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Life and death of Lenny Bruce, how and when did he die?
Lenny Bruce was a preeminent American stand-up comedian and controversial social critic who died mysteriously in the midst of his obscenity trial in his prime. With his short but impactful life, he established himself as one of the renowned comedians that paved the way, establishing favorable platforms for the current eras of comedians to showcase their skills.
Died in the middle of his trial for Bruce is considered an icon who set the milestone for free speech in the United States. Find out more about the events in his life below.
The Life of Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce was born Leonard Alfred Schneider13. October 1925, in Mineola, New York, USA, to Myron (Mickey) Schneider (father), who was a shoe salesman, and Sally Marr (mother), who was a stand-up comedian, dancer, actress and talent scout.
Parents divorced when Bruce was about to turn 10, his mother was instrumental in Leonard’s success as a comedian as she often took him to where and when she had shows. He adopted Lenny Bruce as his stage and professional name throughout his comedy career.
His childhood was not remarkable marital problems that existed between his parents; He spent most of his childhood with relatives in Bellmore before enrolling at Wellington C. Mepham High School.
After high school, Bruce previously worked on a farm. In 1942, at the age of 16, he enlisted in the United States Navy. He was in service during World War II, fighting mainly in Italy. He had a comic show in May 1945 which did not go down well with his commanders and unwelcomely fired him that same year. Bruce later requested through a motion that his undignified discharge be changed to “Under honorable conditions…for unfitness for sea service”.
Bruce returned to California and spent some time with his father before settling in New York to pursue a career in comedy. With many comedians all over New York showering on a similar brand of jokes and artistry, he joined Joe Ancis, who tutored him and gave him a unique approach to his comedy style.
Began his career in the former Navy, first taking Lenny Marseille as his stage name before finally settling down with Lenny Bruce after a wonderful performance in Brooklyn around 1947; He earned $12 and a free spaghetti dinner.
In 1948 after his appearance on Arthur Godfrey’s TV talent scout show, which he won, he began to get more bookings at nightclubs and bigger shows and better venues like New York’s beach. Bruce began to shift his comedy style from impersonations to free-roaming monologues that satirized religion and politics. He rose to prominence and released several comedy albums while occasionally appearing on television in shows hosted by Steve Allen and many others.
While Bruce was known for using profanity in his comedy material got him in trouble; He was arrested in 1961 for obscenity and possession of prescription narcotics after his San Francisco show. After his takeover, a few years later, security forces began keeping tabs on him, which later led to his subsequent arrest for using raw language on stage.
It was in 1964 that Lenny Bruce was jailed a few months after his obscenity conviction, Woody Allen, Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg rallied around him and showed him support during his trials. Having more problems, he had time off his shows a few times and later went bankrupt. In an attempt to ease the pain of frustrations; he resorted to drugs that never helped him.
Aside from his arrest for obscenity, Bruce was arrested after starting a funding organization to raise the money he wanted to send to a leper colony in Guinea, after about $8,000 Bruce only sent a paltry sum of $2,500 , which the authorities considered a criminal offence.
His wife and daughter
During the course of his comedy career, in 1951, Bruce met his wife, Honey Harlow, at a Baltimore club where she used to be a stripper. he fell in love with her immediately and announced his intention to marry her. They went through the same year before moving to New York in 1953 to settle on the west coast. She has subsequently joined Bruce on stage in some of his shows.
Honey Harlow was born Harriett E. Jolliff on August 15, 1927 in Manila, Arkansas, USA to unmarried teenage parents. While she was an infant, her father died of complications from a tuberculosis-related case, leaving her in the care of her mother.
As Honey grew up, her mother found work at a nightclub before dating a local hustler to care for their child. The unstable domestic condition made Honey leave home and drop out of school. Eventually, she left home with her girlfriend to pursue a career in showbiz. In 1953, she appeared in an indie film called Dance Hall Rackets , which also starred her husband, Lenny Bruce.
Bruce’s marriage to Honey brought a daughter named Kitty Bruce, she was born in 1955. After only a few years of staying together due to marital problems, Bruce filed for divorce against his wife on January 21, 1957. It was not until 1959 that the divorce case was settled. Honey remarried Jeffrey Friedman in 1984 after the death of her ex-husband, whom she actively promoted for his legacy. Years later, she kicked the bucket (died) in 2005.
How and when did Lenny Bruce die?
After the conviction and in court for obscenity, Bruce took drugs to relieve his pain, on August 3, 1966 he was found dead in the bathroom of his Hollywood Hill home. After thorough investigations to determine the cause of death, it was announced that Bruce died of acute morphine poisoning caused by an overdose. He was buried at Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.
A biographical film entitled Lenny was released in 1974 to explore the known and untold stories of Lenny Bruce. The award-winning film was directed by Bob Fosse and starred Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce, Valerie Perrine as Honey Bruce and a host of others who played various roles in the biographical drama film.
