Comedian Gallagher Dead at 76

Comedian Gallagher, famously identified for smashing watermelons as a part of his legendary act, has died … his longtime supervisor tells TMZ.

Gallagher died whereas below hospice care within the Palm Springs space early Friday morning, TMZ has discovered. His supervisor tells TMZ Gallagher died of huge organ failure. He had been in ailing well being for some time, struggling quite a few coronary heart assaults through the years.

The rep tells TMZ, “Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades. He was pretty sure he held a record for the most stand-up dates, by attrition alone,” including, “While Gallagher had his detractors, he was an undeniable talent and an American success story.”

Gallagher began working as a comic after faculty … getting his large break after showing on Johnny Carson‘s ‘Tonight Show’ again in 1975 … displaying off his prop humor and rapidly changing into one of the standard and recognizable comedians in America.

His trademark bit was the “Sledge-O-Matic,” the place he’d use a big mallet to destroy a bunch of meals and objects — all the time ending with a watermelon. While it began as a parody of the Veg-O-Matic commercials, it might go on to be what thousands and thousands would bear in mind him for.

Gallagher’s since change into a popular culture phenomenon, getting parodied and referenced through the years for his act … most lately being performed by fellow comic Paul F. Tompkins in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”

The comic had 17 specials spanning many years of his work … along with his first particular, “An Uncensored Evening,” debuting in 1980. He appeared in episodes of “Hollywood Squares,” “WTF with Marc Maron,” “Tosh.0” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”

He had a well being scare again in 2011, as we reported, he collapsed onstage throughout a efficiency in Minnesota. He additionally suffered a heart attack the next yr in Texas, moments earlier than he was purported to carry out.

We final noticed the comic again in 2014 … and he supplied us some implausible recommendation for these seeking to get somebody a present whereas caught on a funds — and it is as hilarious as you’d anticipate.

Gallagher, who was retired, is survived by his daughter, Aimee, and his son, Barnaby.

He was 76.