|
milestones
Year
Milestone
Born and raised in NYC
Began working as a disc jockey while serving in the US Air Force in Shreveport, Louisiana
1959
Briefly worked at a station in Boston, MA, before moving to Fort Worth, TX and working there as a deejay
1960
Launched his nightclub comic career working with a partner, Jack Burns; the duo recorded a live album, Burns and Carlin at the Playboy Club Tonight (released in 1963)
1961
Made his debut as a solo stand-up act on “The Tonight Show” (NBC); guest hosted by Mort Sahl
Performed in nightclubs, folk clubs, and coffee houses
1965
First of 29 appearances on the syndicated talk show "The Merv Griffin Show" (July)
1966
Moved to Los Angeles
1966
Had a 12-week stint as a writer and performer on “The Kraft Summer Music Hall” (NBC)
1966
Acting debut, played a recurring role as Marlo Thomas's agent on “That Girl” (ABC)
1967
Released first solo comedy album, Take-Offs and Put-Ons; earned first Grammy nomination
1967
Made 80 major TV appearances and worked all the top nightclubs
1967
Hosted and wrote for the CBS variety series, "Away We Go"
1968
Made feature debut in the Doris Day vehicle “With Six You Get Eggroll”
1972
Recorded landmark comedy albums FM & AM and Class Clown; the later included a version of his famous “Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on Television”
1972
Made Carnegie Hall debut
1975
Served as host of the first broadcast of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (October 11)
1976
Had role of a cab driver in the feature comedy "Car Wash"
1976
Appeared regularly performing a stand-up routine on "Tony Orlando and Dawn" (CBS)
1977
Appeared in his first comedy special for the HBO Network, “On Location: George Carlin at USC”
1978
Suffered first heart attack, primarily due to a punishing schedule and a growing cocaine addiction
1978
Headlined second HBO special "On Location: George Carlin at Phoenix"
1981
Returned to comedy with the comedy album, A Place for My Stuff
1982
Filmed third HBO special, “Carlin at Carnegie”
1982
Suffered second heart attack (reportedly while watching a baseball game at Dodger Stadium)
1983
Published first book, Sometimes a Little Brain Damage Can Help
1984
Again hosted "Saturday Night Live"; also appearing in sketches
1984
Taped fourth HBO special, "Carlin on Campus"
1985
Headlined (and wrote) a failed pilot for HBO called “2C”
1987
Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (January)
1987
Cast as a drunken, ex-hippie tour guide in "Outrageous Fortune" opposite Bette Midler and Shelley Long
1988
Made TV-movie debut as a ghost in "Justin Case" an installment of ABC's "Disney Sunday Movie"
1988
Filmed the HBO special "What Am I Doing In New Jersey?"; also released as a comedy album
1989
Cast as Rufus, the mentor of the titular characters in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"
1990
Filmed seventh HBO special, “Doin’ It Again”; also released as an album under the title Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics, which earned a Grammy nomination
1991
Had a major supporting role in the film Prince of Tides along with Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand
1991
Suffered the worst of his three heart attacks while driving to Las Vegas
1991
Reprised role of Rufus in the sequel "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey"
1991
Provided the narrative voice for the American version of the children's show "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" (PBS)
1991
Replaced Ringo Starr as Mr. Conductor on the PBS children's series, "Shining Time Station"
1992
Headlined eighth HBO special "Jammin' in New York"; first of his specials to be broadcast live on the network; received first Grammy Award for the resulting comedy album
1993
Cast in (also executive produced and co-wrote the pilot) the FOX sitcom, "The George Carlin Show" as a NYC cab driver
1995
Had rare dramatic TV role in the CBS miniseries "Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo"
1997
Published Brain Droppings, Carlin's first real book
1997
Honored at the Aspen Comedy Festival with a retrospective "George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy" hosted by Jon Stewart; the special was nominated for two Emmys
1999
Filmed eleventh HBO special, “You Are All Diseased”; earned two Emmy nominations and a Grammy nomination for the CD version
1999
Played a satirically marketing-oriented Roman Catholic cardinal in Kevin Smith's "Dogma"
2001
Taped twelfth HBO special, “Complaints and Grievances”; originally titled “I Like It A Lot When People Die,” but was changed after the September 11th attacks
2001
Penned the book, Napalm and Silly Putty
2004
Cast in his biggest and most dramatic role to date as Ben Affleck’s blue collar father in Smith's "Jersey Girl"
2004
Fired from his headlining position at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas after an altercation with his audience; soon after announced he would enter rehab for drug and alcohol addiction
2004
Released his book, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?
2005
Premiered his thirteenth HBO special, “Life is Worth Losing”
2005
Appeared in Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza’s documentary “The Aristocrats,” about a long-running and particularly vulgar joke favored by stand-up comedians
2006
Provided the voice of Fillmore, a VW Microbus with a psychedelic paint job in the animated feature "Cars"
2006
Announced, while on a national comedy tour, that he had recently recovered from heart failure
2007
Lent his voice to the animated feature "Happily N’ever After"
2008
Headlined his fourteenth and final HBO special, “George Carlin: It’s Bad For Ya”
Celeb News
Getty Images
Britney Gets SeriousA new Britney opens up to OK! Magazine.
Photo Galleries
Jeff Lipsky/MTV
TV's Lovely LadiesCheck out the women that keep us tuning in.
|
