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Comedian Gallagher died at age of 76

According to his manager Craig Marquardo, comedian Gallagher, best known for his watermelon-smashing routine

and numerous successful specials in the 1980s, passed away on Friday morning. He was 76.

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The comedian passed away "after a short health battle" and "passed away surrounded by his family in Palm Springs,

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According to an obituary shared by Marquardo, Gallagher, born Leo Gallagher,

rose to fame in the early 1980s with a comedy special titled "An Uncensored Evening," the first comedy stand-up special to ever air on cable television.

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The "Sledge-O-Matic," a homemade sledgehammer that Gallagher used to smash food on stage

 and spray the audience with it, was the centerpiece of his most well-known routine.

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The obituary stated that physically involving the audience in that way was "another thing he liked to claim credit for."

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According to his biography on the website of booking agency Selak Entertainment, Gallagher,

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a native of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in chemical engineering before relocating to Los Angeles

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and honing his comedy act at renowned venue The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip.

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and honing his comedy act at renowned venue The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip.

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 In 1975, when he showcased his particular brand of prop comedy on Johnny Carson's renowned "The Tonight Show," people started paying attention.

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