Shecky Greene, legendary stand-up comedian breathes his last at 97

Shecky Greene, the legendary standup comedian known for working with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, died on December 31, 2023 at the age of 97.

As reported by Variety, Greene’s wife, Marie Musso Greene, confirmed his death to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Shecky Greene appearances:

Shecky Greene was known for many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

He made it to the headlines with his opening act for Sinatra in Miami and Presley in Las Vegas. 

His time with Sinatra was inspiration to one of his oft-repeated jokes, “Frank Sinatra once saved my life,” Greene quipped. “A bunch of guys were beating on me and Frank said, ‘OK, that’s enough,’” which was a play on Sinatra’s reputation as a tough guy.

His other TV appearances included Love, American Style, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Laverne & Shirley, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Trapper John, MD, Roseanne and Mad About You.

Greene’s prominent performances include Splash, History of the World: Part I and Tony Rome.

He also played a recurring character on the World War II themed ABC drama Combat! during its 1962-63 season.

He appeared on more than 60 episodes of The Tonight Show, as a guest also making several outings as a guest host replacement for Carson. In 1957, Greene also made an appearance on the show during Jack Paar’s run behind the desk.

The comedian co-hosted and guest hosted The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show.

He also made regular appearances in game shows and variety shows ranging from Tattletales, Hollywood Squares and Match Game to The Dean Martin Show and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.