A sad day in the comedic world. David Brenner has died at the age of 78, his rep confirms to Us Weekly.
"Legendary stand-up comedian and long time Tonight Show favorite, David Brenner, passed away at the age of 78 after a courageous battle with his final dragon, cancer," his rep Jeff Abraham tells Us in a statement. "Brenner died peacefully at his home in NYC surrounded by his family at his side. David is survived by his wife, Ruth, his three sons, Cole, Wyatt, Slade and his grandson, Wesley."
Brenner asked for one hundred dollars in small bills to be placed in his left sock "just in case tipping is recommended where I'm going." His final resting spot will read, "If this is supposed to be a joke — then I don't get it!"
Fellow comedians Joan Rivers and Bob Slayton also expressed their condolences via social media on Saturday, March 15.
"RIP David Brenner. I adored him, and laughed more with him than anyone," Rivers, 80, tweeted. "Sad, sad, sad. Knowing David, he's now making the devil laugh."
"One of my best friends and a great comic is gone," Slayton added on his personal Facebook account. "David Brenner was always there for me and one of the first people to put me on national tv."
"We had wonderful times together in Vegas and alway gave me good advice and was full of incredibly funny stories," he continued. "My condolences to his family and everyone else who had the joy of having David in their lives."
Brenner first made his television debut on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1962, and appeared on the show more than any other guest for a total of 158 episodes. He wrote five books, and appeared in the 1989 romantic comedy Worth Winning. He was set to star in the 1976 TV series Snip, but the series was cancelled before it aired in the U.S.
