orig. Leonard Alfred Schneider
born Oct. 13, 1925, Mineola, N.Y., U.S.
died Aug. 3, 1966, Hollywood, Calif.
U.S. stand-up comedian.
He studied acting and began performing stand-up routines in nightclubs in the 1950s, soon developing a style marked by black humour and punctuated with obscenity. As he gained notoriety, he focused his material on criticisms of the social and legal establishments, organized religion, and other controversial subjects. His reputation acquired iconic status as a daring performer and an activist for free speech after his death from a drug overdose.