George Carlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Carlin |
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Carlin in 1975
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| Birth name | George Denis Patrick Carlin |
| Born | May 12, 1937 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 22, 2008 (aged 71) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
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Brenda Hosbrook
(m. 1961; died 1997)Sally Wade
(m. 1998) |
| Children | Kelly Carlin |
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George Denis Patrick Carlin (born May 12, 1937 – died June 22, 2008) was a famous American comedian, actor, and writer. Many people think he was one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians ever. He was often called "the dean of counterculture comedians" because he challenged common ideas.
Carlin was known for his unique style of comedy. He often talked about serious topics like politics, the English language, how people think, religion, and subjects that people usually avoid. He made audiences think while they laughed.
He created 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO. His first one was filmed in 1977. From the late 1980s, his comedy shows often looked at American society and its culture. He was a regular guest and host on The Tonight Show for many years. He also hosted the very first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975.
His last comedy special, It's Bad for Ya, was filmed just a few months before he passed away. In 2008, after his death, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. This award is given to people who have made a big impact on American humor.
Carlin also acted in many movies. He played a taxi driver in Car Wash and Rufus in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He also lent his voice to characters like Zugor in Tarzan II and Fillmore in Cars. Kids might remember him as Mr. Conductor on Shining Time Station and as the narrator for the American versions of Thomas & Friends.
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Early Life and Education
George Denis Patrick Carlin was born in Manhattan, New York City, on May 12, 1937. He was the second son of Mary and Patrick John Carlin. His mother was born in New York City to Irish immigrants. His father was an Irish immigrant from a village called Cloghan. George Carlin often said he was "fully Irish."
His parents separated when he was very young, so his mother raised him and his older brother, Patrick Jr. George's father passed away when George was eight years old. Carlin said his mother taught him to appreciate the English language. He grew up in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan.
Carlin went to Corpus Christi School, a Catholic school. His mother owned a television, which was rare back then, and he loved watching the show Broadway Open House. He later went to high school in the Bronx but was expelled from Cardinal Hayes High School when he was 15. He also attended other high schools briefly. He spent many summers at Camp Notre Dame in Spofford, New Hampshire, where he often won drama awards. After he died, some of his ashes were spread at Spofford Lake.
Carlin joined the U.S. Air Force and trained to be a radar technician. He also worked as a disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport. He left the Air Force in 1957.
Comedy Career Beginnings
In 1959, Carlin met Jack Burns, another DJ, in Fort Worth, Texas. They formed a comedy team and performed successfully at a coffeehouse. In 1960, Burns and Carlin moved to California.
Soon after arriving in California, they created a morning radio show called The Wright Brothers. Carlin later asked for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to be placed near the KDAY radio studios where they worked. After two years, they decided to work on their own careers but remained good friends.
Rise to Fame in the 1960s and 1970s
In the 1960s, Carlin started appearing on TV variety shows, playing different characters. He became a frequent guest and guest host on The Tonight Show, first with Jack Paar and then with Johnny Carson. Carlin often filled in for Carson when he was away.
Carlin hosted the very first broadcast of NBC's Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. He also appeared regularly on the Tony Orlando & Dawn variety series.
In 1976, Carlin surprisingly stopped performing regularly, even though he was very popular. For the next five years, he rarely did stand-up. However, during this time, he started making specials for HBO. He made 14 HBO specials in total, including his last one in 2008. He later shared that he had his first heart attack during this break. His first two HBO specials aired in 1977 and 1978.
Comedy in the 1980s
In 1981, Carlin returned to the stage with a new show called A Place for My Stuff. He also returned to HBO with the TV special Carlin at Carnegie, filmed at Carnegie Hall. Carlin continued to create HBO specials every year or two for the next 15 years. All of his comedy albums from this time came from these HBO specials.
He hosted SNL for a second time in 1984, appearing in several funny sketches.
Carlin also started to become well-known as a film actor. He had a big role in the 1987 comedy Outrageous Fortune. In 1989, he became popular with a new generation of teens when he played Rufus, the time-traveling mentor, in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He played Rufus again in the sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and in the cartoon series.
Later Career: 1990s and 2000s
In 1991, Carlin had an important role in the movie The Prince of Tides.
He also played "Mr. Conductor" on the PBS show Shining Time Station. He narrated the American versions of the children's TV series Thomas & Friends from 1991 to 1996, taking over from Ringo Starr.
In 1993, Carlin starred in a weekly TV show called The George Carlin Show on Fox. He played a New York City taxi driver named George O'Grady. The show ran for 27 episodes until 1995.
In 1997, Carlin was honored at the Aspen Comedy Festival with a special called George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy. His first hardcover book, Brain Droppings (1997), was a huge success. It sold nearly 900,000 copies and stayed on New York Times best-seller list for 40 weeks.
In 2001, Carlin received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Annual American Comedy Awards.
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In the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated movie Cars, Carlin voiced the character Fillmore. In 2007, he voiced the wizard in Happily N'Ever After, which was his last film role. Carlin's final HBO stand-up special, It's Bad for Ya, was shown live on March 1, 2008.
Personal Life
In August 1960, Carlin met Brenda Hosbrook while performing in Dayton, Ohio. They got married on June 3, 1961. Their only child, Kelly Marie Carlin, was born on June 15, 1963. Brenda passed away from liver cancer on May 11, 1997, the day before Carlin's 60th birthday.
Six months later, he met comedy writer Sally Wade. He said it was "love at first sight." He married Sally Wade in a private ceremony on June 24, 1998. Their marriage lasted until Carlin's death in 2008, just two days before their 10-year anniversary.
Health and Passing
Carlin had heart problems for many years. He had heart attacks in 1978, 1982, and 1991. He also had other heart issues in 2003 and 2005. On June 22, 2008, George Carlin passed away from heart failure at the age of 71 in Santa Monica, California. This was one week after his last performance.
Following his wishes, his body was cremated. His ashes were scattered in front of various New York City nightclubs and over Spofford Lake in New Hampshire. This lake was special to him because he had attended summer camp there as a child.
Tributes and Legacy
Just four days before Carlin's death, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced he would receive the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He became the first person to receive this award after passing away. The award ceremony was held on November 10, 2008.
For several years, Carlin had been working on his autobiography and a one-man Broadway show. After his death, his collaborator, Tony Hendra, finished the autobiography, which was published in 2009 as Last Words. The book tells the story of Carlin's life and his plans for the future.
On October 22, 2014, a part of West 121st Street in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan was renamed "George Carlin Way." This was the street where Carlin grew up as a child.
Images for kids
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Carlin in 1975
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Carlin (right) with singer Buddy Greco in 1967
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Carlin performing on This Is Tom Jones in 1969
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Carlin in the 1970s
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Carlin at a book signing for Brain Droppings in 2004
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Carlin in April 2008
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George Carlin Way
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A dedication from the Laugh Factory two days after Carlin died
See also
In Spanish: George Carlin para niños
