.”

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Gallagher toured America for the majority of his career until the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Following this, he used this break to spend time with his son, Barnaby, and daughter Aimee, the latter of whom had appeared with him on his specials when she was a child.