Martin did stand-up comedy in night clubs. “The most fun I ever had was nightclubs,” he once said, calling it the first phase of his professional life. “I loved nightclubs.”
But he didn’t really come to the public’s attention until he joined with a partner, Dan Rowan, and the two created the breakthrough TV show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. 140 shows were made, which ran from 1968 to 1973. Based in “Beautiful Downtown Burbank”, the show was a quick and big hit, spawning catch phrases and attracting huge names in not only show business, but also politics (famously, Richard Nixon did a quick appearance: “Sock it to ME?”).
Laugh-In was the second phase of his pro life; Rowan retired for health reasons, and died in 1987. Martin then started his third career phase: as a TV director, working on the Bob Newhart Show, Archie Bunker’s Place, Family Ties, and more. Martin, who had lost a lung at 17 to tuberculosis, had respiratory problems in later life. He died May 24 from respiratory failure. He was 86.