David Brenner

David Brenner was a popular comedian whose observational humor, which drew laughs from the absurdity and foibles of everyday life, influenced many other acclaimed comics, including Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.

A native of Philadelphia, Brenner graduated from Temple University and had forged a successful career as a documentary filmmaker when he began performing in New York comedy clubs in the late 1960s. He rose through the ranks quickly and made his first appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show on January 8, 1971. Carson enjoyed Brenner so much that in addition to having him back to perform, he invited Brenner to sit in many times as a guest host. In all, Brenner appeared on the show more than 150 times.

Brenner was also a frequent guest on other talk shows — including those of Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and David Letterman — and in 1986 he had his own short-lived program called Nightlife.

A decade earlier, Brenner shot seven spisodes of a sitcom called Snip, set in a hair salon, but the show was removed from NBC's fall schedule before it aired.

He also made several stand-up comedy specials and in recent years made wry observtions about current events on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

Brenner died March 15, 2014, in New York City. He was 78.