George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American Stand-up comedian, writer, social critic, actor, author, comedian and satirist.

He was known for his black comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comics of all time, Carlin was dubbed by one newspaper to be "the dean of counterculture comedians".

Biography
George Denis Patrick Carlin was born and raised in Manhattan, New York, the younger son of secretary Mary Carlin (née Bearey) and The Sun ' s advertising manager Patrick John Carlin. His father was an Irish immigrant from County Donegal, while his mother was an Irish-American. His parents separated when he was two months old because of his father's alcoholism. Mary raised Carlin and his older brother, Patrick Jr., on her own. He grew up on West 121st Street, in a neighborhood of Manhattan he said he and his friends called "White Harlem" because that "sounded a lot tougher than its real name" of Morningside Heights.

The first of Carlin's 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO was filmed in 1977. He was best known for his "seven dirty words" routine. The routine was about seven words people shouldn't say in the media. (The list was ironically used by many radio stations, as a guide to what kind of language was not allowed.) Carlin and this routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5–4 decision affirmed the government's power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves. From the late 1980s, Carlin's routines focused on sociocultural criticism of American society. He often commented on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture. He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the three-decade Johnny Carson era, and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Comedy Central has called Carlin one of the greatest stand-up comedians.

Carlin acted in movies including Jersey Girl, Dogma, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (and its sequel), Scary Movie 3, and Disney's Tarzan 2. He also narrated the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine &amp; Friends from 1991 to 1995, and portrayed Mr. Conductor on Shining Time Station.

Carlin married Brenda Hosbrook on June 3, 1961, together they have a daughter named Kelly. They remained married until her death in 1997, just a few day's before Carlin's 60th birthday. Carlin then married Sally Wade on June 24, 1998, the married lasted until Carlin's death in 2008.

Carlin had a history of heart problems spanning three decades, including three heart attacks. He died of heart failure in Santa Monica, California on June 22, 2008 at age 71. Carlin's final HBO special, It's Bad for Ya, was filmed less than four months before his death.

Animated Series

 * Thomas & Friends (1991-1996) - Narrator (Seasons 1-4) (US Dub)