Gallagher (comedian)

Gallagher
Gallagher in 2007
Born	Leo Anthony Gallagher, Jr. (1946-07-24) July 24, 1946 (age 70) Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Occupation	Comedian, prop comic
Years active	1969–present
Website	www.gallaghersmash.com

Leo Anthony Gallagher, Jr. (born July 24, 1946), known as Gallagher, is an American comedian and prop comic, known for smashing watermelons as part of his act.

Gallagher was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina to a family of Irish and Croatian heritage. Until the age of nine, he lived in Lorain, Ohio, but because of his asthma the family moved to South Tampa, Florida, where he attended H.B. Plant High School. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a chemical engineering degree in 1970. He minored in English literature, which he uses often in his skits to mock the language. In a 1991 interview in the Nadig Press, his mother stated that Gallagher despised fruit, particularly melons, because she tried to force them on him to help with recurrent constipation in childhood. Gallagher developed a disdain for watermelons, when, at age 10, he dropped one on his foot and broke two toes.

After college, Gallagher began working as comic/musician Jim Stafford's road manager. Stafford and Gallagher traveled to California in 1969, during which time Gallagher decided to perform himself. He began honing his own comedy act while frequenting both The Comedy Store and The Ice House. He was repeatedly denied appearance on The Tonight Show in the 1970s and 1980s, as Johnny Carson disliked prop comedy. However, he was liked by some of the program's staff, and Gallagher eventually performed several times on the show when guest hosts were filling in for Carson. Gallagher first appeared on The Tonight Show Dec. 5, 1975, when he demonstrated his prop, "The Tonight Show Home Game", and Carson noted it was his first appearance. Gallagher again appeared on The Tonight Show on May 9, 1979, a show hosted by Carson.