Comedian David Brenner dies at 78

FoxNews ^ | 3/15/2014

[RoosterRedux]

A spokesman for the family of comedian David Brenner says the "Tonight Show" favorite has died. He was 78.

Brenner died Saturday afternoon at his home in New York City, said Jeff Abraham, who was Brenner's publicist.

The gangly, toothy Brenner made more than 150 appearances as a guest and substitute host on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," starting in the 1970s.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Oh my! He was sooooo funny!

[knarf]

Because WE are PART of that everybody ... we think everybody is dying ... indicating our own mortality.

Everybody out there IS dying

What scares me is ... there doesn't seem to be anyone replacing OUR everybody.

I keep hoping for Norman Rockwell to be re-incarnated ....

[trisham]

I always liked him. He was a funny, nice man. RIP, David.

[laweeks]

I always thought that he should have been one of the finalist to take over for Johnny Carson. Too bad his humor has been absent these past few years. RIP

[fatnotlazy]

Well, I’m a baby boomer. Remember David Brenner and all the older comedians who made the rounds of Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson and all the other talk and variety shows. Those were the days when television was actually entertaining and comedians were really funny.

[eyedigress]

RIP

[angcat]

I remember him when I was a kid yet I was also shocked that he was 78.

[Hot Tabasco]

This is crazy. It’s like everybody out there is dying.

How do you think the oldest person on this planet feels? I'm sure the 2nd oldest is praying for his longevity.......

[knarf]

Actually .. you're the only kid here ... and we barely tolerate you

/8^)

Yup ... there's a lot of us ... but there's a lot of young'n's too.

[Albion Wilde]

Sweet funny guy, out of that Jewish story teller tradition.

He paved the way for Seinfeld. RIP.

[al baby]

Not old Abe Vigoda

[GreenHornet]

I always thought that he should have been one of the finalist to take over for Johnny Carson.

I remember seeing an interview with him many years ago (probably late 70s/early 80s.) He was offered his own talk show, but absolutely refused to compete in the same time slot as Johnny Carson because he felt he owed his career to Carson, and it would be an act of betrayal to compete against him.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Thanks for the memories... :)

[Amberdawn]

His brother Malcolm, worked for the NTSB as a crash investigator.

[Albion Wilde]

Philly guy ping!

[boop]

There's probably some truth to that.

First, at the time, NOBODY would have been able to match Carson's audience.

Second, Carson was very sensitive regarding people who he thought his show made them "stars".

IIRC, when Joan Rivers tried to start her own show, Carson never spoke to her again.

He thought she was being an ingrate.

[Bobalu]

Youtube clips
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=David+Brenner

[henbane]

Another time, another world

.......

[Kid Shelleen]

Thanks for the ping. I saw him perform at the Philly Art Museum concert series many years ago..

**** Philly Metro Ping ****

[boop]

I always liked Brenner's observational humor.

His politics stunk, but who cares.

He made me laugh a lot. Particularly because he mostly steered away from politics in his routines.

And put me down as another person who had NO idea he was 78.

Like Dick Cavett, he always seemed the same age.

Some guy who's always in his late 30s.