George Denis Patrick Carlin, popularly known as George Carlin was an American legendary stand-up comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Carlin was known for his dark comedy and reflection on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and taboo subjects. Dubbed as “the dean of counterculture comedians”, Carlin is regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comics of all time. Carlin’s “seven dirty words’ routine was central to the 1978 US Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation. Carlin has numerous stand-up comedy specials. He has released over 15 albums. He has also starred in numerous movies and television series. Carlin who suffered from heart problems for a long time died at the age of 71 on 22 June 2008.
For his contribution, he was honored with several awards and honors. He was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2008. This article discusses Carlin’s legacy, life story, career timeline, achievements, personal life, and death.
What is George Carlin Famous For?
- Regarded as one of the most influential stand-up comedians of all time.
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Where is George Carlin From?
George Carlin was born on 12 May 1937. His birth name is George Denis Patrick Carlin. His birth place is in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York in the United States. He was born to a father, Patrick John Carlin, and a mother, Mary Bearey. He had an older brother named Patrick Jr.
He has Irish ancestry on both his father’s and mother’s side. His father, Patrick was an Irish immigrant from County Donegal. His mother was also born to Irish parents who had immigrated to the United States before she was born. His parents separated when he was 2 months old. They separated because of his father’s alcohol addiction. His mother raised George and his brother on her own. He often ran away from home at his young age. He grew up on West 121st Street, in a neighborhood of Manhattan. He belonged to white ethnicity and his zodiac sign was Taurus.
Regarding his educational background, he attended Corpus Christi School. He then attended Cardinal Hayes High School, from where he was expelled after three semesters. He then attended Bishop Dubois High School and the Salesian High School.
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George Carlin Career
- George Carlin joined the US Air Force where he trained as a radar technician.
- He was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana.
- There, he began working as a disc jockey at the radio station KJOE.
- He was given a general discharge in July 1957 after being labeled an “unproductive airman” by his superiors. He had been court-martialed three times and received many nonjudicial punishments and reprimands.
- He met Jack Burns in 1959 and formed a comedy team.
- They had a successful performance at Fort Worth’s beat coffeehouse called The Cellar. They moved to California in February 1960. They created a morning show on KDAY. They became successful.
- They recorded their only album, Burns and Carlin at the Playboy Club Tonight in May 1960 at Cosmo Alley in Hollywood.
- The duo separated to pursue individual careers around 1962.
- Carlin then began appearing on various television shows in the 1960s.
- He became a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show. He became one of host Johnny Carson’s most frequent substitutes during the host’s three-decade reign.
- Carlin went on to establish himself in the industry over the years.
- He released his debut solo album, Take-Offs and Put-Ons in 1967.
- He went on to release 19 solo albums and fourteen HBO comedy specials.
- He also starred in numerous films and television shows.
- He made guest appearances in several movies and television series. His first major acting role was a supporting role in the 1987 comedy film, Outrageous Fortune.
- The George Carlin Show, the Fox weekly sitcom ran from 1993 to 1995.
- He narrated the British-American children’s tv series, Thomas & Friends from 1991 to 1995.
- From 1991 to 1993, he starred in the children’s tv series, Shining Time Station.
- He is known for his role as Rufus in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.
- He had guest voice roles in several animated series including Car Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales and The Simpsons.
- He also had voice roles in movies, Tarzan II, Cars, and Happily N’Ever After.
- He also published several books. His first book, Sometimes a Little Brain Damage Can Help was published in 1984. His last book Last Words was published posthumously in 2009.
- His other books are Brain Droppings (1997), Napalm and Silly Putty (2001), When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? (2004), and Three Times Carlin: An Orgy of George (2006).
- The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade, by Carlin’s widow, a collection of previously unpublished writings and artwork by Carlin interwoven with Wade’s chronicle of their 10 years together, was published in March 2011.
George Carlin Albums
- 1963: Burns and Carlin at the Playboy Club Tonight
- 1967: Take-Offs and Put-Ons
- 1972: FM & AM
- 1972: Class Clown
- 1973: Occupation: Foole
- 1974: Toledo Window Box
- 1975: An Evening with Wally Londo Featuring Bill Slaszo
- 1977: On the Road
- 1981: A Place for My Stuff
- 1984: Carlin on Campus
- 1986: Playin’ with Your Head
- 1988: What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
- 1990: Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics
- 1992: Jammin’ in New York
- 1996: Back in Town
- 1999: You Are All Diseased
- 2001: Complaints and Grievances
- 2006: Life Is Worth Losing
- 2008: It’s Bad for Ya
- 2016: I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die
Compilations Albums
- 1978: Indecent Exposure: Some of the Best of George Carlin
- 1984: The George Carlin Collection
- 1992: Classic Gold
- 1999: The Little David Years
George Carlin HBO specials
- On Location: George Carlin at USC (1977)
- George Carlin: Again! (1978)
- Carlin at Carnegie (1982)
- Carlin on Campus (1984)
- Playin’ with Your Head (1986)
- What Am I Doing in New Jersey? (1988)
- Doin’ It Again 1990
- Jammin’ in New York (1992)
- Back in Town (1996)
- George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy (1997)
- You Are All Diseased (1999)
- Complaints and Grievances (2001)
- Life Is Worth Losing (2005)
- All My Stuff (2007) {A box set of Carlin’s first 12 stand-up specials (excluding George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy)}
- It’s Bad for Ya (2008)
- Commemorative Collection (2018)
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George Carlin awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Annual American Comedy Awards in 2001.
- He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He requested that it be placed in front of the KDAY studios near the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street.
- He became the first posthumous recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2008.
- A portion of West 121st Street, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, was renamed “George Carlin Way” on 22 October 2014. Carlin had spent his childhood there.
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George Carlin Wife
George Carlin married twice in his life. He met his first wife Brenda Hosbrook in August 1960 while he was touring with his comedy partner Jack Burns in Dayton, Ohio. The couple got married at her parents’ home in Dayton on 3 June 1961. Their only child, a daughter, Kelly Marie Carlin was born on 15 June 1963. Kelly Marie is a well-known writer, actress, producer, monologist, and Internet radio host. George and Brenda renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas in 1971. The two remained married until Brenda died of liver cancer in May 1997.
Carlin then met comedy writer Sally Wade in the same year. They got married in a private and unregistered ceremony on 24 June 1998. The two remained married until his death in 2008.
George Carlin battled with drug and alcohol addictions. He stated in a 2008 interview that using cannabis, LSD, and mescaline helped him cope with events in his personal life. He also battled an addiction to alcohol, Vicodin, and cocaine. He had spent time in a rehab facility to battle his addiction.
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George Carlin Death
George Carlin died aged 71 on 22 June 2008. He died of heart failure at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Carlin had a history of heart problems spanning three decades and suffered three heart attacks in 1978, 1982, and 1991. Due to his heart problems, he unexpectedly stooped performing regularly in 1976. He had arrhythmia that required an ablation procedure in 2003 and a significant episode of heart failure in late 2005. He underwent angioplasty twice. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in front of various nightclubs he had played in New York City and over Spofford Lake in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, according to his wishes.
HBO broadcasted 11 of his 14 HBO specials in June 2008 in his tribute. NBC broadcasted the premiere episode of SNL, which was hosted by Carlin in 1975. Several other tributes were paid to Carlin following his death.
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George Carlin Net Worth
George Carlin is one of the legendary comedians of all time. Having started his career in the US airforce, he was discharged in 1957. He then met Jack Burns and their comedy career began. The duo separated in 1962 to pursue a solo career. Carlin later went on to become one of the most influential comedians of all time. Carlin used to earn $250,000 annually in the 1960s. After he became a successful comedian, he started making a fortune out of his career. He earned from stand-up gigs, tours, album sales. Besides stand-up, he starred in numerous movies and tv shows as an actor. As an author, he sold his books close to million copies. He became one of the commercially successful comedians of all time. His net was estimated at around $10 million at the time of his death.
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