140:
32:
539:
348:'s first credits in front of the camera. The series was in many ways an uneasy compromise between Kirby's natural gifts and what the public would accept of Black actors at the time; a regular feature was a
626:
211:, a South Side establishment that employed a variety-show format and preferred to hire local singers, dancers, and comedians. His first recording was as a stand-up
326:
591:
456:
to an undercover officer, Kirby served three and a half years in prison. After his release, he visited schools to tell students to stay off drugs.
468:
in his later years, Kirby made his last public appearance at an all-star benefit in May 1995 given by his friends for his mounting medical bills.
606:
621:
596:
656:
636:
281:
had broken ground doing impressions of White celebrities, leading the way for this to become more socially acceptable. As a gifted
651:
611:
586:
273:
641:
381:
Following the demise of his show, Kirby's career declined, especially as audiences began to look for more cutting-edge comedy.
581:
96:
68:
321:. He did a profoundly believable female and child voice, as well as an array of military and airline sound effects.
631:
515:
332:
115:
75:
601:
646:
330:, a television special, to gauge whether he could attract an audience for a weekly series. It led to his hosting
437:
267:
53:
82:
616:
353:
282:
49:
20:
414:
64:
318:
408:
396:
His career never again reached its former heights, but he did register featured guest appearances on
255:
42:
465:
576:
571:
261:
249:
243:
492:
89:
8:
358:
220:
199:(June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor.
556:
179:
544:
371:
349:
235:
227:
433:
420:
390:
314:
306:
278:
230:
comedians to appeal to white as well as Black audiences during the height of the
367:
298:
565:
398:
375:
337:
310:
472:
345:
341:
290:
231:
389:
comedian series in the late 1970s, filming one of his many appearances at
403:
363:
344:, which lasted for 22 episodes in 1972; it was one of the actor-comedian
301:, something still ostensibly provocative in the 1960s. Kirby was also a
208:
552:
294:
286:
216:
516:"George Kirby, 71, Comedian Who Was 'Copycat' of Yesteryear's Stars"
207:
Born in
Chicago, Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the
139:
31:
429:
449:
162:
393:
in the NY Catskills, a club he had played regularly since 1961.
453:
305:
piano player and did song and vocal impressions of jazz greats
471:
On
September 30, 1995, Kirby died of Parkinson's disease at a
302:
212:
285:, Kirby didnt mimick solely contemporary Black stars like
352:
entitled the "Funky Fable". He was also a regular in the
425:
382:
293:. He also did impressions of White celebrities such as
475:
in Las Vegas. He was survived by his wife, Rosemary.
627:
Deaths from
Parkinson's disease in the United States
534:
56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
563:
592:20th-century African-American male singers
138:
510:
508:
506:
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
234:era, appearing between 1963 and 1972 on
215:singer, performing "Ice Man Blues" on a
274:The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
607:American impressionists (entertainers)
564:
503:
622:Neurological disease deaths in Nevada
362:, with other impressionists such as
54:adding citations to reliable sources
25:
597:American rhythm and blues musicians
324:In 1970, he was allowed to produce
13:
657:20th-century American male singers
14:
668:
637:20th-century American male actors
530:
333:Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour
537:
438:multinational peacekeeping force
30:
652:20th-century American comedians
612:American male television actors
587:African-American male comedians
443:
41:needs additional citations for
485:
1:
642:20th-century American singers
478:
448:Arrested in 1977 for selling
21:George Kirby (disambiguation)
582:African-American male actors
7:
432:to entertain the troops in
268:Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
10:
673:
190:Rosemary (1960–1995)
18:
385:did include him in their
219:session done in 1947 for
202:
186:
169:
149:
137:
130:
632:Male actors from Chicago
493:"George Kirby: Obituary"
459:
226:He was one of the first
602:American male comedians
256:The Jackie Gleason Show
16:Comedian, actor, singer
647:Comedians from Chicago
409:What's Happening Now!!
327:The George Kirby Show
617:Argo Records artists
277:. In the mid 1950s,
262:The Temptations Show
250:The Dean Martin Show
244:The Ed Sullivan Show
50:improve this article
19:For other uses, see
466:Parkinson's disease
424:. In 1983 he did a
522:. October 2, 1995.
499:. October 3, 1995.
221:Aristocrat Records
173:September 30, 1995
194:
193:
180:Las Vegas, Nevada
126:
125:
118:
100:
664:
547:
545:Biography portal
542:
541:
540:
524:
523:
512:
501:
500:
489:
415:Crazy Like a Fox
387:On Location With
372:Marilyn Michaels
350:shaggy dog story
238:Kraft Music Hall
228:African-American
176:
165:, Illinois, U.S.
159:
157:
142:
133:
128:
127:
121:
114:
110:
107:
101:
99:
58:
34:
26:
672:
671:
667:
666:
665:
663:
662:
661:
562:
561:
543:
538:
536:
533:
528:
527:
514:
513:
504:
497:Chicago Tribune
491:
490:
486:
481:
464:Diagnosed with
462:
446:
436:as part of the
434:Beirut, Lebanon
315:Ella Fitzgerald
307:Louis Armstrong
205:
178:
174:
161:
155:
153:
145:
131:
122:
111:
105:
102:
59:
57:
47:
35:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
670:
660:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
609:
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
560:
559:
549:
548:
532:
531:External links
529:
526:
525:
502:
483:
482:
480:
477:
461:
458:
445:
442:
368:Charlie Callas
299:Walter Brennan
204:
201:
192:
191:
188:
184:
183:
177:(aged 72)
171:
167:
166:
151:
147:
146:
143:
135:
134:
124:
123:
65:"George Kirby"
38:
36:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
669:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
569:
567:
558:
554:
551:
550:
546:
535:
521:
520:Seattle Times
517:
511:
509:
507:
498:
494:
488:
484:
476:
474:
469:
467:
457:
455:
451:
441:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
422:
417:
416:
411:
410:
405:
401:
400:
399:Gimme a Break
394:
392:
388:
384:
379:
377:
376:Frank Gorshin
373:
369:
365:
361:
360:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
338:sketch comedy
335:
334:
329:
328:
322:
320:
316:
312:
311:Nat King Cole
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
283:impressionist
280:
276:
275:
270:
269:
264:
263:
258:
257:
252:
251:
246:
245:
240:
239:
236:Perry Como's
233:
229:
224:
222:
218:
214:
210:
200:
198:
189:
185:
181:
172:
168:
164:
152:
148:
144:Kirby in 1964
141:
136:
129:
120:
117:
109:
98:
95:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67: –
66:
62:
61:Find sources:
55:
51:
45:
44:
39:This article
37:
33:
28:
27:
22:
553:George Kirby
519:
496:
487:
473:nursing home
470:
463:
447:
444:Imprisonment
419:
413:
407:
397:
395:
391:Grossinger's
386:
380:
359:The Kopykats
357:
346:Steve Martin
342:variety show
331:
325:
323:
319:Joe Williams
291:Pearl Bailey
272:
266:
260:
254:
248:
242:
237:
232:Civil Rights
225:
206:
197:George Kirby
196:
195:
175:(1995-09-30)
160:June 8, 1923
132:George Kirby
112:
103:
93:
86:
79:
72:
60:
48:Please help
43:verification
40:
577:1995 deaths
572:1923 births
404:Nell Carter
364:Rich Little
279:Sammy Davis
209:Club DeLisa
566:Categories
479:References
428:tour with
295:John Wayne
287:Bill Cosby
217:Tom Archia
156:1923-06-08
106:March 2013
76:newspapers
430:Bob Hope
450:cocaine
356:series
163:Chicago
90:scholar
454:heroin
418:, and
374:, and
317:, and
271:, and
203:Career
187:Spouse
182:, U.S.
92:
85:
78:
71:
63:
460:Death
402:with
303:bebop
213:blues
97:JSTOR
83:books
557:IMDb
452:and
340:and
336:, a
297:and
289:and
170:Died
150:Born
69:news
555:at
426:USO
421:227
383:HBO
354:ABC
52:by
568::
518:.
505:^
495:.
440:.
412:,
406:,
378:.
370:,
366:,
313:,
309:,
265:,
259:,
253:,
247:,
241:,
223:.
158:)
154:(
119:)
113:(
108:)
104:(
94:·
87:·
80:·
73:·
46:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
