Biography
Watermelons and all things messy and explosive never stood a chance with Gallagher, the stand-up comic who left audiences famous for his wacky routines, clever plays on words, and giant props. He was born Leo Anthony Gallagher on July 24, 1946 in Fort Bragg, NC and spent most of his childhood in Tampa, FL. Before he started doing stand-up comedy, Gallagher majored in chemical engineering, followed by English literature, at the University of Southern Florida, while holding down a job as a chemist at a nitric acid plant. After college, he worked first as a gofer and then a road manager for comic-musician Jim Stafford, who taught Gallagher about stagecraft and helped him create his own comedy routine. In the late 1960s, Gallagher took his rowdy comedy act across America before taking a stab at performing in various Hollywood clubs. By the 1980s, Gallagher consistently sold out shows and was one of the most recognized comedians in America, thanks to his signature and very messy routine called the Sledge-O-Matic. On stage, the gregarious comedian wielded a giant sledgehammer to smash produce, condiments, dessert, and other food items, before whacking a giant watermelon and sending debris flying across the audience. His fans who sat in the front rows of his concerts usually brought large rolls of plastic or umbrellas for protection. The bowling hat- and suspenders-wearing Gallagher also elicited plenty of laughter for his clever wordplays and for using wacky props, such as a giant trampoline made to look like a couch or wearing a cap with thin strands of hair attached to the back. The rowdy comedian was a regular guest on popular shows like "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (NBC, 1962-1992), and he also scored with the numerous stand-up comedy videos that he released, such as "Gallagher: Stuck in the Sixties" (1983) and "Gallagher: Over Your Head" (1984), for his fans that could not, or were not brave enough, to watch him live. While his career soared, not everything was fun and games in Gallagher's personal life. In the 1990s, he sued his younger brother, Ron, for using his comedy act and claiming it as his own, even billing it as "Gallagher Too." Gallagher initially gave his brother permission to use his routine as long as his promotional materials clearly stated who was performing, but after a few years, Ron reportedly stopped complying with his brother's conditions. Gallagher sued his brother for impersonating him, and in 2000, after a lengthy legal battle, Ron was no longer allowed to use any of Gallagher's acts or props. In the next decade, Gallagher slowed down and had very limited appearances. In March 2011, during a concert in Minnesota, he collapsed onto his back, clutching his chest, and was rushed to a nearby hospital. A year later, in March 2012, Gallagher was again rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack in Texas. He was put into a medically-induced coma to heal. Only four days after his release, the comic had yet another heart attack, this time in Arizona. He released a statement that after this fifth attack, he was bowing out of stand-up comedy to concentrate on his health. Gallagher died on November 11, 2022 in CA at the age of 76.
