Lenny Bruce (October 13 1925- August 3 1966), born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was a controversial American stand-up comedian and satirist of the 1950s and 60s. His contributions helped to change Stand-up comedy from the practice of telling jokes to an intelligent form of entertainment.
His performances took the form of stories, skits and commentary, occasionally obscene (he coined the term "T&A"). This penchant for obscene material caused his career to be plagued by constant trouble with the law. His obscenity trials are now considered to be significant benchmarks in the case for preservation of First Amendment freedoms.
By the time of his death due to a morphine overdose in 1966 he had been blacklisted by nearly every comedy club in the US because owners feared prosecution for obscenity. His latter performances often took the form of a rant about his court battles over obscenity charges and the right to Free speech.
Lenny Bruce was interred in the Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.
The 1974 film Lenny, starring Dustin Hoffman, presents a fictionalized account of Bruce's life.
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Lenny Bruce