1
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
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While working as a dancer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (a CBS comedy variety show hosted by Tom and Dick Smothers), Martin’s former girlfriend Nina Goldblatt helped Martin secure a spot on the show’s writing staff after submitting some of the young comedian’s work to head writer Mason Williams. In 1969, a then 23 year-old Martin was awarded an Emmy for his work on the show alongside the rest of the writing team.
2
Early days as an opening act
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During his early comedy career, Martin would open for various musical acts like The Carpenters, Toto, and even Ann Margaret. While opening for Ann Margaret, Martin had a chance encounter backstage with a young Elvis Presley, a longtime friend of Margaret’s. Presley complimented the young comedian’s outlandish set and then reportedly showed Martin a few firearms from his extensive personal collection.
3
Appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
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Beginning in the mid-1970s, Martin began appearing frequently on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Martin’s oddball comedy and musical accompaniments were a welcome reprieve for audiences. Despite making frequent, popular appearances on Carson’s show, Martin told Conan O’Brien it wasn’t until he’d made numerous appearances that he’d begun to garner some sort of public recognition.
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4
Saturday Night Live
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Second only to Alec Baldwin, Martin has served as host for NBC’s Saturday Night Live more than any other performer in the show’s storied history. Since his first appearance on the show in 1976, Martin has hosted the beloved sketch comedy show a whopping 16 times. Extraordinarily popular with audiences, Saturday Night Live’s already sizable viewership would frequently jump by more than a million viewers when Martin was slated to host.
5
Friendship with Gilda Radner
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Throughout his time hosting and making guest appearances on Saturday Night Live, Martin became close with multiple cast members, particularly comedian Gilda Radner. While rehearsing for a hosting spot in May 1989, Martin and the rest of the Saturday Night Live cast and crew were informed of Radner’s passing following a long battle with ovarian cancer. Instead of a traditional cold open, a heartbroken Martin briefly paid tribute to Radner before showing an iconic sketch starring the pair from years prior.
6
Musical success
Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
A banjo enthusiast since first picking up the instrument at 17 years-old, Martin began integrating his love for the banjo into his comedy act early in his career. Initially a tongue-in-cheek accompaniment to Martin’s outlandish stand-up routine, the comedian later began taking his career as a musician more seriously, performing with various esteemed bluegrass acts and even winning a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2009.
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7
King Tut
NBC // Getty Images
Coinciding with a popular touring exhibit featuring artifacts from the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, Martin first performed his iconic novelty song “King Tut” during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1978. An instant hit, the single sold more than one million copies and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, an impressive accomplishment for a novelty comedy song.
8
Quitting stand-up
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As Martin’s meteoric rise in popularity continued, venues for his stand-up routine had to accommodate more and more fans, eventually leading to Martin performing for massive audiences in stadiums across the country. Despite his act’s enormous popularity, Martin felt he’d conceptually exhausted his routine and quit performing his stand-up act in 1981. Following a 35-year hiatus, Martin returned to stand-up in 2016, performing a 10-minute set opening for comedian Jerry Seinfeld. He also released a Netflix special in 2018 with his frequent co-star and off-screen friend Martin Short.
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