Born in Buffalo, New York, Dick Shawn began his career in comedy near the end of World War II while assigned to an Army tank repair unit. To get out of the unit, Shawn auditioned for a part in a military entertainment group and was reassigned to the traveling show Operation USA. His vaudeville performances made him a star, singing, dancing and cracking jokes earned him appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and other popular variety shows of the 1950's
Dick Shawn, 58, suffered a heart attack on stage in what his audience initially believed was part of his routine and died later in hospital.
