George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin - American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, screenwriter, producer, winner of 4 Grammy awards and the Mark Twain award. Author of 5 books and more than 20 music albums, starred in 16 films.

Karlin was the first comedian whose number was shown on TV along with foul language. He became the founder of a new direction of stand-up, which does not lose its popularity today.

There are many interesting facts in the biography of George Carlin, which we will talk about in this article.

So, here is a short biography of George Carlin.

Biography of George Carlin

George Carlin was born on May 12, 1937 in Manhattan (New York). He grew up and was brought up in a family that has nothing to do with show business.

The comedian's father, Patrick John Carlin, worked as an advertising manager, and his mother, Mary Bary, was a secretary.

The head of the family often abused alcohol, as a result of which Mary had to leave her husband. According to George, once a mother with him, a 2-month-old baby, and his 5-year-old brother fled from his father down the fire escape.

George Carlin had a rather strained relationship with his mother. The boy changed more than one school, and also ran away from home several times.

At the age of 17, Karlin dropped out of school and joined the Air Force. He worked as a mechanic at a radar station and moonlighting as a presenter at a local radio station.

At that time, the young man still did not think that he would connect his life with performances on television and radio.

Humor and creativity

When George was 22 years old, he already performed with numbers in various cafes and other institutions. Gradually he gained more and more popularity in the city.

Over time, the talented guy was offered to appear on television. This was the first step towards success in his professional career.

In no time, Karlin became one of the most famous figures in the comedy space.

In the 70s, the humorist became seriously interested in the hippie subculture, which at that time was very popular among young people. George grew his hair, put the earring in his ear, and began to wear bright clothes.

In 1978, the comedian appeared on TV with one of the most scandalous numbers in his career - "Seven Dirty Words". He uttered swear words that no one had ever used on television until that moment.

The issue caused a great resonance in the society, so the case went to court. As a result, by five votes to four the American judges reaffirmed the state's duty to control broadcasting even on private channels and radio stations.

During this period of his biography, George Carlin begins to record the first issues of comedy programs. In them, he ridicules various political and social problems.

It seemed that the artist did not have such topics that he would be afraid to discuss in his usual manner.

Later, Karlin tried himself as an actor. Initially, he got minor characters, but in 1991 he played one of the main roles in the film "The Incredible Adventures of Bill and Ted."

George was critical of political elections. He himself did not go to the polls, urging his compatriots to follow his example.

The comedian was in solidarity with Mark Twain, who at one time uttered the following phrase:

"If the elections changed something, we would not be allowed to participate in them."

It is worth noting that Karlin was an atheist, as a result of which he allowed in his speeches to ridicule various religious dogmas. For this reason, he had a serious conflict with the Catholic clergy.

In 1973, George Carlin received his first Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. After that, he will receive 5 more similar awards.

Already in adulthood, the artist began to publish books in which he recorded his performances. His first work, published in 1984, was entitled "Sometimes a Small Brain Can Be Damaged."

After that, Karlin released more than one book in which he criticized the political system and religious foundations. Often, the author's black humor aroused discontent even among the most devoted fans of his work.

A few years before his death, George Carlin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the theater. In 2004, he was ranked # 2 on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Comedians.

After the death of the humorist, his biography was released, which was called "The Last Words".

Karlin owns many aphorisms that are found on the Internet today. It is he who is credited with the following statements:

"We talk too much, love too rarely and hate too often."

"We've added years to life, but not life to years."

"We flew to the moon and back, but we can't cross the street and meet our new neighbor."

Personal life

In 1960, while on tour, Karlin met Brenda Hosbrook. A romance began between the young people, as a result of which the couple got married the next year.

In 1963, George and Brenda had a baby girl, Kelly. After 36 years of family life, Karlina's wife died of liver cancer.

In 1998, the artist married Sally Wade. George lived with this woman until his death.

Death

The showman did not hide the fact that he was addicted to alcohol and Vicodin. In the year of his death, he underwent rehabilitation, trying to get rid of addictions.

However, the treatment was too late. The man suffered several heart attacks complaining of severe chest pain.

George Carlin died on June 22, 2008 in California, at the age of 71.