Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers burst into the 1960s comedy scene with a razor-sharp tongue – and a tough-as-nails attitude and nails. Rivers abandoned the "good girl" standards in favor of her own. "Ignore goodness. You have to speak the truth; that is what comedy is all about," says Joan Rivers, whose quips were often about herself as she shared self-deprecating personal anecdotes with her audiences. Rivers ushered forth a new era of humor.
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She was completely irreverent and was only concerned with the crowd in front of her. Rivers' jokes were brutally candid, addressing issues that people were pondering but were afraid to express. Rivers began her career on Broadway as a serious actor and swiftly transitioned to stand-up comedy, performing in New York City's comedy clubs. By 1965, she had made her television debut on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," which led to her anchoring one of the first national talk programs on daytime television in 1968, "That Show with Joan Rivers."
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Joan Rivers died in New York City on September 4th, 2014. Ms. Rivers will long be known as one of America's most hardworking and most respected first women of comedy, with her distinctive sass, piercing wit, and underlying compassion.
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Years active: 1959 - 2014
Notable shows:
- The Joan Rivers Show
- Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best?
