Rip Taylor, the madcap mustached comedian with a fondness for confetti-throwing who became a television game show mainstay in the 1970s, has died. The man who would become known worldwide as Rip did not have a direct line into show business. His ascent began with spots on "The Ed Sullivan Show," where he was known as the "crying comedian." Although he readily admitted stealing jokes from USO shows, the crying comedian bit got him to Ed Sullivan, where the host — forgetting Taylor's name — would say "get me the crying comedian." Success begat more success, and Taylor ended up on tour with Judy Garland and Eleanor Powell in Las Vegas in 1966.

Source: ABC News October 06, 2019 23:08 UTC