Norm Crosby
Norm Crosby | |
|---|---|
 Crosby in 1965 | |
| Born | Norman Lawrence Crosby[1] September 15, 1927 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 2020 (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Comedian |
| Spouse |
Joan Crane Foley (m. 1966) |
| Children | 2 |
Norman Lawrence Crosby (September 15, 1927 – November 7, 2020) was an American comedian sometimes associated with the Borscht Belt who often appeared on television in the 1970s. He was known for his use of malapropisms and was often called "The Master of Malaprop".
Career
Crosby was born in Boston. He went solo as a standup comedian, adopting a friendly, blue collar, guy-next-door persona in the 1950s. Crosby refined his standup monologues by interpolating malapropisms. He first appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in December 1964. In late-1968, he co-starred on The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show, an NBC twelve-week series.[2]
In 1974, he co-hosted a Canadian variety television series, Everything Goes.[3] From 1974 through 1984 he was on over half a dozen Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts including one of George Burns and two separate ones of Redd Foxx. From 1978 through 1981, he hosted a nationally syndicated series, The Comedy Shop, in which a mix of up-and-coming stand-up comics and vaudeville legends presented their material.[4]
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Crosby became a commercial pitchman for Anheuser-Busch Natural Light beer. During this time, he also appeared as a celebrity guest on a number of game shows, including Celebrity Bowling, Liar's Club, Tattletales, and Hollywood Squares. From 1983 until the program's dissociation with Jerry Lewis, Crosby co-hosted and contributed to the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6560 Hollywood Boulevard.[citation needed]
Personal life
Crosby married Joan Crane Foley in 1966. They had two children. He became a Freemason in 1956, having served as Master of at least one lodge and participated in many charitable activities. He was a member of Ionic Composite Lodge #520 in Los Angeles, California.[5][6]
Crosby was born to a Jewish family[7] and was raised in Dorchester, Boston,[8] the son of Ann (née Lansky) and John Crosby.[1]
On November 7, 2020, Crosby died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, California.[9] He was 93.
References
- ^ a b Profile, filmreference.com; accessed April 3, 2017.
- ^ "Barbara Feldon Guest on Phyllis Diller Show". Schenectady Gazette. October 5, 1968. p. TV 8. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ "From the Music Capitals of the World". Billboard. March 9, 1974. p. 54. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ The Comedy Shop videos at MeTV
- ^ Profile, MSANA.com (October 2007); accessed April 3, 2017.
- ^ Ionic Composite Lodge #520 Trestle Board Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, calodges.org; accessed April 3, 2017.
- ^ Epstein, Lawrence J. (December 6, 2001). "The story of Jewish comedians". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ Vennochi, Joan (April 20, 1983). "Langone Announces Entry Into Boston's Mayoral Race". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ^ Saperstein, Pat. "Norm Crosby, Comedian Who Was Master of Malaprops, Dies at 93". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
External links
- Norm Crosby at IMDb
- Interview (November 2010), classicshowbiz.blogspot.com; accessed April 3, 2017.
- Interview, accessed April 27, 2017.
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