George Carlin filled many roles during his long career — rock star, poet, political agitator and defender of free speech.
But Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at the age of 71, will be most remembered for the one that made the others possible: stand-up comedian.
“He’s going to go down as one of the top five stand-ups of all time,” said promoter Barry Fey, who first met Carlin in 1969 and booked four of his Denver shows.
Carlin is best known for “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television,” an early 1970s routine that laid out the profane utterances that TV and radio still refuse to broadcast. He was arrested in 1972, at a show in Milwaukee for “disturbing the peace” with the routine. The case was dismissed.
But the Seven Words were later repeated on a New York radio station, leading to a 1978 Supreme Court case that affirmed the government’s right to censor content deemed offensive.
“He was such a revolutionary character,” said Comedy Works owner Wende Curtis. “And I don’t just mean in comedy but in freedom of speech. When you know the history of what he’s done and where he’s come from you’re like, ‘Wow, I’m watching a legend.’ ”
Carlin was a leading member of the 1970s stand-up renaissance that included Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Robert Klein, Albert Brooks and others. He helped redefine the art form by giving it renewed social and commercial relevance, taking cues from the bold, stream-of- consciousness style of Lenny Bruce, who also suffered legally for his unapologetic profanity.
“He was always on the cutting edge of everything happening politically and socially in the world,” said KBDI-Channel 12 producer Sam Safarian. Carlin played eight benefits for the Denver public TV station, beginning in 1994. His last was April 12 at the sold-out Buell Theatre.
Carlin’s cranky, often lightning-quick material came off like witty critiques delivered by a protester turned professor. He skewered authority figures, corporate jargon, religion and mindless consumerism.
Carlin was born May 12, 1937, and grew up in Manhattan. He got into comedy after an ill-fated stint in the Air Force and a few DJ gigs. He started performing with partner Jack Burns and appeared on talk shows before overhauling his image in 1970.
From that point on, he riffed on drugs , sex, race and other taboo topics, garnering two Emmy awards and 10 more nominations for his 23 albums. Fourteen HBO specials, three best-selling books and various TV projects netted high praise.
Many who met him said he wasn’t all thorns and wires.
“He was a sweet, sweet man, very gracious and kind,” said Stacey Hart, general manager of the Improv at Northfield Stapleton. Hart met Carlin after a set at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha 10 years ago. “He didn’t look like all of his angst on stage. He just looked happy.”
Wick Roland, president and chief executive of KBDI, said Carlin’s legacy is clear.
“It is to remind us that we need to have the capacity in public discourse to speak truth to power,” he said. “And that we can’t be afraid of that obligation and must exercise it regularly and vigorously.”
