There are several reports floating around the internet that rapper Lil’ Wayne’s 8-year-old daughter Reginae Carter was killed in a car accident yesterday. Wayne’s Myspace page is flooded with condolences, but there has been no official word one way or the other.

Lil’ Wayne Daughter Killed - Reginae Carter, the daughter of Lil’ Wayne, has reportedly been killed. She was only 8 years old.

According to reports, the daughter of Lil’ Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, Reginae Carter allegedly died in a traffic accident late in the evening on August 10th, 2008.

An online celebrity site is responsible for reporting the story as fact, but there is no confirmation from any mainstream media outlets.

Lil Wayne’s myspace page is literally covered with Reginae Carter comments about her alleged unconfirmed death tonight. Comments about Reginae Carter’s death appear on Carter’s myspace page since 10 pm PST Sunday.

[From the Post Chronicle]

All of the information cited in the article is basically gossip, along with Myspace and Yahoo! Answers. MTV picked up the story but again emphasized that there’s been no official word from Lil’ Wayne’s camp. Someone claiming to be Reginae’s aunt write on the Myspace page that the rumor is false – but again there’s no way to know if the woman really is who she says she is. Rumors like this can often take on a life of their own so we’ll have to wait a bit and see what other information comes out. If it is true, we send our deepest condolences.

Update by Celebitchy: Lil Wayne’s rep issued a statement to SOHH saying this isn’t true at all and that Regina is fine. There’s also a comment on his myspace from a woman claiming to be his aunt which says “I am pleased to inform you that this report is false. It is merely a rumour started by someone who obviously is miserable in their own skin that they would even have the notion to attack a child.”

“Rest assured Reginae is tucked away in her bed at this very moment trying to get past the hurt this ugliness has caused her and our family.” [via Radar]

We’re sorry for the incorrect story and are glad to see this rumor isn’t true at all. Shame on the person who started it.

Here’s Lil’ Wayne on BET’s “106 & Park” in New York on May 15th. Images thanks to PR Photos.

This weekend just sucks. First Bernie Mac and now Isaac Hayes. The 65 year-old soul singer and former South Park actor died today at the age of 65. His wife found him by a treadmill in their home in Memphis early this morning. He was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead at 2:08 am. More details are not yet known.

Musician Isaac Hayes — who wrote the theme song for “Shaft” — died early this morning in a Memphis hospital.

According to WMC, a Shelby County sheriff’s deputy responded to call from Hayes’ wife after she found him on the floor near a treadmill inside their home.

Hayes was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, and was pronounced dead at 2:08 AM.

[From TMZ]

Hayes was one of the most influential soul artists. His second album, 1967’s Hot Buttered Soul went multi platinum. He earned three Grammy Awards during his career and an Oscar for best original song for the Theme from Shaft.

From the late 1990s to 2006, Hayes played the oversexed smooth-talking animated character Chef on South Park. Hayes was a Scientologist and cited religious intolerance on South Park’s “Out of the Closet” Tom Cruise parody as his reason for leaving the show in 2006.

He is survived by 12 children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His youngest child is a two year old son, Nana Kwadjo Hayes, with his fourth wife, Adjowa.

RIP Isaac Hayes, you will be missed.

Here’s the theme from Shaft.

File photos from PRPhotos.

People Magazine has more details about Bernie Mac’s death, and they’re heartbreaking. The 50 year-old comic had been in the hospital since July 24 for treatment for pneumonia. He developed the illness due to a new drug he was on to treat his chronic autoimmune disorder, sarcoidosis. The drug suppressed his immune system, which made him vulnerable and resulted in pneumonia. He was put on a ventilator in the hospital and was unable to talk and had trouble breathing. Mac died in a Chicago hospital on Saturday after his heart failed twice. When his heart failed the first time he was revived by doctors and survived for about an hour until he went into cardiac arrest again and passed. His wife of 31 years and his daughter, Je’Niece, 30, were by his side when he died.

The sad thing is that he was cured of one strain of pneumonia but developed another strain in the hospital. He was unable to speak during his hospitalization, but did communicate nonverbally with his wife.

Speaking of a heartbreaking moment between her younger sister, Rhonda, and the 50-year-old actor-comedian – who succumbed to complications from pneumonia in a Chicago hospital at 2 a.m. Saturday – Mary Ann Grossett says that the night before Mac died, “He struggled for his life. He couldn’t breathe.

“He opened his eyes on his own and looked at Rhonda. She called his name, and he opened his eyes and nodded to her. She smiled at him and told him, ‘Don’t leave me … ‘I’m waiting for you to come back.’ He shrugged his shoulders, and she said that’s when she knew he was tired. He signaled to her that his body was tired.”

Rhonda, Mac’s wife since 1977, and their 30-year-old daughter, Je’Niece, 30, were with him when he died. “[The doctors] were working on him,” says Grossett. “They tried to resuscitate him two times. One time he came back for about an hour. Then he went into cardiac arrest the second time.”

Prior to that, the couple had last communicated on July 31. “He told his wife [non-verbally] that he could breathe on his own, and he wanted the ventilator out. He motioned that he wanted it out,” says Grossett.

Lung Disease Contributed
The sister-in-law says Mac’s inflammatory lung disease contributed to his death. “He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remission,” she says. “But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection … He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that’s where the pneumonia came from.”

She reveals that Mac – having trouble breathing and running a fever – was actually hospitalized on July 24, eight days before the date given for his admittance. The actor was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator.

“He was critically ill when he was in the hospital,” says Gossett. “He was in intensive care the whole time.”

She adds that doctors kept the star sedated, although he was conscious at times and he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while in the hospital.

[From People.com]

People has more quotes from Mac’s sister in law, Mary Ann Grossett, and she says her sister met the funnyman when they were both just teens and that he told her “Girl, you better come on board this train, because I’m going to be rich.” Mary Ann says that her sister Rhonda will get through the incredible loss of her husband of over 30 years through her faith in God. She said “Not only was she his wife, but she was his best friend. She’s going to miss him dearly.”

Mac’s friends and co-stars have given their respects and regrets at his untimely death. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Chris Rock are among the celebrities who have issued statements. I especially like Carl Reiner’s description of how Mac used to cook for his co-workers on the Oceans films.

Brad Pitt: “I lament the loss of a ferociously funny and hardcore family man. My thoughts are with [his wife] Rhonda and their family. Bernie Mac, you are already missed.”

George Clooney: “The world just got a little less funny. He will be dearly missed.”

Chris Rock: “Bernie Mac was one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live, but that was the second best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have. Losing him is like losing 12 people because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I’m gonna miss the Mac Man.”

Cedric the Entertainer: “It’s hard to put into words just how I feel and what a painful loss this is. Bernie was a brother, a friend and one of the comic masters of our time. Sharing the marquee with him during the phenomenon of the Kings of Comedy tour bonded us like family, and created a unique moment in comic history marking some of the most meaningful, memorable and fun times of our lives. His comedic approach was his own brand and will definitely stand the test of time. The level of his talent always inspired me and other comedians to ‘bring their A-game.’ I promise you that you never wanted to be the guy who had to follow Bernie’s set! As a husband and father, he was THE MAN and my thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will truly be missed, but so well remembered.”

Don Cheadle: “This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie. He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier.”

Ocean’s Eleven costar Carl Reiner: “It’s a tremendous loss because of his age and the fact that he was such a vital, original human being. When I use the word ‘original’ I really mean it. He was like no other person I knew. He lived his life to the fullest, even when we were on the set of Ocean’s. He had his own little apartment and he cooked and invited people to lunch every day and he had food that was for everybody. He made very exotic things. His conversations were always different than any conversations I had with anyone else. They were very family-oriented; he talked about his wife and children with such love and it’s very hard to believe that he’s not with us anymore.”

Actress/comedienne Niecy Nash, who played Mac’s little sister on the hit television series The Bernie Mac Show and acted opposite him in the 2005 film Guess Who, said this about her friend and mentor: “His passing is such a major loss to the acting and comedy communities. Bernie Mac was the personification of the word ‘real.’ He kept it real. That kind of genuine spirit that he carried all the time cannot be easily duplicated, but I will do my very best to try.”

Jenifer Lewis: ”Bernie’s style of comedy was bold, courageous and revolutionary—I never knew anyone who loved to be funny as much as Bernie. He will most definitely be very missed.”

Samuel L. Jackson, Mac’s costar in the November 2008 flick Soul Men: “It goes without saying that Bernie was one of the preeminent comedians of our generation. He was also an attentive husband, a great father and loving grandfather. I feel blessed to have shared years of friendship with Bernie Mac and I’m honored to have finally costarred with him in what I consider to be his finest cinematic acting achievement. My sincere prayer is that his family will be comforted by the warmth of love from all of us who knew and respected this man.”

[From E! Online]

Bernie Mac was an incredibly talented and funny guy who cherished his family and worked hard for his success. He will be greatly missed.

Here’s Bernie Mac in the Kings of Comedy talking about how it’s a bother to have sex. This has a lot of f-bombs and adult content and is NSFW or for kids, but it’s damn funny:

Here are file photos of Bernie, thanks to PRPhotos.

Bernie Mac has passed away at the age of 50 from complications from pneumonia. The comedian and actor died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago early Saturday morning:

Bernie Mac, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian who worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago’s South Side, died Saturday at age 50.

“Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

She said no other details were available and asked that his family’s privacy be respected.

[From The Associated Press]

Mac started his career as a stand up comedian over 30 years ago. He went on to his own sitcom on Fox, The Bernie Mac Show, in 2001, and featured roles in films such as Ocean’s 11, and Charlie’s Angels. Mac planned to retire after he finished work on his film The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac. He told David Letterman last year that he wanted to focus on producing and spending time with his family and that “I want to enjoy my life a little bit. I missed a lot of things, you know.”

Mac is survived by his wife of 31 years, Rhonda McCullough, and their daughter Je’Niece, 30.

It was incorrectly reported last week that Mac had passed. His rep said that he was responding well to treatment at that time, and that the reports were inaccurate. Mac was a long time sufferer of sarcoidosis, an auto-immune disorder that causes inflammation in the organs and can affect the lungs.

Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones at this difficult time.

Details from Wikipedia and The Chicago Sun Times. File photos of Bernie Mac thanks to WENN

A guest at Lil Kim’s birthday party Sunday night at a club near Times Square was found dead three days later in a utility closet on the roof of the building. Police believe she was beaten to death with a blunt object and then left there by someone with knowledge of the layout of the place.

The body of a 24-year-old woman who attended a birthday party for the rapper Lil’ Kim on Sunday was found Wednesday on the roof of the Midtown karaoke club where the party was held, the police said.

The woman, identified by the police as Ingrid Rivera of Queens, was discovered shortly before 5 p.m. in a utility closet on the roof of Spotlight Live, a live-music venue, nightclub and karaoke bar at 1604 Broadway near 49th Street. An investigator said they believed the woman had left the party and was beaten with a blunt object — possibly a Champagne bottle — and left for dead.

The police said that she was last seen on Sunday night and was reported missing on Tuesday.

The investigator said the party for Lil’ Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, was attended by many musicians, actors and other entertainers.

[NY Times via We Smirch]

Update: I mentioned in an earlier version of this story that the victim has the same name and is the same age as the current Miss Puerto Rico Universe who accused another contestant of pepper spraying her gown. It’s not the same woman, though. The NY Daily News identifies her as “a ticket agent for British Airways at Kennedy Airport.” Rivera was last seen being kicked out of the club by bouncers there. [thanks Elisha]

Heath Ledger died accidentally on January 22 from a prescription drug interaction. Six prescription medications were found in his system, none of which was taken to excess. He took a normal amount of two drugs for anxiety, two sleeping medications, and two pain medications.

Heath was suffering from pneumonia after filming in cold rainy London on late nights for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, and had trouble sleeping after the anxiety and stress of playing The Joker in the Dark Knight. He may have forgotten he took some of the pills and could have inadvertently taken more, or it’s likely he genuinely believed he was taking them as prescribed and would be fine.

Investigators from the US Drug Enforcement Administration looking into how Heath obtained the drugs found that he had legal prescriptions from two doctors for all but one of them - the powerful painkiller Oxycontin. They’ve interviewed everyone close to the situation except Mary-Kate Olsen, who refuses to speak without immunity from prosecution.

A masseuse was the first person to find Heath’s body. She called another client and friend of Heath’s, Mary Kate Olsen, twice to ask for advice before emergency services were summoned. Mary Kate sent two private security guards to Heath’s apartment and never told the masseuse to call 911. By some accounts the guards arrived at the scene after the EMTs, but I read an eyewitness account that they were there a few minutes before. Given Mary-Kate’s request for immunity, and the protective way she responded when she learned he was unresponsive, we can assume she knows something about this case. The NYPD has closed their case, but the Feds are still interested. Mary-Kate’s lawyer will not comment on if the investigation is a criminal one, but she doesn’t want her client to talk unless she’s not going to be prosecuted. Mary-Katie can be legally compelled to talk with a grand jury subpeona:

The actress’ lawyer has repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the feds to question Olsen, who was the first person called after her masseuse discovered Ledger’s body in his SoHo apartment in January.

Frustrated federal officials could obtain a grand-jury subpoena to compel the funky “Full House” actress to tell them whatever she knows about the “Dark Knight” star’s behavior, his possible drug use and the events of that fateful morning, according to sources.

Probers have interviewed everyone connected to Ledger and his death, including his doctors, the masseuse, bodyguards, housekeepers, business associates and even the mother of his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, his “Brokeback Mountain” co-star Michelle Williams.

“Ms. Williams was extremely nice and cooperative,” a source said.

Another added, “Everyone has been very eager to help, saying what a great guy Heath Ledger was, everyone except Mary-Kate, who has refused to speak.”

That source explained that Olsen would be the final witness they need to conclude their investigation into where he got his drugs and medicines.

Ledger - whose performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” has ignited Oscar buzz - died of a potent cocktail of prescription drugs and OxyContin, the latter of which was likely obtained illegally.

His death was ruled an accidental drug overdose by the medical examiner.

And NYPD investigators closed their probe without interviewing Olsen because, they said, they got all the cooperation they needed from others. That decision, however, surprised some observers, considering Olsen’s role as a potential witness.

Instead of calling emergency responders after getting the call from her masseuse, Olsen telephoned her bodyguards in the Big Apple, telling them to race to Ledger’s Broome Street home, where they arrived just as paramedics got to the scene.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration, which opened an investigation to determine the sources of Ledger’s drugs, was not as sanguine as the NYPD about talking to the 4-foot-11, 90-pound Olsen.

The feds contacted her lawyer, Michael Miller, several times recently seeking her cooperation, but Miller has told the feds Olsen won’t be interviewed unless she gets immunity, exercising her constitutional rights.

According to sources, all of the drugs in Ledger’s body and discovered nearby in prescription bottles were legally obtained from two physicians - with the exception of OxyContin, a powerful painkiller.

Investigators “are trying to ID the source of the OxyContin,” a source said. “Did it come from a dealer, from a friend? If he had a bottle from a friend, was it taken by someone else before police responded? That is what is trying to be determined.”

The DEA probers were also aggressive with the NYPD, the sources said, and were forced to threaten to obtain a grand-jury subpoena before getting the department’s Ledger files.

An NYPD spokesman said the department never balked at handing over the files and did so after receiving a routine federal administrative subpoena.

Asked whether he asked for immunity for his client, Olsen’s lawyer said, “We are not going to comment on whether there is a criminal investigation,” and declined to speak further.

[From the NY Post]

I thought this case was all but closed, and am surprised that the DEA is looking into it so closely. Mary-Kate’s response did seem suspicious at the time, but it was easy to chalk it up to another celebrity hoping to keep a friend’s medical condition private. We’ll have to see if anything more comes out of this. It’s not uncommon for people to lend their friends medication and even if she did give Heath the Oxycontin and was prosecuted it’s hard to see how she would end up with jail time. Still, the DEA has aggressively gone after doctors over prescribing pain medication, and it’s possible they’ll go after Mary-Kate because she’s a high profile celebrity and can be made an example of.

Mary-Kate Olsen is shown on 7/16/08 running errands. The late Heath Ledger is shown in an undated image from mid 2005. Credit: Fame.

The on-again, off-again boyfriend of Samantha Who actress Christina Applegate has been found dead in his apartment. 26-year-old Lee Grivas apparently died of a drug overdose, though official autopsy results haven’t been released yet. Applegate had been dating Grivas for over two years.

Some very sad news for Christina Applegate. E! News has confirmed that an investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the death of 26-year-old Lee Grivas, an aspiring photographer who had been dating the Samantha Who? star off and on for more than two years.

“I am profoundly saddened,” Applegate said in a statement to E! News. “Lee was an incredible human being who was an extremely important and beautiful part of my life. He is missed beyond words. He touched so many and I feel much sadness for his mother, brother and all of his family and friends.”

“We’re very happy with each other,” Grivas, told People in 2006. “I like making her smile and she likes making me smile. It’s really innocent and fun.”

[From E! News]

The National Enquirer says that Grivas’ body was found by his neighbor on Tuesday and he was pronounced dead early that evening. They have a little additional information on Grivas’ life and death.

Lee Grivas, was found dead of an apparent heroin overdose. Grivas — a fisherman, skateboarder and aspiring photographer — died July 1. A source close to Grivas told The National Enquirer: “Lee also had a long history of drug problems, dating back to his teen years. Christina broke up with him a number of times because of his struggles with getting clean. She loved him, but couldn’t stand by and watch him ruin his life.”

After the lovers reunited in April, Grivas left Christina in a last-ditch bid to get sober, according to the source. “Christina loved Lee dearly and even dreamed of starting a family with him,” the insider told The National Enquirer. “Unfortunately, Lee’s battle with drugs got the better of him. Christina is still in complete shock. He was just so young!”

[From the National Enquirer]

What an incredibly sad story. Our hearts go out to Lee’s friends and family.

Here are Christina Applegate and Lee Grivas leaving the Petrossian Paris Boutique & Cafe in Los Angeles while Christina hides under a black sweatshirt on April 23rd. Images thanks to WENN.

In a segment on Fox News this morning with Geraldo Rivera they actually showed footage of 20 year-old supermodel Ruslana Korshunova’s body on the pavement in front of her NY apartment. I’m not going to post it here, but I can’t talk about without a link at least, so here’s a link to that video - extreme warning.

At first it looks like they’re only going to show the body bag, which is what CNN usually does and seems a bit morbid but not disrespectful. Instead they showed footage of her face with blood on it as seen underneath an emergency vehicle for over half a minute.

Geraldo says all sensational-like: “These are the last images of her broken body being lifted off the Manhattan sidewalk, where shocked and sickened witnesses watched her smash onto the concrete. This image stands in stark contrast to the fairtale images of the famous face, chestnut hair that made her modeling’s next big thing.”

Then they show her white face from underneath a car and the word “exclusive” flashes on the screen. Just because she was a model doesn’t mean she deserves to have her death broadcast. Great “exclusive,” Fox.

Korshunova is thought to have committed suicide by jumping from her seventh-story apartment. There were no signs of a struggle. She had just watched a movie with an ex boyfriend, who had dropped her off at her apartment. Her Facebook postings may suggest that she was depressed and struggling with a recent breakup, but her latest boyfriend says she seemed happy and he doesn’t understand why she would take her own life. The coroner has ruled her death a suicide.

Ruslana Korshunova was a young supermodel from Kazakhstan living in New York. The gorgeous waif landed several magazine covers with her natural long locks and gorgeous green eyes. Sadly, the young up-and-comer is suspected to have taken her own life on Saturday. She reportedly leapt off the balcony of apartment in New York.

Ruslana Korshunova, 20, whose face graced the cover of French Elle and Russian Vogue, apparently jumped from her ninth-floor apartment in her Water Street building in the Financial District at 2:30 p.m.

[NY Post]

Ruslana was represented by the modeling agency IMG - The same agency that is responsible for Heidi Klum and Kate Moss. She walked the catwalk for Donna Karan, Nina Ricci and Marc Jacobs. She also appeared in ads for Vera Wang and Dior. Jill Stuart and Betsey Johnson were among many designers that employed the green-eyed girl when she was a mere 17 years old. British Vogue had also taken notice of the beauty in 2005 naming her “a face to be excited about.” Korshunova earned the nickname “The Russian Rapunzel” due to her fairytale-like looks.

Friends and family of Ruslana are baffled as to why she would take her own life. She “loved life” according to a close friend. Those who were close to her insist that she never has had a wild child streak or abused drugs. Currently the fatal fall is being ruled a suicide. The police found no evidence of a struggle and construction netting around the balcony appeared to be “deliberately ripped.” Her boyfriend had dropped her off at her one bedroom apartment around 5 in the morning after they finished watching the movie “Ghost.” Her loved ones are unconvinced that she jumped on her own.

Korshunova’s best friend, Kira Titeneva broke down when she arrived at her pal’s apartment late last night.

“We were talking on the phone last night,” she said. “She loved life so much. She was an angel.”

Titeneva, who grew up in her pal’s hometown, said Korshunova “wasn’t wild. She was never on drugs or anything.”

Another friend said that Korshunova seemed to be “on top of the world.”
“There were no signs,” said the pal who did not want to be named. “That’s what’s driving me crazy. I don’t see one reason why she would do that.”

[NY Post]

Even the doorman of her building said she entered the building and gave him a quick smile that morning. He insists that she never seemed depressed and was always smiling. She wrote passages on a social networking site that shared advice and life lessons. Poems she shared all centered around the emotion-fueled subject of desire and love.

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably,” the sandy-haired knockout wrote in a poem that concluded: “And never regret anything that made you smile.

[NY Daily News]

In her last and most recent entry she wrote about the difference between love and desire, warning not to confuse the two. However, three months ago her writing was more somber, stating that she was “so lost” and questioning if she would ever find herself again. In January she wrote about feeling hurt and wished to “fly.” Then in March Ruslana entered a post that was full of anger and frustration stating, “I’m a bitch. I’m a witch.”

“I’m a bitch. I’m a witch. I don’t care what you say!!!” she wrote March 11. “I know what it is. I know why my other relationships didn’t work out, ’cause I’m unpredictable. Why are you afraid of it?”

[NY Daily News]

Such a tragedy. I feel terrible for her family and their loss. The fashion world will be a bit dimmer without her.

Note by Celebitchy: In the article I read, they called the guy she watched Ghost with that night her “ex-boyfriend.” It sounds suspicious to me, but they also say it looks deliberate and like there was no foul play. We’ll have to see what comes out of the investigation.

Update by Celebitchy: She spent her last night with an ex, but Korshunova had a new boyfriend who she was living with. The NY Daily News has more details.

Thanks to the Huffington Post for these photos.

One of the funniest men on the planet has passed away. Actor/stand up comedian George Carlin, whose controversial career spanned five decades, died of heart failure yesterday. He was 71 years old.

The iconic standup comic, whose routine about the seven words “you can’t say on television” was heard from college campuses to the Supreme Court, died today of heart failure at a Santa Monica, Calif., hospital, his publicist announced. He was 71.

Carlin, who suffered his first heart attack at age 41, was admitted to St. John’s Hospital earlier today after complaining of heart trouble, the statement said. He died at 5:55 p.m.

Much more than a “footnote in legal history,” as Carlin often referred to himself for his role in the seven “filthy” words case, the comic was the first-ever host of Saturday Night Live, a four-time Grammy winner, and a touchstone for generations of writers and performers.

Carlin was due to receive the 11th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November. The honor was announced just last week, around the time of his final performances, at the Orleans in Las Vegas. According to his Website, he had dozens of shows booked through the end of the year.

If there was one thing Carlin wasn’t, it was the retiring type.

“Yes, I’ve accomplished all the things I’ve wanted to and way more, I couldn’t have really predicted some of the paths,” Carlin told Salon in February. “But I know that there’s a restlessness, you know, artists are never finished.”

Born May 12, 1937, in New York, Carlin celebrated his 50th year in show business last year.

[From E! Online]

How many other performers out there are still writing and performing high-quality, relevant material after 50 years in the business? On a personal level, I have idolized George Carlin my entire life- ever since I snuck my dad’s copy of the album “Occupation: Foole” down to the basement when I was about 8 years old.

It was a cut off another album, Occupation Foole, however, that gave Carlin his most noteworthy achievement.

A listener hearing New York’s WBAI-FM play Carlin’s “Filthy Words” routine on Oct. 30, 1973, in its unaltered entirety lodged a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC, in turn, threatened to pull WBAI’s license. WBAI appealed the FCC’s bark all the way to the Supreme Court, where in 1978, the justices ruled in favor of the FCC, agreeing that the seven words “you can’t say on television,” shouldn’t be said on the radio, either—not during hours that children might hear them. The battle lines for future Howard Stern wars had been drawn.

“It’s a perverse badge of honor to be the only comedian whose routines were the subject of a case in the United States Supreme Court,” Carlin told the A.V. Club in 2005.

Officially indecent, though not obscene, Carlin loomed larger than ever. His appearance on the first SNL in 1975—he performed standup only, and didn’t participate in the sketches—served as the show’s stamp of underground approval.

When I was a reporter for a daily newspaper, I had the good fortune to interview George. At the time he didn’t have a manager, and his wife, Brenda, who passed away 1997, set up the interview. George called me himself- I will never forget the thrill of seeing “CARLIN, GEORGE” on my caller ID. He was gracious, intelligent, patient, and very, very funny.

Condolences to George’s family, friends, and other fans. It’s going to be a rough day.

Thanks to WENN for these pictures of George Carlin throughout the years. The most recent photo is the one of him chatting on the phone, which was taken in LA on 5/26/08.

Update by Celebitchy: Here’s Carlin doing “Religion is Bullsh*t.” It obviously has NSFW language. RIP George Carlin.