Legendary Comedian Rip Taylor Dies At 84

Comedian Rip Taylor, known for scads of TV appearances and as host of the campy $1.98 Beauty Show has died at age 84.

Rip Taylor Passes Away

According to The Hollywood Reporter, his publicist Harlon Boll announced Taylor’s passing on Sunday afternoon but no cause of death has been released.

Taylor had a career that lasted more than six decades and was dubbed the King Of Confetti and The Crying Comedian during his years in show biz. You could catch him in nightclub acts across the country or on any number of television shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Monkees, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Tonight Show. He even made a cameo appearance on the daytime soap, Santa Barbara.

He also voiced various characters in animated series like The Addams Family, Here Comes The Grump, and Scooby Goes To Hollywood. Rip Taylor even got to play himself on the big screen in the 1993 feature Wayne’s World.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, you could also catch Taylor as a celebrity player on such games shows as Hollywood Squares, Match Game, and Password. Eventually, he went on to host The $1.98 Beauty Show, a parody of beauty pageants everywhere.

A Legendary Career Begins

Rip Taylor was born Charles Elmer Taylor on January 13, 1935, in Washington DC and even spent time as a congressional page before enlisting in the United States Army. Rather than going into combat, he worked in Special Services and entertained the troops, thus a performer was born.

According to Taylor’s publicist, he’s survived by his partner, Robert Fortney. Soap Hub sends condolences to Taylor’s friends and loved ones.