Mort Sahl dead at 94: Standup comedian who ‘paved the way for George Carlin & other iconic comics’ passes away
STANDUP comedian Mort Sahl has died at 94.
The comic was known for “paving the way for George Carlin and other iconic comics.”
Mort passed away at his home in Mill Valley, California on Tuesday, his friend told The New York Times.
Best known for his work as a standup comedian in the late 1950s and early ’60s, Mort’s unflinching bipartisan jokes helped define political satire for a generation of Americans.
He made his standup debut in 1953, where he boldly ridiculed U.S. politics.
Over his impressive career, Mort called out presidents ranging from from Dwight D. Eisenhower, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
In the height of his career, Mort was believed to have earned more than $1 million a year.
He was an in-demand guest on TV talk and variety shows and co-hosted the 31st annual Academy Awards in 1959.
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Additionally, Mort emceed the inaugural Grammy Awards less than a month after his Acamdey Awards hosting stint.
Mort also made history with his 1955 album At Sunset, which is considered the first recording of modern stand-up comedy.
EARLY DAYS
Born in Montreal on May 11, 1927, Mort and his family later moved to Los Angeles and he attended Belmont High School.
Following a stint in the Army, Mort attended the University of Southern California.
He worked as a stand-up comic and put on shows in LA, while he headed to Berkeley, California in 1955 and was hired by hungry i nightclub owner Enrico Banducci to fill in for a singer.
While many comedians of the time used their personal lives to inspire jokes, Mort crafted his punchlines by referencing headlines.
PRAISE FOR MORT
After news of Mort’s passing broke, fans and friends rushed to Twitter to praise the late comic.
Alongside a photo of Mort, director Robert B. Weide wrote: “#MortSahl (1927-2021) was not only the most influential standup comic in the history of the medium, he remained, pound-for-pound, the funniest, most innovative comedian of them all, throughout his entire career. He was also a good friend. RIP, Pal.”
Washington Post editor Marc Fisher wrote: “Mort Sahl, the stand-up satirist whose taboo-busting humor paved the way for George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Howard Stern and Dave Chappelle, is dead at 94.”
PERSONAL LIFE
Mort was married and divorced three times over the years.
He first married Sue Babior in 1955 at the home of San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, an early supporter of the comedian.
His second wife was China Lee, who became the first Asian-American Playboy centerfold in August 1964 and later served as Mort’s manage.
The comedian’s final wife was Kenslea Motter, a Delta Air Lines flight attendant.
Mort’s son with China, Mort Jr., struggled with drugs problems and sadly died in 1996 at age 19.