George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American actor, comedian, and author. He was best known for his routines on American culture, psychology, religion, taboo subjects, and the English Language. His "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine played a central role in the Supreme Court's landmark 1978 ruling in FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, which affirmed that the US Federal Government has the authority to regulate and limit indecent material on public airwaves.
Carlin was born May 12, 1937 in New York City where he was raised. After high school, he joined the US Air Force and was stationed in Louisiana. There, he worked at a radio station but was fired for being unproductive. He later moved to California and put together an audition tape and began co-hosting on numerous radio stations.
At Milwaukee's Summerfest in 1972, Carlin performed his "Seven Dirty Words" routine and was arrested thereafter for violating obscenity laws. He was released in December and continued to perform stand up routines. Throughout the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s, he stared in several films, including Dogma and Scary Movie 3.
On June 22, 2008, Carlin was admitted to a hospital complaining of chest pains. He died later that evening. In accordance with his wishes, his remains were cremated and no public or religious service of any kind was held, although numerous television stations paid tribute to his legacy. His daughter Kelly plans to publish an oral history of her father in ...
view wiki
