Henny Youngman Biography and Quotes
Birthday: March 16th, 1906
Commemoration: February 24th, 1998
Nationality: American
91
Years Old
Famously Known For
Henny Youngman is often regarded as the king of the one-liner during his time. He incorporated music in his acts and used his trademark violin with a catchphrase “Take my wife- please.”
Early Life
Henny was born in London. His family had a Jewish origin. Later on, while he was still a child, his family moved to Brooklyn New York where he grew up to adulthood.
Personal Life
Henny was married to Sadie. Most of his comedy jokes revolved around his wife, Sadie Cohen. The two were blessed with a son Gary and a daughter Marilyn.
Career
Youngman was encouraged by his family to become a violinist. He, along with a few friends, formed a jazz band called Swanee Syncopaters. It was during their performance that he started telling jokes.
On one night, a club’s comedian did not turn up for his performance, and so the club manager requested Youngman to fill up for him.
His style of comedy is described as inoffensive and friendly. He mostly did standup comedy in clubs and restaurants. However, he made his major break in 1937 when he got invited for a radio show. This was then followed by many other radio shows which catapulted to fame and bigger stages.
In the 1940s he attempted venturing into the world of movies but was not successful. He would later go back to doing comedy in clubs and restaurants. He would do a minimum of 250 shows per year.
In 1959, Youngman recorded an album The Primitive Sounds of Henny Youngman with the help of Danny Shapiro. Throughout his career, he made numerous appearances on television and radio. He also wrote an autobiography titled Take My Life, Please.
Death
Henny Youngman died on 24 February 1998 from complications caused by pneumonia.
