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to an undercover officer, Kirby served three and a half years in prison. After his release, he visited schools to tell students to stay off drugs.
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in his later years, Kirby made his last public appearance at an all-star benefit in May 1995 given by his friends for his mounting medical bills.
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had broken ground doing impressions of White celebrities, leading the way for this to become more socially acceptable. As a gifted
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Following the demise of his show, Kirby's career declined, especially as audiences began to look for more cutting-edge comedy.
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His career never again reached its former heights, but he did register featured guest appearances on
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199:(June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor.
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comedians to appeal to white as well as Black audiences during the height of the
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comedian series in the late 1970s, filming one of his many appearances at
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516:"George Kirby, 71, Comedian Who Was 'Copycat' of Yesteryear's Stars"
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Born in
Chicago, Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the
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in the NY Catskills, a club he had played regularly since 1961.
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piano player and did song and vocal impressions of jazz greats
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On
September 30, 1995, Kirby died of Parkinson's disease at a
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entitled the "Funky Fable". He was also a regular in the
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in Las Vegas. He was survived by his wife, Rosemary.
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Deaths from
Parkinson's disease in the United States
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