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Shecky Greene, Iconic Las Vegas Stand-Up Comic, Dead at 97

Shecky Greene, Iconic Las Vegas Stand-Up Comic, Dead at 97

Legendary stand-up comic and Las Vegas headliner Shecky Greene has died. He was 97.

Green died Sunday morning at his home in Las Vegas. His death was confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal by his wife, Miriam Musso Greene.

Born Fred Sheldon Greenfield, Greene was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and served in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II.

Several years later, Greene got his start as a nightclub performer in the Midwest, before getting a regular headlining gig in New Orleans for several years. He then traveled around the country performing in Miami, Chicago and numerous other venues before settling in Las Vegas, with a five-year headlining stint at the Tropicana.

He remained a main headline throughout the 1960s and '70s, and a Vegas stalwart throughout most of his career, performing his final show in 2011.

Throughout his comedy career, Greene also made numerous film and TV appearances, including  Tony Rome (1967), The Love Machine (1971), History of the World, Part 1 (1981) and Splash (1984), among others.

Greene was also inducted into the National Comedy Hall of Fame in March 2020, in a ceremony in Las Vegas.

The legendary stand-up is survived by his wife, as well as two daughters.

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