Another Great One Gone...

I am the biggest Jerry Lewis fan you will ever know.

I have his old movies with Dean Martin, have the Nutty Professor and the Patsy and watch them from time to time, laugh at loud at Cracking up like it’s been seen for the first time, and I just enjoy the true essence of physical comedy and the great Jerry Lewis.

No one did it better than he.  He could take anything and make a joke out of it, and that’s what I loved about Lewis.  He loved what he did for a living, and made sure the ones around him loved it too. He had passion, even until the very end.  A true leader of laughs and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Yesterday at age 91, Jerry Lewis died, and as far as I’m concerned, so did comedy.  Variety writes:

“Lewis died at his home in Las Vegas at about 9:15 a.m. Sunday morning, his agent confirmed.

For most of his career, Lewis was a complicated and sometimes polarizing figure. An undeniable comedic genius, he pursued a singular vision and commanded a rare amount of creative control over his work with Paramount Pictures and other studios. He legacy also includes more than $2.5 billion raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Association through the annual Labor Day telethon that he made an end-of-summer ritual for decades until he was relieved of the hosting job in 2011.”

When I heard the news, I wasn’t surprised, but I was saddened. I felt like a piece of true comedy had died with it.

Will there be a new king of comedy again one day? Maybe, sure, but that’s only gonna be a spawned version of a guy like Lewis, and trust me when I tell you, it will never be the same, especially for me.

Jerry Lewis died yesterday and so did part of my childhood.  Sad day for me.  It’s a sad day for the entertainment business and America…. no question about it.

Rest in peace, old friend.

No one did it better…no one. 

Thanks for the laughs.