Lenny Bruce 1925-1966

Lenny Bruce was born Leonard Schneider and grew up on Long Island. After his discharge from the Navy, Bruce began working as a stand-up comedian and became famous for his parodies, social commentary, and use of Yiddish expressions. Bruce constantly shocked his audiences with obscenities, improprieties, and mocking critiques of religion. Bruces explicit routines got him banned from performing in a number of U.S. states and led to a number of arrests and a 1964 conviction for obscenity. A firm believer in the first Amendment, Bruce died before his appeal had been decided. In 2004, Bruce was voted No. 3 of the One Hundred Greatest Stand-ups of All Time by Comedy Central.