Gallagher, watermelon smashing comedian, died at the age of 76

Gallagher, best known in the 1980s for his watermelon-smashing comic routine and several successful specials, died Friday morning, according to his manager, Craig Marquardo. He was 76.

According to an obituary posted by Marquardo, Gallagher, born Leo Gallagher, gained a household figure in the early 1980s with a comedy spectacular titled "An Uncensored Evening," the first comedic stand-up special ever to show on cable television.

Gallagher's most famous routine had him smashing food on stage with a hand-made sledgehammer he nicknamed the "Sledge-O-Matic," splashing the audience.

"That was something else he loved to claim credit for," the obituary read, "physically engaging the audience in that fashion."

Gallagher, a native of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, earned a chemical engineering degree from the University of South Florida before moving to Los Angeles and honing his comedy act at the legendary Sunset Strip venue The Comedy Store, according to his biography on the Selak Entertainment booking agency's website.

When he performed his kind of prop comedy on Johnny Carson's legendary "Tonight Show" in 1975, everyone took note.

In 1978, he appeared on "The Mike Douglas Show," and the following year, he appeared on "The Merv Griffin Show."

But it was his Showtime comedy specials from the 1980s that sealed his place in mainstream culture, and he would go on to make more than a dozen for the network over the next 27 years.

He was also an early MTV and Comedy Central fixture.

"While his peers went on to make sitcoms, host talk shows, and appear in movies, Gallagher remained on the road touring America for decades," according to the obituary. "By attrition alone, he was very confident he owned the record for the most stand-up dates."

Gallagher continued to tour until the Covid-19 epidemic struck, taking the opportunity to spend time with his son, Barnaby, and daughter Aimee, the latter of whom had starred with him on his specials as a youngster