Comedian David Brenner has died at the age of 78 (!)
He was everywhere when I was a kid - Merv, Johnny, Mike - usually sandwiched in between a Gabor and Sergio Franchi
UT~
Saw this earlier. One of my faves from “the old days” (we’re getting old folks).
At first I couldn’t remember who he was. I had to click on the link and see the picture before it registered. He really was everywhere in the 70’s.
Aww. That’s a shame. I always thought he should have been the one to take over the Tonight Show.
It’s funny, I was just thinking the other day about his routine about the guy sitting on the newspaper on the subway.
RIP my big nosed brother. 
Something a little eerie…
Tonight’s my caregiving night for my mother and she likes Modern Family. As I was putting her to bed, I saw that tonight’s rerun on USA featured David Brenner in a guest appearance, although there’s no way they could have planned it like that.
I think he was also supposed to show up at a local theater sometime this year as well. RIP.
I always liked him. RIP David.
Aw, really? He was 78? I saw him at Brooklyn College while I attended. Man, I’m gonna die soon.
I remember seeing him on The Tonight Show when I was a kid. I always thought he was funny. I really had no idea he was 78 but I guess if I think about how old I am it makes sense. Sad to hear about his death.
Sad to hear about his death. They are certainly being secretive about his type of cancer; however given its rapid spread and the fact that he was a smoker at one time, it’s likely that it was lung cancer.
If one person reads about what it was (if it was indeed lung cancer) and quits because of it, then it will be a life saved, IMHO.
That bit was what I immediately thought of too. I saw him tell that story on Carson (I guess) when I was a kid and it’s always stayed with me. RIP David.
My brush with David Brenner:
My father was in politics and he and my mother were on a tour of Europe, meeting with some businesses that wished to invest in the USA. I was living in Berlin and was able to travel along with their group in Frankfurt, Paris and London. It was great to be there with my parents on their first trip to Europe.
In Paris, we were invited to the US Embassy to meet with the Ambassador. We were treated quite nicely and being given the tour of the embassy when suddenly they had a “drop in” visitor - David Brenner was in Paris and just wanted to see the embassy.
The Ambassador dropped our tour like a hot potato and we were pretty much given the proverbial “bum’s rush” out the door as suddenly David Brenner was greeted with open arms.
Although it was kind of rude, I did think it was funny how fast we were pretty much tossed out on our asses for the chance to schmooze with fame - and I didn’t blame David Brenner - but it was an interesting moment of the trip.
That said, I liked David Brenner and sorry to hear the news.
The really amazing thing was that he was still working until recently . . . yet nobody knew it.
RIP.
Just noticed that David Brenner is survived by his wife Tai Babalonia!? Yes, the Pairs Figure Skater. Married since 2011. What the hey?
One of my fave Brenner stories was about the time when he first appeared on television. I can’t find it on YouTube, so I’ll try to tell it here.
It was the day after, and Brenner’s career was just taking off. His transportation was still at subway level, and he was apprehensive that no one had seen his show and he had flopped on his first show biz step. But while he sat on the train, a strange man across from him started staring. Then he broke into a silly grin, slowly pointed to Brenner, and said, “Yoooouu funnnnny!!”
Brenner felt relieved, and thanked the man for the compliment. Finally, a fan! Nothing happened for a short time, then the strange man adjusted his gaze to the rider next to Brenner. Pretty soon, he broke into the same silly grin, slowly pointed, and said, “Yoooouu funnnnny!!”
Women love funny?
I always thought Brenner didn’t get the credit he deserved, to me, he led all of the 1980s-1990s “observational” comics. He was Seinfeld before Jerry Seinfeld. I am shocked he was 78! I figured he would have been in his 60s…then again Jerry Seinfeld is about 60. The world is getting old man…
From the linked article:
I never realized how old he was in the 1970’s. I always thought he was the same age as Leno and Seinfeld.
I enjoyed his comedy. I haven’t heard his name since Carson retired. I mostly saw him on the Tonight show.
Like most others here, I had no idea he was that old. I’m sorry to see him go; he generated a lot of laughter in my life.
He popped up on Letterman’s show a few times. Letterman still has on a lot of comics who broke through around the same time he did (i.e., the mid 70s) and Brenner was one of them along with George Wallace, Tom Dreeson, and Jimmy Walker. That also, incidentally, is one reason why I too thought he was about ten years younger.