Two Comedians: Jerry Lewis, Dick Gregory made us laugh and made a difference

They were two very different men, very different comedians.

But both had a lasting impact on the nation.

Jerry Lewis, the rubber-faced master of slapstick, died Sunday at the age of 91.

In a career that started when he was just a teen, Lewis became a star in nightclubs and onscreen. Along with singer and straight man Dean Martin, he was one-half of the most popular comedy team of the 1950s. On his own, he made hit films where he led both in front of and behind the camera. He made millions laugh and forget their troubles, if only for a couple of hours in a dark cinema.

But perhaps his most lasting legacy is the awareness he brought to the disease of muscular dystrophy, and the billions he raised for research and treatment during his years hosting his annual Labor Day weekend telethon. It's estimated he raised more than $2.6 billion for the Muscular Dystrophy Association over the course of nearly six decades. He certainly put the spotlight on a disease that many had never heard of.

The name Dick Gregory may be less familiar but is no less important.

Gregory, who died Saturday at 84, was a pioneering African-American standup comedian. He started out in the 1950s when black comedians were not often booked into white venues. But his appearances on TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jack Paar and later with Johnny Carson pushed him into the mainstream spotlight.

Dates at big clubs and a number of comedy albums followed. But Gregory began to spend more and more time working for civil rights issues and against the Vietnam War. He incorporated his beliefs into his act at a time when few comics were willing to take such a risk, joining the ranks of Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl.

His political positions cost him professionally, but his activism became the main focus of his life. Lewis and Gregory became stars. Both had their admirers and detractors. And both made a difference by following their hearts.

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