Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce | |
|---|---|
Bruce in 1961 | |
| Born | Leonard Alfred Schneider October 13, 1925 Mineola, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 3, 1966 (aged 40) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Eden Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1947–1966 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Sally Marr (mother) |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, books |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) |
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| Notable works and roles | The Lenny Bruce Originals The Carnegie Hall Concert Let the Buyer Beware How to Talk Dirty and Influence People |
| Signature | |
Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of comedy that combined satire, politics, religion, sex, and vulgarity. His 1964 conviction in an obscenity trial was followed by a posthumous pardon in 2003.
Bruce forged new paths in comedy and counterculture. His trial for obscenity was a landmark of freedom of speech in the United States. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Bruce third (behind Richard Pryor and George Carlin) on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.