Jerry Lewis, King of Comedy, Dies at 91

Jerry Lewis has died at age 91. The legendary actor, comedian, singer, producer, screenwriter, and director had a decades-long career that included a comic partnership alongside Dean Martin and a gut-busting presence in such films as “The Nutty Professor” and “The Bellboy.” The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s John Katsilometes reports that he passed away at 9:15 Sunday morning at his home in Las Vegas.

Lewis suffered from many health issues in recent decades; he underwent open-heart surgery in 1983, surgery for prostate cancer nine years later, had a heart attack in 2006, and dealt with pulmonary fibrosis for many years. He and Martin ruled the nightclub scene throughout the 1950s, though their eventual split wasn’t exactly amicable.

Born March 16, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, Lewis was married to Patti Palmer from 1944-1980 and then to SanDee Pitnick from 1983 until his death. He had seven children, one of whom, Joseph Lewis, died in 2009. Lewis was also familiar for hosting the Labor Day telethon and received many humanitarian and lifetime achievement awards.

Very sad to report entertainment legend #JerryLewis has died today at 9:15 a.m. at his home in Las Vegas. He was 91.

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) August 20, 2017