Gallagher, comedian known for punching watermelons, dies at age 76 – Chicago Tribune

Gallagher, the inventive comedian known for smashing watermelons, died Friday of organ failure, his former manager Craig Marquardt confirmed Diversity. He was 76.

Gallagher had been in hospice care in California after suffering multiple heart attacks in recent years.

Born Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr., the acclaimed comedian rose to fame in 1980 with An Evening Without Censorship, the first comedy special ever to air on Showtime. Gallagher created another 12 hour-long specials for the network, as well as several popular programs for HBO.

Gallagher’s signature piece included a handmade sledgehammer he called the “Sledge-O-Matic,” which he used to smash food on stage and spray it onto the audience. Watermelon became the signature victim of his hammer. Gallagher is also known for his witty wordplay and sharp observational comedy.

While his contemporaries continued to host talk shows or star in sitcoms or movies, Gallagher remained on the road touring America for nearly four decades, touring continuously until the COVID-19 pandemic and playing more than 3,500 live shows in his career. In his later years, Gallagher did a long-running commercial for Geico and appeared in his first film, The Book of Daniel. In 2019, he went on a farewell tour called “Last Smash”.

In the early 1990s, Gallagher gave his brother, Ron Gallagher, permission to do shows using the “Sledge-O-Matic” routine, on the condition that the promotional materials would clearly indicate that Ron was performing, not Leo. A few years later, Ron began advertising his role as Gallagher Also or Gallagher Two, and in some cases it was not clear that he was not actually the original Gallagher. Leo requested that Ron stop performing the “Sledge-O-Matic” sketch, but his brother continued with the routine. In 2000, Leo sued his brother for trademark infringement and false advertising, and the court issued an injunction prohibiting Ron from engaging in any activities that would impersonate Leo or intentionally impersonate him.