Charlie Callas

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There wasn’t anything subtle about Charlie Callas’ brand of humor. The former jazz drummer (who was good enough to tour with Buddy Rich) moved into spazzy stand-up comedy that featured a broad range of rubber-faced impersonations, sound effects, and plenty of pratfalls. It’s no surprise that Jerry Lewis was the guy who decided to turn Callas into a major character actor. A big-screen debut in 1967′s The Big Mouth would be followed by Callas showing up on just about every variety show of the ’70s. Callas also found a new patron when Mel Brooks cast him in 1976′s Silent Movie as a blind man who ends up with the wrong guide dog in a merry mishap. His only major misstep was pushing Johnny Carson during one of his frequent appearances as a guest on the “Tonight Show,” which got him publicly banned from the show. Brooks would keep casting him right up to 1995′s Dracula: Dead & Loving It. (86, natural causes) —JRT

David Frye

Impersonator David Frye—best known for his impersonation of Richard Nixon—was one of the most popular comedians of the late 1960s and early ’70s. While working Greenwich Village in the early ’60s, Frye did a routine consisting of the typical cast of Hollywood actors. One night he did an impression of Robert Kennedy inspired by his girlfriend’s opinion that Kennedy sounded like Bugs Bunny. The audience response was so enthusiastic that he began adding politicians to his repertoire and his career took off. Unfortunately, it slipped considerably once Nixon left the spotlight. “I do Nixon not by copying his real actions but by feeling his attitude, which is that he cannot believe that he really is president,” Frye said in a 1971 Esquire interview. (77, heart attack) —ER

Patrice O’Neal

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“Let’s give it up for countries who eat dogs,” shouted a pissed-off Patrice O’Neal at the 4th Annual Canine Comedy Fundraiser in 2003. Maybe the stand-up comedian would’ve been more polite if the audience hadn’t been talking over all the other comics volunteering their time. Or maybe not. O’Neal was the most confrontational comic on the national scene. He wasn’t looking for a fight, though. O’Neal had a uniquely laid-back style, and preferred to ridicule audiences through casual conversation. He also didn’t give much thought to his career. One of the best moments on the old “Tough Crowd” show on Comedy Central was comedian Judy Gold’s terrified face when she realized that O’Neal was actually willing to go on an anti-abortion tirade. She’d never met anyone that fearless before. O’Neal had a stroke shortly after winning lots of new fans with an incredible turn on “The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen.” He would pass away a week later. The guy was in bad health, but he probably still thought he would outlive Charlie Sheen. (41, complications from a stroke) —JRT