George CarlinControversial comedian George Carlin passed away on June 22 of heart failure at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 71.
The star, who was known for his edgy and provocative stand up routines, had a long history of heart problems and drug dependency. He was admitted to Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. earlier in the day and passed away in the evening.
Carlin rose to fame in the 1960s with appearances on TV programs including The Ed Sullivan Show. He went on to become a regular on U.S. television and became the first ever host of NBC's famed Saturday Night Live show in 1975. Carlin also appeared in a variety of movie roles and is best known as Rufus from 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Carlin leaves a daughter, Kelly, 45.
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