Comic Gallagher hospitalized
The comic Gallagher (known for smashing watermelons) is “slowly recovering” from a heart attack suffered just before he was to perform at a Texas club, his promotional manager said Thursday.
“We will not know the outcome until sometime tomorrow” – Christine Scherrer said.
Gallagher (65) is in stable condition at an undisclosed Dallas-area hospital, Scherrer said.
He was about to go onstage Wednesday at Hat Tricks, a Lewisville, Texas, club, when he fell ill and was taken to a hospital by paramedics, she said.
“His family is with him and Hat Tricks has been unbelievable with the help and support with everything” – Scherrer said.
His shows in Texas, Oklahoma and Oregon scheduled through next week have been postponed, she said.
Gallagher.
Watermelon-smashing comedian Leo Gallagher, better know by his last name, suffered a heart attack Wednesday in a Texas club where he was scheduled to perform.
Gallagher (who had suffered a heart attack during a March 2011 performance in Minnesota) was scheduled to perform at Hat Tricks, a club in Lewisville, Texas, Wednesday.
His manager, Craig Marquardo, tells TheWrap that Gallagher “had met a few fans and whatnot, and he was in the office (of Hat Tricks) when he felt a little tired. So he went in and sat down, and then (club employees) went in and checked on him and he wasn’t feeling good, so they called an ambulance.
“He was feeling the onset of a heart attack” – Marquardo says. “He just didn’t know it at the time.”
As of Thursday morning, the prop comic was still a Dallas-area hospital, where he will remain for a few days while doctors evaluate his heart health.
As for Gallagher’s future tour schedule – he has performances booked through the end of 2012 – Marquardo says Thursday’s schedule performance at the Dosey Doe in Woodlands, Texas is cancelled, and that the rest of the lineup will be evaluated once the comedian is feeling better.
Gallagher, known for his barrage of props, from melon-smashing mallets to giant-sized furniture, rose to fame in the standup boom of the 1980′s. The heart attack occurring so close to the anniversary of his previous attack is just the latest odd chapter in his recent career.
Recent bizarre episodes included suing his brother, Ron Gallagher, who used to tour as “Gallagher Too” or “Gallagher Two” and use Leo Gallagher’s signature “Sledge-O-Matic” prop.
Gallagher (65) was set to perform on Wednesday night at Coach Joe’s Hat Tricks in Lewisville, Texas, when he collapsed backstage. An ambulance took him to a nearby hospital where doctors determined he had suffered a heart attack. He remains there under sedation – said Christine Scherrer, a representative for Gallagher.
The comedian is famous for using props in his act, including the “Sledge-O-Matic” which he wields to smash watermelons and other produce. He starred in a number of successful television comedy specials in the 1980′s, and was one of that decade’s best known comedians.
He has retained a devoted core fan base and tours often.
Gallagher’s heart attack happened almost exactly a year after the comedian suffered an attack and collapsed on stage during a performance in Minnesota.
“That was little bit more mild than this one” – Scherrer said. She added that the comedian’s family is with him.
It will not be clear how long Gallagher will remain hospitalized until he wakes up from sedation – Scherrer said.
In 2003, Gallagher was one of over 100 candidates for governor of California in an usual recall election.
The comedian’s scheduled Texas shows in Lewisville, El Paso and Woodlands have been postponed, as have other performances in Hinton, Oklahoma, and the Oregon cities of Bend and Portland, Scherrer said.