David Brenner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Brenner |
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Brenner in June 1976 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
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| Birth name | David Norris Brenner |
| Born | February 4, 1936 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 15, 2014 (aged 78) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
| Genres | Observational comedy, self-deprecation, topical comedy |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Slater (m. 2000, div. 2001; 2 children, 1 stepson); Ruth (m. 2014) |
David Norris Brenner (born February 4, 1936 – died March 15, 2014) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. He was known for his quick wit and funny observations about everyday life. He was a very popular guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during the 1970s and 1980s.
David Brenner was considered a pioneer of "observational comedy." This means he would make jokes by pointing out funny things he noticed in the world around him. His friend, comedian Richard Lewis, called Brenner "the king of hip, observational comedy."
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Early Life and Education
David Brenner was born in 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in South and West Philadelphia. His father, Louis, was also a performer. He was a vaudeville comedian, singer, and dancer who used the stage name Lou Murphy.
David's father gave up his entertainment career to respect his own father, who was a rabbi. Later, when David became successful, he often sent his parents on fun cruises. Both of his parents passed away at old ages while on cruises aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2.
After finishing high school, Brenner joined the U.S. Army. He served for two years in the 101st Airborne division. He also worked as a cryptographer, which means he dealt with secret codes, in Germany.
After leaving the army, he went to Temple University. He studied mass communication and graduated with honors.
Comedy and Television Career
Before becoming a comedian, David Brenner worked behind the scenes in television. He was a writer, director, or producer for 115 TV documentaries. He even won nearly 30 awards for his work, including an Emmy Award.
His first paid comedy show was in June 1969 at The Improv club. After that, he often performed at comedy clubs in Greenwich Village, New York City. He was ranked as one of the "100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time" by Comedy Central.
David Brenner appeared on major TV talk shows more than any other entertainer. He also wrote five books and starred in four special comedy shows for HBO.
Books by David Brenner
In 1983, Brenner released a comedy album called Excuse Me, Are You Reading That Paper?. The title came from a joke where someone asked him if he was reading a newspaper he was sitting on. He stood up, turned the page, sat back down, and said, "Well, yes I am."
He also wrote several books, including:
- Soft Pretzels With Mustard (1983)
- Revenge is the Best Exercise (1984)
- Nobody Ever Sees You Eat Tuna Fish (1986)
- If God Wanted Us to Travel... (1990)
- I Think There's a Terrorist in My Soup: How to Survive Personal and World Problems with Laughter—Seriously (2003)
Television Appearances
David Brenner first appeared on national television in 1971 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He became the show's most frequent guest, appearing 158 times. He also filled in as a guest host for Johnny Carson 75 times between 1975 and 1984.
In 1976, Brenner starred in a TV series called Snip. It was a situation comedy about a hair salon. However, the show was not broadcast because network executives were worried about one of the characters.
In 1986, David Brenner had his own late-night talk show called Nightlife. It was filmed in Manhattan and was different from other talk shows because it didn't start with a monologue. The show helped some new comedians get their first national TV appearances. It was canceled after one season.
Besides The Tonight Show, Brenner also appeared on many other popular TV shows. These included The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, Late Night with David Letterman, and The Daily Show. In his later years, he often appeared on news channels like MSNBC and Fox News Channel to talk about current events.
Film and Radio Work
In 1989, David Brenner acted in the romantic comedy film Worth Winning. He played an auctioneer at a charity ball.
From 1994 to 1996, Brenner hosted a talk-radio program. He took over the time slot of the famous Larry King Show. He had also hosted a weekly radio show called David Brenner Live in 1985.
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia honored Brenner. They named him their Person of the Year in 1984 and added him to their Hall of Fame in 2003.
Personal Life
David Brenner had three sons: Cole, Slade, and Wyatt. He had a custody battle for his first son, Cole, and won in 1992. To make sure he could keep custody, Brenner reduced how much he traveled for his stand-up comedy. This meant he appeared less often on shows like The Tonight Show.
He married Elizabeth Slater in 2000 during his HBO Special in Las Vegas. She was the mother of his sons Slade and Wyatt. They divorced about a year later. Brenner later won two more custody battles for his sons. He was engaged to Tai Babilonia in 2005, but they did not marry. For a while, Brenner lived in Las Vegas.
Death
David Brenner passed away on March 15, 2014, at the age of 78. He died from pancreatic cancer at his home in Manhattan.
Images for kids
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Brenner in June 1976 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
See also
In Spanish: David Brenner para niños
