Fred Travalena, a Great Comic Passes
by Jeffrey Jena
In all the recent celebrity deaths the one you may not have noticed hit me a little harder than the rest. Lost among the others you may have missed the passing of a great comic, Fred Travalena.
Fred was one of those guys who I saw on TV when I was a kid growing up in Kentucky. My Dad loved comedy and would laugh out loud at the comics on late night shows. Fred Travalena, the young and unhip George Carlin, John Byner, and a host of others were the ones that inspired me to get into stand-up. Years later it was a great thrill when I got to meet a lot of them. I met Fred on a cruise ship when we worked together several years ago. He was gracious and friendly and we talked about comedy for several hours one afternoon.
Know as “The Man of 1000 Faces” Fred wasn’t the most famous comic but few surpassed his work ethic or longevity in the toughest business in the world. He worked constantly and was still a frequent guest on the talk show circuit. Most of all he was a regular guy. He never was in trouble with the law or in rehab. Married to his wife for 39 years he lived a normal life and what I have heard from folks who knew him well is that he was always a gentleman.
He had battled several types of cancer over the last six years and finally lost his battle last week. If you want to know more about Fred or contribute to his memorial charity fund drop by his web site.
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22 Comments
Stand Up Comedy had to be one of the toughest jobs in the world and for Fred to do it for years and leave with no animosity from anyone speaks to his character.
Funny funny guy. thanks for the video.
Nice tribute Jeff, thanks. Watching the clip reminded me of how cool talk shows once were. Fred Travalena had a great talent and made his mark while he was here. We were better for it.
Thanks for the smiles and laughs Fred, God bless, may you rest in peace.
I first saw him on "The Copycats" TV show. Funny guy.
I always enjoyed seeing him on TV, another terrible loss…this is getting to be a epidemic of celebrities passing, dang!
The last time I saw Fred Travalena on tv was during the credits of Denise Crosby's Trekkies documentary. He was doing stand-up at a Star Trek convention dressed as Elvis. At the end of his set he said "Thank you very much. Live long and prosper". Heh heh. I vaguely remember him in 1979 dedicating a song to the hostages in Iran on the Merv Griffin show.
Doing comedy is like walking a constant tightrope. Only the best can do it for that long without falling off into a pit of controversy because of someone getting offended. This guy had balance.
He played Jimmy Carter on An American Carol. RIP Fred.
I remember Fred but it's been a while since I had heard anything about him. I always thought he was cute.
RIP Fred.
Cancer sucks.
I always admire and especially enjoy the work of comedians who can be so funny without being cynical or nihilistic. Many comedians, and of course many of the best, get their laughs by pointing out life's inconveniences and unpleasantries, but it takes a certain comedian, and a certain character, to be joyfully funny. That, and it takes a keen perception and tireless refinement to pull off impressions like his, which were tops.
I worked for Fred Travalena…what a wonderful man with a lovely wife in Lois. He was always cheerful, excited about life and a great supporter of our troops. He will be missed in many ways. There will be a memorial on the 18th that is listed on his website.
What always struck me when watching Fred Travalena is that he almost seemed to be having more fun than the audience when performing. One of those guys who would instantly bring a smile to your face when he walked out on stage. Even before he said a word, because he was smiling so big.
RIP, Mr. Travalena.
When I was a kid, I used to always get excited when he would show up as a guest on Hollywood Squares. During every episode that week, I would tune in and hope he would be the center square. If not, I would watch anyway and hope that people would call on him so he could do one of his impressions.
May he RIP.
An amazing talent.
RIP.
If you can watch someone and laugh outloud, even when you're by yourself, then THAT is a funny guy. And that was him!! He just made you laugh. How nice.
He will be missed.
Fred belongs to a different class of entertainment that is fading from culture and is almost gone. There was a certain dignity and style to these people that today's celebrities sadly lack.
Also, I remember growing up watching the great impressionists like Frank Gorshin, Rich Little, Fred Travelena, even John Byner do all those old familiar Hollywood voices: the Bogarts, Cagneys, Duke Wayne, James Mason, Ed Sullivan…etc. I recognized these voices and appreciated the talent doing the impression. Who does impressions today? How can one recognize a Leo DiCaprio? A Ben Affleck? A Matthew McConaughy? Our "stars" come from the same cookie cutter mold and have no uniqueness or recognizable personality at all. Can you imagine any audience member yelling out to Fred Travelena, "Do Luke Wilson!"
The day of the great impressionist is over because the day of the great star is over.
Merv Griffin brought Fred to the Bohemian Grove numerous times to entertain the guys there under the trees, what a funny guy !
RIP Fred a funny guy!
RIP Fred, a funny guy!
He was wonderful. Always a highlight for me. His website is a joy to click through. Even Christmas songs for the iPod! What a talent, patriot, and humanitarian. RIP
I remember him from when I was a little kid. He used to pop up on all kinds of programs. I'd forgotten all about him over the years. Glad to hear he had a fulfilling life.
I would have loved to have been a fly on that ship and listened to that conversation! Any chance on a blog entry on it? Today, most comedians are filled with hate and disgust. It would be nice to hear more about what comedy used to be, about laughs, not insults.
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