Shecky Greene, Legendary Las Vegas Standup Comedian Who Worked With Sinatra and Elvis, Dies at 97
CYNTHIA LITTLETON
December 31, 2023
Shecky Greene, the legendary standup comedian known for his long tenure as a Las Vegas headliner and for working with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, died Dec. 31 at his home in the city. He was 97.
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Greene was renowned among comedians for his ability to work without a net or script.
“The many times I was with him I was struck by two things — he never
wrote down a joke, never bought a joke, just conjured them, remembered
them and performed them,” said Angellotti, who now heads the Angellotti
Co. public relations firm. “He loved to entertain. It didn’t matter. He’d call
my mother up and sing some made up on the spot song and hang up. He’d
take a birthday cake we bought him and put red frosting on his nose to make
my young son laugh. He lived to make and hear people laugh. It’s a gift he
gave all of us.”
In 1978, Greene took out a full-page ad in weekly Variety to celebrate the
signing of a rich new contract with Las Vegas’ Sands Hotel and Casino. “It
has taken me 30 years of trial and error, triumphs and failures, good fortune
and adversities to finally reach the apex of the first love of my profession —
night clubs,” he wrote.
In addition to his wife, Greene’s survivors include five adult children.
December 31, 2023
Shecky Greene, the legendary standup comedian known for his long tenure as a Las Vegas headliner and for working with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, died Dec. 31 at his home in the city. He was 97.
---
Greene was renowned among comedians for his ability to work without a net or script.
“The many times I was with him I was struck by two things — he never
wrote down a joke, never bought a joke, just conjured them, remembered
them and performed them,” said Angellotti, who now heads the Angellotti
Co. public relations firm. “He loved to entertain. It didn’t matter. He’d call
my mother up and sing some made up on the spot song and hang up. He’d
take a birthday cake we bought him and put red frosting on his nose to make
my young son laugh. He lived to make and hear people laugh. It’s a gift he
gave all of us.”
In 1978, Greene took out a full-page ad in weekly Variety to celebrate the
signing of a rich new contract with Las Vegas’ Sands Hotel and Casino. “It
has taken me 30 years of trial and error, triumphs and failures, good fortune
and adversities to finally reach the apex of the first love of my profession —
night clubs,” he wrote.
In addition to his wife, Greene’s survivors include five adult children.
