Dick Martin, comedian, 86

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on May 25th, 2008

The brief AP item:

LOS ANGELES – Dick Martin, the zany half of the comedy team whose “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” took television by storm in the 1960s, making stars of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin and creating such national catch-phrases as “Sock it to me!” has died. He was 86.

Family spokesman Barry Greenberg says Martin died Saturday night of respiratory complications at a hospital in Santa Monica.

“Heeeeeeere’s… DICKY!”

That’s how we remember which was which– Dan Rowan was the straight man who would come out with a drink and say a few words on the hot topics of the day before he’d bring out the permanently befuddled Martin. Martin was goofy, sharp, funny, confused– all at the same time. He was preceded in death by his straight man, Rowan, who died in 1987. They paired up in the 50s.

According to Wikipedia:

They returned to the nightclub circuit until 1966, when they were tapped to host the summer-replacement series for The Dean Martin Show. The exposure led to an opportunity for Rowan and Martin to team up with producers Ed Friendly and George Schlatter and create Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1968-1973) on NBC.

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