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Comedic legend George Wallace has been continuously named one of the greatest stand-up comedians in history by many of his peers, including his close friends Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld. In an effort to recognize his contributions to and longevity in the comedy world, he is being honored with his very own episode of TV One’s “Unsung Hollywood.”
Wallace began his stand-up career in New York City. He began working as a salesman at an advertising agency to help pay his bills, but he continued to perform at comedy clubs all over the city.
In 1978, Wallace moved to the West Coast and began writing for “The Redd Foxx Show.” After a year, he left and eventually took his comedy show on the road, performing at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood and opening for several popular acts at the time, including Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson.
Once he became a comedy veteran, Wallace took his jokes to Las Vegas. He performed at the Flamingo Resort and Casino for 10 years and retired the show in 2014, but not before he was given the nickname The New Mr. Vegas.
One of his most famous bits is “People Say Stupid Things,” in which he jokes about the ridiculousness in certain popular sayings. One saying he makes fun of is the term “untimely death,” to which he has said, “When is a good time to die?” and continues, “I wanna hear something on the news like, ‘Senator Jesse Helms died today, and it’s about doggone time!'”
Wallace is known as an iconic comedian. He was listed No. 93 on Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time” television special and was named the Best Male Stand-Up Comedian at the 1995 American Comedy Awards.
“Unsung Hollywood” featuring George Wallace premieres Wednesday, July 29 at 8 p.m. EST.
