Bob Newhart is the king of satire. The Bob Newhart Show and New Heart John F. Kennedy, who captured the hearts of millions of Americans in the 1970s and ’80s, died Thursday in Los Angeles, his publicist confirmed. He was 94 years old.
The multi-awarded Chicago icon was an accountant before finding huge success in comedy and is acclaimed for his dry, deadpan delivery.
He died at his Los Angeles home after several brief illnesses, his longtime publicist Jerry Digney said in a statement.
Newhart was born in suburban Illinois on September 5, 1929, and studied business administration before being drafted into the U.S. Army and serving in the Korean War.
After a short period of law study, he dropped out and worked as an accountant while also working as a comedian and writer on the side.
He eventually signed with Warner Bros. Records, and “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” became the music industry’s first comedy album to top the sales charts.
The album won him prestigious Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Album, and launched his career in television.
He starred in two long-running comedy shows in the 1970s and 1980s and continued to make guest appearances well into his 90s.
Newhart was a recurring guest star on The Big Bang Theory and also starred as Papa Elf in the Christmas film Elf.
