Farewell Bob

    One of the signs of getting older is the death of performers that you enjoyed. Last week, Bob Newhart, one of my favourite comedians, passed away at age 94.  

    Part of the reason why I loved Bob Newhart so much is  that he didn't seem like he was trying to be funny. He just was. I also like that, as far as I know, he didn't use fowl or crude language. He wasn't mean and insulting. He would just poke fun at himself and situations he found himself in.

    I think another reason why I liked him is because he grew up in Chicago. He was a midwestern guy. His first show, "The Bob Newhart Show" was set in Chicago. I could relate to that. It looked more normal to me. I also like the fact that he looked like a middle aged guy, even when he wasn't a middle aged guy. He wasn't trying to hip or cool, he just did what he liked and it worked. 

    A few days ago I watched Bob Newhart interviews on various shows. He was asked what his job was before he went into comedy. He was an accountant but he found the job boring. He decided that he was going to quit accounting and attempt to work as a comedian. He figured he could always go back to accounting if it didn't work out. 

    His first comedy album, yes, they did have such things in those days, was a hit and his follow up album was just as popular. It led to many years of doing stand up in various places. He eventually went into television so that he could spend more time with his family. he also acted in several movies and was a guest on TV shows. I was surprised at the list when I saw it on Wikipedia. 

    He was married to his wife, Ginny for 60 years until her death last year.. They had four children. 

    I'm grateful that he followed his desire to be a comedian and not veering off into insult or slapstick comedy. I'm grateful that his many interviews and shows have been filmed so we can enjoy them. 

Thanks for the laughs, Bob.