Comedian Gallagher Dead at 76 - TMZ

Comedian Gallager Dead At 76

11/11/2022 7:38 AM PT

Comedian Gallagher, famously known for smashing watermelons arsenic portion of his legendary act, has died ... his longtime manager tells TMZ.

Gallagher died portion nether hospice attraction successful the Palm Springs country aboriginal Friday morning, TMZ has learned. His manager tells TMZ Gallagher died of monolithic organ failure. He had been successful sick wellness for a while, suffering galore bosom attacks implicit the years.

The rep tells TMZ, "Gallagher stayed connected the roadworthy touring America for decades. He was beauteous definite helium held a grounds for the astir stand-up dates, by attrition alone," adding, "While Gallagher had his detractors, helium was an undeniable endowment and an American occurrence story."

Gallagher started moving arsenic a comedian aft assemblage ... getting his large interruption aft appearing connected Johnny Carson's 'Tonight Show' backmost successful 1975 ... showing disconnected his prop wit and rapidly becoming 1 of the astir fashionable and recognizable comedians successful America.

His trademark spot was the "Sledge-O-Matic," wherever he'd usage a ample mallet to destruct a clump of foods and objects -- ever ending with a watermelon. While it started arsenic a parody of the Veg-O-Matic commercials, it would spell connected to beryllium what millions would retrieve him for.

Gallagher's since go a popular civilization phenomenon, getting parodied and referenced implicit the years for his enactment ... astir precocious being played by chap comedian Paul F. Tompkins successful "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story."

The comedian had 17 specials spanning decades of his enactment ... with his archetypal special, "An Uncensored Evening," debuting successful 1980. He appeared successful episodes of "Hollywood Squares," "WTF with Marc Maron," "Tosh.0" and "Celebrity Big Brother."

He had a wellness scare backmost successful 2011, arsenic we reported, helium collapsed onstage during a show successful Minnesota. He besides suffered a bosom attack the pursuing twelvemonth successful Texas, moments earlier helium was expected to perform.

We past saw the comedian backmost successful 2014 ... and helium offered america immoderate fantastic proposal for those looking to get idiosyncratic a acquisition portion stuck connected a fund -- and it's arsenic hilarious arsenic you'd expect.

Gallagher, who was retired, is survived by his daughter, Aimee, and his son, Barnaby.

He was 76.

RIP