2014 news: A pointed, pioneering comedian

Thursday, 4 September 2014

A pointed, pioneering comedian

Joan Rivers was brash, popular comedian and host

Rivers got her big break with appearance on "Tonight Show"

She later had her own talk shows, was a red-carpet maven

Despite criticism, tragedy, she constantly soldiered forward

(CNN) -- Joan Rivers started her career as a stand-up comedian quick to poke fun at herself -- at her body, her family responsibilities and being a misfit within an unaccommodating world.

By the time she died Thursday at 81, Rivers had become a worldwide celebrity. But she was still a misfit, biting the well-groomed hands that fed her.

The comedian was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, known for standing on the red carpet or presiding over her show "Fashion Police" and, she said, saying the things that other people were thinking.

Rivers, the pioneering, sassy comedian whose gossipy "can we talk" persona led to a career as a headlining talk-show host, best-selling author and red-carpet maven, died a week after being rushed to the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest at a Manhattan clinic.

Comedian Joan Rivers died Thursday, September 4, a week after suffering cardiac arrest during a medical procedure, her daughter said. She was 81. Click through the gallery to look back at her career.

Rivers' big break came in an appearance on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" in 1965. It was the beginning of a relationship that would include dozens of appearances as guest and guest host.

Rivers followed her Carson breakthrough with appearances on talk and variety shows. Ed Sullivan had her as a guest in 1966.

Rivers hit a peak in the 1980s, headlining in Las Vegas and becoming a regular guest host on the "Tonight Show."

Rivers is famed for her quick wit, which she often uses against herself.

Rivers later hosted talk shows of her own. Here, she chats with Dolly Parton.

She starred on the daytime "Joan Rivers Show," for which she won a Daytime Emmy, for five seasons, from 1989-1994. Here, she poses with her dog, Spike.

Rivers wanted to be an actress when she was young, and she fulfilled that goal after her success as a comedian -- though sometimes playing herself, as she did on "Nip/Tuck," with Julian McMahon, left, and Dylan Walsh.

Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, have been regulars on awards show red carpets, critiquing celebrity fashion with lines both generous and cutting.

Rivers talks with Tim McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill, at the Grammys in 2005.

Rivers with Tina O'Brien at the British Academy Television Awards in 2007.

Rivers was a star among comedians, admired for her longevity and wit. She attended the Mark Twain Prize ceremony in 2008. The honor that year went to the late George Carlin.

Kathy Griffin is one of many comedians who can cite Rivers as an influence. Like Rivers, Griffin is known for mocking celebrities at various events. Here, she and Rivers share a stage during a Rivers roast in 2009.

Rivers proved herself to be quite the savvy businessperson by winning a season of Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice." Trump and his wife, Melania, join Rivers at the season finale in 2009.

Katie Finneran and Rivers attend the Broadway opening after-party of "Promises, Promises" at the Plaza Hotel in New York in 2010.

Rivers, a fashion lover, attends the LensCrafters' reveal of Sunglass Fashion Crimes in 2011.

In February 2013, she attended the Dennis Basso Fall 2013 fashion show. Alongside her, from left, are Martha Stewart, Star Jones and Kelly Bensimon.

After a falling-out with Johnny Carson, Rivers didn't return to the "Tonight Show" until earlier this year, when Jimmy Fallon took over as host. She was a guest on Fallon's show on February 17.

Rivers officiates the wedding of William "Jed" Ryan, left, and Joseph Aiello at the Plaza Athenee on August 15 in New York.

Joan Rivers through the years

Joan Rivers: In her own words

"My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon," said her daughter, Melissa, in a statement.

Joan Rivers dies at age 81

Rivers' initial rise to fame was propelled by jokes about herself and her family duties.

"I hate housework," went one of her jokes. "You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again."

"I blame my mother for my poor sex life," went another. "All she told me was 'the man goes on top and the woman underneath.' For three years my husband and I slept in bunk beds."

Rivers in her own words

Over time, her self-mocking shtick gave way to more pointed comedy, with shrewd and cutting insults aimed at celebrities and politicians. Comedians such as Roseanne Barr, Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffin and Chelsea Handler owe a great deal to Rivers' brash, commanding personality, which was unusual when she first came up.

"My heart is torn in half," said Silverman in a tweet. "She wasn't done."

iReport: Share your memories of Joan Rivers

View my Flipboard Magazine.

She was a popular talk-show guest, most notably on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," and used that platform to become one of Carson's regular guest hosts -- and, in 1983, his permanent guest host.

But their relationship was severed when, in 1986, she became the host of her own talk show on Fox, then a new television network. Her show would air opposite the "Tonight Show." Carson, feeling betrayed, cut her off cold. She didn't appear on the "Tonight Show" again until Jimmy Fallon took over as host earlier this year.

Rivers' Fox talk show was short-lived and its cancellation coincided with a dark period in her life, including the suicide of her husband-manager, Edgar Rosenberg, three months after the show was pulled.

Still, the comedian eventually bounced back, first with a daytime talk show, then as co-host with daughter Melissa of E!'s red-carpet coverage. The two Rivers became mainstays of awards season -- later for the TV Guide Channel -- with Joan known for mocking celebrities and their outfits there and on the show "Fashion Police."

Rivers also became known for her extensive plastic surgery, which -- in typical Rivers fashion -- she flaunted rather than played down.

"I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware," she said.

'Screaming her way through life'

Joan Alexandra Molinsky was born June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a doctor. Her childhood home wasn't always a happy one; her mother, though gifted with a strong sense of humor, was critical, and her father was softhearted but tight with a dollar. Her parents argued over money regularly. Rivers attended Barnard College and had dreams of making it as an actress, a dream both parents discouraged.

Click through to see people who passed away in 2014.

Joan Rivers, the sassy comedian whose gossipy "can we talk" persona catapulted her into a career as a headlining talk-show host, best-selling author and red-carpet maven, died Thursday, September 4. She was 81.

Jimi Jamison, lead singer of the 1980s rock band Survivor, died at the age of 63, it was announced Tuesday, September 2.

Acclaimed actor-director Richard Attenborough died on August 24, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing his son. Attenborough was 90.

Don Pardo, the man whose voice introduced the cast of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for decades, died at the age of 96, the network announced August 19.

Skateboarding legend Jay Adams died of a heart attack August 14 while vacationing in Mexico with his wife. He was 53.

Ed Nelson, best known for playing a doctor in the 1960s nighttime soap opera "Peyton Place," died on August 13, his family said. He was 85.

Actress Arlene Martel, whom "Star Trek" fans knew as Spock's bride-to-be, died in a Los Angeles hospital August 12 after complications from a heart attack, her son said. Martel was 78.

Actress Lauren Bacall, the husky-voiced Hollywood icon known for her sultry sensuality, died on August 12. She was 89.

Actor and comedian Robin Williams died at his Northern California home on August 11. Williams apparently took his own life, law enforcement officials said. He was 63.

Actor Charles Keating, who had been fighting lung cancer for several years, died on August 8, his son Sean Keating said. Charles Keating was known for his role of villain Carl Hutchins on the daytime drama "Another World." He was 72.

JJ Murphy, an actor who was set to join the "Game of Thrones" cast, died August 8, his agent said. He was 86.

James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was severely wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, has died, the White House said on August 4. He was 73. Later in the week, authorities told CNN they are investigating it as a homicide.

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk, the last crewman of the U.S. plane that dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945, died of natural causes on July 28, according to his daughter Vicki Triplett. He was 93.

James Shigeta, a prolific and pioneering Asian-American actor whose 50-year career included the movies "Die Hard" and "Flower Drum Song," died in his sleep in Los Angeles on July 28, his agent said. He was 81.

Skye McCole Bartusiak, who played Mel Gibson's youngest daughter in "The Patriot," died July 19, at her home in Houston, her mother said Sunday. She was 21. While investigators didn't immediately determine a cause of death, Bartusiak had been suffering from epileptic seizures, according to her mother.

James Garner, the understated, wisecracking everyman actor who enjoyed multigenerational success on both the small and big screens, died of natural causes on July 19. He was 86.

Broadway legend Elaine Stritch died July 17. According to her longtime friend Julie Keyes, Stritch died at her home in Birmingham, Michigan, surrounded by her family. She was 89 years old.

Blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter died July 16 in a Swiss hotel room, his representative said. He was 70.

Nadine Gordimer, a South African author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, died on July 13, according to her family. She was 90.

Renowned conductor Lorin Maazel died from complications of pneumonia on July 13, according to his family. He was 84.

Grammy-winning jazz bassist Charlie Haden, whose music career spanned seven decades and several genres, died July 11, according to his publicist. He was 76.

Drummer Tommy Ramone, the last living original member of the pioneering punk band The Ramones, died on July 11, according to the band's Facebook page. He was 65.

Eileen Ford, who founded the Ford Model Agency 70 years ago, died July 9 at the age of 92, the company said.

Richard Percy Jones, the actor who gave Pinocchio his voice in the 1940 Disney movie, died at his California home on July 8. He was 87.

David Legeno, known for playing Fenrir Greyback in the "Harry Potter" movies, was found dead July 6, by hikers in a remote desert location in Death Valley, California. He was 50. "It appears that Legeno died of heat-related issues, but the Inyo County Coroner will determine the final cause of death," read a press release from the Inyo County Sheriff's Department. "There are no signs of foul play."

Rosemary Murphy, an Emmy Award-winning actress known for her roles in the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" as well as TV soap operas "All My Children" and "Another World," died July 5 at the age of 89. The New York Times cited cancer as the cause of death.

Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini, the subject of the book and upcoming film "Unbroken," died July 2 after a recent battle with pneumonia. The 97-year-old peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, according to a statement.

Walter Dean Myers, a beloved author of children's books, died on July 1 following a brief illness, according to the Children's Book Council.

Paul Mazursky, a five-time Oscar nominee who directed and wrote such films as "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," "An Unmarried Woman" and "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," died at the age of 84, his agent said July 1.

Actor Meshach Taylor died June 28 at his Los Angeles-area home, his agent, Dede Binder, said. He was 67. Taylor had fought a terminal illness and faded markedly in recent days, Binder said. His wife, children, grandchildren and mother surrounded him as he passed away.

Legendary soul singer Bobby Womack died June 27, according to Womack's publicist. He was 70.

Character actor Eli Wallach, seen here in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," died on June 24, according to a family member who did not want to be named. Wallach was 98.

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died June 16 at the age of 54, according to a release from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Gwynn, who had 3,141 hits in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres, had cancer.

Radio personality Casey Kasem died June 15. He was 82 and had been hospitalized in Washington state for two weeks.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll died June 13. He had suffered from Alzheimer's and heart disease. He was 82.

Ruby Dee, an award-winning actress whose seven-decade career included triumphs on stage and screen, died June 12. She was 91.

Former baseball star Bob Welch passed away on June 9 after suffering a heart attack, according to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 57.

British actor and comedian Rik Mayall, who appeared in the TV series "Blackadder," died June 9 at the age of 56, his agent said. The cause of death was not immediately reported.

Chester Nez, the last of the original Navajo code talkers credited with creating an unbreakable code used during World War II, died June 5 at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation President said. Nez was 93.

Ann B. Davis, who played Alice the maid on "The Brady Bunch," died from a subdural hematoma on June 1. She was 88.

Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist and actress, died at the age of 86, her literary agent said on May 28. Angelou was also a professor, singer and dancer whose work spanned several generations.

Australian racing legend Jack Brabham died on May 19, according to Brabham's son David. Brabham, 88, was a three-time Formula One world champion.

Malik Bendjelloul, the Oscar-winning director of "Searching for Sugar Man," died suddenly on May 13, police said. He was 36.

H.R. Giger, the Swiss surrealist artist whose works of sexual-industrial imagery and design of the eponymous creature in the "Alien" movies were known around the world, died on May 12. He was 74.

Former professional tennis player Elena Baltacha died at the age of 30 after losing her battle with liver cancer on May 4. Before retiring in November, she had reached a career high of 49th in the world rankings.

Al Feldstein, who guided Mad magazine for almost three decades as its editor, died on April 29, according to a Montana funeral home. He was 88.

Oscar-nominated British actor Bob Hoskins, known for roles in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Mona Lisa," died April 29 at age 71, his publicist said.

Hall of Fame basketball coach John "Dr. Jack" Ramsay, who became a television analyst years after winning a league championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, died on April 28, according to his longtime employer ESPN. Ramsay was 89.

Former Barcelona soccer coach Tito Vilanova, who had been battling cancer, died at the age of 45, the club announced April 25.

Country singer Kevin Sharp died from "complications due to cancer" on April 19, his mother told CNN. He was 43.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the middleweight boxing contender who was wrongly convicted of a triple murder in New Jersey in the 1960s, died April 20 at the age of 76, according to Win Wahrer, the director of client services for the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the influential, Nobel Prize-winning author of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera," passed away on April 17, his family and officials said. He was 87.

Jose Luis "Cheo" Feliciano, a giant of salsa music and a Puerto Rican legend, died in a car crash April 18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to police. He was 78.

Days after being inducted into World Wrestling Entertainment's Hall of Fame, WWE superstar Ultimate Warrior died April 8. Born James Hellwig, he legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993. He was 54.

Comedian John Pinette, 50, was found dead in a Pittsburgh hotel room on April 5. Pinette died of natural causes stemming from "a medical history he was being treated for," the medical examiner's spokesman said. An autopsy will not be done because his personal doctor signed the death certificate.

Mickey Rooney, who started as a child star in vaudeville and went on to star in hundreds of movies and TV shows, died April 6 at the age of 93.

DJ Frankie Knuckles, a legendary producer, remixer and house music pioneer, died March 31 at the age of 59.

Kate O'Mara, the British actress best known for playing Joan Collins' sister on the 1980s show "Dynasty," died March 30. She was 74.

Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the founder and longtime owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, died at age 95, the team announced March 25.

Gwar lead singer Dave Brockie died March 23 at the age of 50, his manager said. The heavy-metal group formed in 1984, billing itself as "Earth's only openly extraterrestrial rock band." Brockie performed in the persona of Oderus Urungus.

James Rebhorn, whose acting resume includes a long list of character roles in major films and TV shows, died March 21, his representative said. Rebhorn was 65.

L'Wren Scott, a noted fashion designer and girlfriend of musician Mick Jagger, was found dead of an apparent suicide March 17, according to a law enforcement official. She was 49.

Drummer Scott Asheton, who co-founded and played drums for the influential proto-punk band The Stooges, died March 15. He was 64.

Comedian David Brenner, a regular on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," died after a battle with cancer, a family spokesman said March 15. He was 78.

Actress Sheila MacRae, who portrayed Alice Kramden in a 1960s revival of "The Honeymooners" on "The Jackie Gleason Show," died on March 6, according to her family. She was 92.

Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia, seen here in 2006, died February 25 of an apparent heart attack. He was 66. De Lucia transformed the folk art of flamenco music into a more vibrant modern sound.

Actor, writer and director Harold Ramis, seen here on the far left with fellow "Ghostbusters" Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, died at his Chicago-area home on February 24. He was 69. Other popular Ramis films include "Stripes," "Groundhog Day" and "Analyze This."

Maria von Trapp, seen here posing with a photo of her family, was the last of the singing siblings immortalized in the movie "The Sound of Music." She died February 18 of natural causes at her Vermont home, according to her family. She was 99.

Journalist Garrick Utley died at age 74 following a long battle with cancer, his wife of 40 years said in February. Utley worked for CNN after his 30-year career at NBC News.

Devo guitarist Bob Casale, known by fans as "Bob 2," died February 17, his brother and band mate announced. Casale was 61.

John Henson, the son of Jim Henson who is perhaps most notable for his portrayal of Sweetums on "The Muppets," died after a "sudden, massive heart attack," his family's company said on February 15.

Veteran actor Ralph Waite died at 85 on February 13, according to an accountant for the Waite family and a church where the actor was a regular member. Waite was best known for his role as John Walton Sr. on 'The Waltons."

Sid Caesar, whose clever, anarchic comedy on such programs as "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour" helped define the 1950s "Golden Age of Television," died on February 12. He was 91.

Hollywood child star Shirley Temple, who became diplomat Shirley Temple Black, died February 10 at her Woodside, California, home. She was 85.

Joan Mondale, the wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale, died on February 3, according to a statement from the family's church.

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of an apparent drug overdose, law enforcement sources said February 2.

Maximilian Schell died on February 1 in a Austrian hospital with his wife by his side, his agent Patricia Baumbauer said. He was 83. Schell was nominated for an Oscar three times. He won in 1962 for "Judgment at Nuremberg."

Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, known for classics such as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)," died of natural causes in New York on January 27, his grandson told CNN. He was 94.

Ruth Robinson Duccini, who played one of the Munchkins in the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz," died on January 16. She was 95.

Former Playboy centerfold Cassandra Lynn Hensley was found dead at a friend's home in Los Angeles, the coroner there said on January 17. Hensley was 34. Her cause of death was not immediately known.

Hiroo Onoda, center, salutes after handing over his military sword on Lubang Island in the Philippines in March 1974. Onoda, a former intelligence officer in the Japanese army, had remained on the island for nearly 30 years, refusing to believe his country had surrendered in World War II. He died at a Tokyo hospital on January 16. He was 91.

Russell Johnson, center, stands with Alan Hale Jr., left, and Bob Denver in an episode of "Gilligan's Island" in 1966. Johnson, who played "the professor" Roy Hinkley in the hit television show, passed away January 16 at his home in Washington state, according to his agent, Mike Eisenstadt. Johnson was 89.

Ariel Sharon, whose half century as a military and political leader in Israel was marked with victories and controversies, died on January 11 after eight years in a coma, Israeli Army Radio reported. Sharon was 85.

Franklin McCain, seen center wearing glasses, one of the "Greensboro Four," who made history for their 1960 sit-in at a Greensboro Woolworth's lunch counter, died on January 10 after a brief illness, according to his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.

Larry Speakes, who served as President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, died January 10 at his home in Cleveland, Mississippi, following a lengthy illness, according to Bolivar County Coroner Nate Brown. He was 74.

Poet Amiri Baraka, who lost his post as New Jersey's poet laureate because of a controversial poem about the 9/11 terror attacks, died on January 9, his agent said. Baraka was 79.

Sir Run Run Shaw, the media tycoon who helped bring Chinese martial arts films to an international audience, died at his home in Hong Kong on January 7 at age 106, the television station he founded said.

Stage, TV and film actress Carmen Zapata, who founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts as a means of of introducing "the rich and eloquent history of the diverse Hispanic culture to English-speaking audiences," died on January 5 at her Los Angeles home. She was 86.

Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, died from a heart attack on January 5 at age 71, said his former club, Benfica.

Alicia Rhett, who had been one of the oldest surviving cast members of the classic film "Gone With the Wind," died on January 3 in her longtime hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, a retirement community spokeswoman said. She was 98.

Singer Phil Everly, left -- one half of the groundbreaking, smooth-sounding, record-setting duo the Everly Brothers -- died on January 3, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was 74.

Photos: People we lost in 2014

Joan Rivers: Memorable moments

2010: Joan Rivers on being a comedian

After giving up performing after college, she had a brief marriage, and then turned to comedy. She became a regular at Greenwich Village coffeehouses and was part of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe for a time.

A 1965 booking on Carson made her career. She soon had her own talk show and kept up regular appearances on "Tonight" and several talk and variety programs.

She met Rosenberg in 1965, not long after the Carson appearance. They married four days later. The two maintained a you-and-me-against-the-world attitude, as noted in a 1987 People article after Rosenberg's suicide.

"Joan and Edgar, pursued by the same ghosts and hurts, feeling mutually threatened by adversaries real and imagined, trusted only each other and existed as an island built from intense and protective loyalty," wrote the magazine's Richard Meryman.

Rivers summed up the impact of his death bluntly, of course.

"All that happened to me," she told The New York Times, "was my husband committed suicide, my daughter didn't talk to me for two years, and I was broke."

A year after Rosenberg's death, she joined the cast of Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound." Indeed, she often took refuge in work, whether it was writing books, mocking celebrities, starring in Las Vegas or even appearing in a documentary about her life, 2010's "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work."

Rivers was often a polarizing figure, recognized for her wit but feared for her underlying wrath. She was well aware of her personality, once describing herself as "screaming her way through life."

Her relentlessness could serve her well, however. In 2009, she won an edition of Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice."

"She had unbelievable stamina," said Trump Thursday.

Some of the criticism she faced was standard Hollywood fare. In 1978, Rivers directed a movie, "Rabbit Test," starring Billy Crystal as the world's first pregnant man. The reviews were mediocre.

"I sat in the midst of an audience that broke its silence only to yawn, take orders for popcorn, and (in the case of audience members under 5) break into tears," wrote Roger Ebert, giving the film one star.

Rivers shrugged that off. "Seventy percent of the critics have hated my movie," she told Ebert. "The other 30% were geniuses, knew their work and were sensually attractive." Nevertheless, she never directed again.

'It's my job to make them laugh'

More recently, her red-carpet quips and "Fashion Police" commentary got her attacked as cruel. In 2013, Jennifer Lawrence noted of Rivers' chatter, "They put values in all the things that are wrong and show that it's OK to just point at people and call them ugly and call them fat and they call it fun."

2010: Joan Rivers: Performing like a drug

Joan Rivers: entertainment pioneer

Rivers immediately struck back: "She has been touched up more than a choirboy at the Vatican," she told the New York Post.

And earlier this year, she abruptly left a CNN interview when asked about her "mean" reputation.

She was also criticized for comments about the Cleveland kidnap victims, the Gaza conflict and for calling first lady Michelle Obama "a trans."

Always, Rivers soldiered on. "I don't want a warm hand on my shoulder. I don't want sympathy audiences. It's my job to make them laugh, and I'm a professional, and my husband was a professional," she told People two weeks after her husband died.

She earned several honors over her career. She was nominated for a Grammy and a Tony, and won a Daytime Emmy for her early-'90s talk show. She had a successful jewelry line that she sold on QVC.

She almost never apologized and rarely looked back. After all, she said, it was her bluntness that made her who she was.

2014 news

Thursday, 4 September 2014

A pointed, pioneering comedian

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