Gallagher (comedian) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gallagher
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Gallagher in 2007
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Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.
July 24, 1946 Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Died | November 11, 2022 (aged 76) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of South Florida |
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| Years active | 1969–2020 |
| Spouse(s) | Geralyn Ann Hines March 5, 1988 – ? Deedra Kay Higgins 1980–? |
| Children | 2 |
Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. (born July 24, 1946 – died November 11, 2022), known simply as Gallagher, was a famous American comedian. He became very well-known in the 1980s for his unique comedy style. He used many props and made funny observations about everyday life. His most famous act involved smashing a watermelon on stage with a large wooden hammer. He called this hammer the "Sledge-O-Matic."
For over 30 years, Gallagher performed many shows each year. He smashed thousands of watermelons and other items. This "Sledge-O-Matic" act was a funny way to make fun of TV commercials that sold silly products. These commercials were very popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gallagher was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on July 24, 1946. His family had Irish and Croatian roots. He lived in Lorain, Ohio, until he was nine years old. Because he had asthma, his family moved to South Tampa, Florida.
He went to Henry B. Plant High School there. Later, he studied at the University of South Florida. In 1970, he earned a degree in chemical engineering. He also studied English literature.
Comedy Career
After college, Gallagher started working for another comedian and musician, Jim Stafford. They traveled to California in 1969. It was during this time that Gallagher decided to become a performer himself. He began to develop his own comedy act. He often performed at famous comedy clubs like The Comedy Store and The Ice House.
Gallagher appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson twice. He also performed on the show when other hosts filled in for Carson. He was also seen on The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Unlike many other comedians who became actors in TV shows or movies, Gallagher mostly stayed a touring comedian. He once said he performed "200 shows a year for 35 years." According to Variety magazine, he did over 3,500 live shows in his career. He even ran for governor in California in 2003!
Gallagher's Comedy Style
Gallagher called himself the "Wizard of Odd." He was known for clever jokes and sharp observations about life. But his most famous act was the "Sledge-O-Matic." This was a big wooden mallet he used to smash all sorts of things. He would start with food items and always end with a watermelon.
He also smashed oranges, cottage cheese, pound cake, beans, cheeseburgers, and even video game controllers! The Sledge-O-Matic act was a type of prop comedy. It made fun of old TV commercials for kitchen tools like the "Veg-O-Matic."
People in the audience for Gallagher's shows often got wet or messy! They were sometimes given ponchos or knew to bring raincoats. He called the front rows of his shows "Death Row." His shows also featured other funny props, like a large trampoline that looked like a couch. Gallagher wrote all his own jokes and traveled with many boxes of props.
In 2012, Gallagher was in a TV commercial for GEICO Insurance. In the ad, he did his Sledge-O-Matic routine again.
Even though he had heart problems later in life, Gallagher kept touring until 2020. He stopped performing because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sledge-O-Matic Routine
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Gallagher usually ended each of his shows with his famous "Sledge-O-Matic" routine. It often started with him saying:
Ladies and gentlemen! I did not come here tonight just to make you laugh. I came here to sell you something and I want you to pay particular attention!
The amazing Master Tool Corporation, a subsidiary of Fly-By-Night Industries, has entrusted who? Me! To show you! The handiest and the dandiest kitchen tool you've ever seen. And don't you wanna know how it works!?
Well, first you get out an ordinary apple. You place the apple between the patented pans. Then you reach for the tool that is not a slicer, is not a dicer, is not chopper in a hopper! What in the hell could it possibly be?! The Sledge-O-Matic!
Then, Gallagher would bring out a large wooden mallet, like a sledgehammer. He would smash it down onto apples or other items. Chunks of food would fly into the audience! People in the first few rows often opened umbrellas or wore raincoats to protect themselves. Fans called this fun experience "Gallagherizing."
Audience Incidents
Because his shows were so messy, sometimes audience members got minor injuries.
In 1990, at a show in California, a woman was hit on the head by a heavy plush penguin. The penguin had a fire extinguisher inside it. She later sued Gallagher, but the jury decided in his favor. The judge even said the trial was very entertaining!
In 2010, at a fair in Oregon, a woman rushed the stage. She slipped on the debris and had to go to the hospital.
Conflict with His Brother
In the early 1990s, Gallagher's younger brother, Ron, wanted to perform shows using the Sledge-O-Matic routine. Leo (Gallagher) said yes, but only if Ron made it clear that he was not the original Gallagher. Ron looked a lot like Leo.
Ron usually performed in smaller places. After some years, Ron started calling his act "Gallagher Too" or "Gallagher Two." Sometimes, his shows were advertised in a way that made it unclear he wasn't the famous Gallagher.
Leo first asked his brother to stop using the Sledge-O-Matic. But Ron kept touring with it. In 2000, Leo sued his brother for using his trademark. The courts agreed with Leo. Ron was told he could not pretend to be his brother in small clubs or venues. He also couldn't intentionally try to look like Leo.
Gallagher's Legacy
In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Gallagher as the 100th best stand-up comedian ever. Gallagher was not happy with this low ranking. He told The Oregonian newspaper, "How could I be behind people I never heard of?" He pointed out that he made many one-hour comedy specials for TV.
Gallagher is played by actor Paul F. Tompkins in the 2022 movie, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
When Gallagher died in 2022, his manager said that even though some people didn't like his comedy, "He was an undeniable talent and an American success story."
Scientific Study of Laughter
In the 1980s, scientists at Loma Linda University studied how laughter affects the body. They used Gallagher's comedy to do this! They took blood samples from ten medical students while they watched Gallagher perform. The researchers saw that the students' white blood cells increased. The scientists thought that laughing seemed to make their immune systems stronger.
Personal Life and Health
Gallagher joked that he lost almost all his money in the stock market and was "broke." However, his manager said this was just a funny exaggeration.
On March 10, 2011, Gallagher collapsed on stage during a show in Minnesota. He was rushed to the hospital and found to have had a minor heart attack.
A year later, on March 14, 2012, he had intense chest pains before a show in Texas. His manager said he had a "mild to serious" heart attack. Doctors put him in a medically induced coma to help him. After replacing two coronary stents, doctors slowly woke him up. He recovered quickly and was soon telling jokes again.
Gallagher died on November 11, 2022, at his home in Palm Desert, California. He was 76 years old. He passed away from organ failure caused by many heart attacks he had throughout his life.
Filmography
Comedy Specials
- An Uncensored Evening (1980)
- Cosmos (1980)
- Mad as Hell (1981)
- Two Real (1981)
- Totally New (1982)
- That's Stupid (1982)
- Stuck in the Sixties (1983)
- The Maddest (1983)
- Melon Crazy (1984)
- Over Your Head (1984)
- The Bookkeeper (1985)
- The Messiest (1986)
- Overboard (1987)
- We Need a Hero (1992)
- Smashing Cheeseheads (1997)
- Messin' Up Texas (1998)
- Sledge-O-Matic.com (2000)
- Tropic of Gallagher (2007)
- Gotham Comedy Live (2014)
Acting Performances
- Record City (1978)
- The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1988 TV series); 1 episode
- "Nontourage" (2010 short)
- The Book of Daniel (2013) as Astrologer-Abib
Other Appearances
- Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983) – game show participant
- Tosh.O (2010) - cameo
- The Eric Andre Show (2013) – cameo
- Celebrity Big Brother 2 (2019) – guest, performed Sledge-O-Matic routine
Images for kids
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Gallagher in 2007
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Gallagher smashes a cake with the Sledge-O-Matic
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Gallagher signs the head of a fan.
See also
In Spanish: Gallagher para niños
