George Kirby (June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor from Chicago, Illinois. He was one of the first African-American comedians to begin to appeal to white as well as black audiences during the height of the Civil Rights era, appearing between 1966 and 1972 on Toast of the Town (which later became The Ed Sullivan Show), The Dean Martin Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was an excellent impressionist -- targeting, somewhat scandalously for the time, many white actors such as John Wayne and Walter Brennan rather than solely black stars such as Bill Cosby and Pearl Bailey -- and, for a man of his ample girth, and unexpectedly agile dancer. June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A comedian (also comedienne, female) is a person who attempts to make people laugh through a variety of methods, normally through joke telling, or a stream of funny banter. ... LeAnn Rimes singing in concert For other senses of this word, see singer (disambiguation). ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Chicago, colloquially known as the Second City and the Windy City, is the third-largest city in population in the United States and the largest inland city in the country. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans, Black Americans, or simply blacks are an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to West and Central Africa. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948, to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by Ed Sullivan. ... Ed Sullivan The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948, to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by Ed Sullivan. ... The Dean Martin Show was a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974, for 245 episodes. ... The Jackie Gleason Show was a popular television variety show that starred Jackie Gleason and ran in a variety of incarnations, from 1952 to 1970. ... Rowan & Martins Laugh-In was a United States comedy television show broadcast from January 22, 1968 through 1973 over the NBC network. ... The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was the full name of NBCs The Tonight Show during the years that Johnny Carson hosted. ... An impressionist is a performer whose act consists of giving the impression of being someone else by imitating the other persons voice and mannerisms. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an American film actor whose career began in silent movies in the 1920s. ... Walter Brennan Walter Brennan, (born 25 July 1894 in Swampscott, Massachusetts; died 21 September 1974 in Oxnard, California) was a veteran character actor, notably in westerns. ... Bill Cosby as Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show Dr. William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Pearl Bailey in “St. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ...

In 1970, he was allowed to produce a television special, The George Kirby Show, to gauge whether he could attract an audience for a weekly series. This led to his hosting a sketch comedy and variety show, Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour, which lasted for 22 episodes in 1972; it was also one of the actor-comedian Steve Martin'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 shaggy dog story segment entitled the "Funky Fable". He was also a regular in the British-produced ABC Comedy Hour series "The Kopycats", along side such other impressionists as Rich Little, Charlie Callas, Marilyn Michaels, and Frank Gorshin. 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A variety show is a show with a variety of acts, often including music and comedy skits, especially on television. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Steve Martin (right) with Scooter, on The Muppet Show Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, musician, and composer born in Waco, Texas and raised in Orange County, California. ... In its original sense, a shaggy dog story is an extremely long-winded tale featuring extensive narration of typically irrelevant incidents that usually results in a pointless or absurd punchline. ... Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... In its strict sense a fable is a short story or folk tale embodying a moral, which may be expressed explicitly at the end as a maxim. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... Rich Little (born Richard Caruthers Little on November 26, 1938 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a comedian best known for his celebrity impersonations. ... Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, from the Batman TV series. ...

Following the demise of his show, Kirby's career declined, especially as audiences began to look for more cutting-edge comedy. He had been an occasional drug addict; now, to make up for lost income, he took to selling drugs. In 1977 he sold heroin to an undercover cop; he plea bargained to a ten year prison term and was released after 42 months. His career never again reached its former heights, but he did register featured guest appearances on Gimme a Break with Nell Carter, Crazy Like a Fox, and 227. He then took ill with what was later diagnosed as Parkinson's Disease. He was well-loved enough within the comedy community that friends and admirers formed the "Friends of George Kirby," which performed an all-star tribute to him in 1995 to help pay his mounting medical bills, only a few months before he died. Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is an alkaloid opioid. ... Look up Undercover in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Being undercover or wearing plainclothes is disguising ones identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information. ... The word cop can be:- A slang word for policeman, perhaps from Old French caper, to catch. ... A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case in which a prosecutor and a defendant arrange to settle the case against the defendant. ... Opening titles from 1983. ... Nell Carter, as Nell Harper on Gimme a Break! Nell Carter (September 13, 1948 - January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress. ... Events Ireland - Rule of High King Cormac mac Airt begins (approximate) Cao Rui becomes emperor of the American television situation comedy that was originally broadcast from 1985 until 1990. ...