If you fancy yourself a fan of comedy and you haven't seen much of George Carlin, you owe it to yourself to visit YouTube (and similar sites) and watch what he has done over the course of his career. Even the stuff he did 30 years ago is still relevant and funny today, even to someone who wasn't even born at the time. He challenged our perceptions, the status quo, and forced use to face, or at least think about, serious issues affecting us all. And he did it all under the guise of being funny.
Of the ten previous comedians and entertainers that have been honored by the Mark Twain prize for humor by the Kennedy Center, I would place George at the top with Johnathan Winters and Richard Pryor following in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Nothing against the other recipients, they each have earned their place, but those three were clearly a level above the rest.
He was my father's favorite comedian and a few years back I purchased 2 tickets for us to see him the next time he came to town (several months away). Unfortunately, he suffered a minor heart/angina attack a few weeks before the show and hadn't been cleared to perform yet, so the show was cancelled. To say we were disappointed was an understatement, especially for my father. He grew up during the counter-culture generation that George most identified with and had always wanted to see him in person. We had hoped that the show would be rescheduled or that he would make it back into town sometime soon, but he never did.
I will always regret not getting the chance to see him in person. He will be missed greatly.
