Did You Know...

George Carlin's most popular albums 'Weird Behavior' and 'Class Clown' basically sum up the childhood of this comedian. School was too confining and Carlin couldn't exactly find his niche in the mainstream. He dropped out of school when he was 17 and joined the Air Force as a radar mechanic. Carlin was given a shift as a deejay at a local radio station in Shreveport, Louisiana and a year later teamed up with the station's newsman Jack Burns. They toured the local nightclub circuit with a comedy act but once they realized things weren't working out they went their separate ways.

In the mid 1960's Carlin began to build his fan base by appearing on variety programs. He delivered soon-to-be classic routines about Al Sleet, the Hippie-Dippie weatherman, crack-brained deejays and Indian War Parties. The exposure and quick taste of celebrity landed Carlin's role as a regular on 'Away We Go,' the 1967 summer replacement for the Jackie Gleason Show.

George Carlin remained popular but soon grew bored with the same routines show after show. He began to rebel against conservatism with his physical appearance. Before the 1960's transformed into the 1970's, Carlin had lost several jobs by dressing like a hippie, complete with earrings and a beard. Before long the change of public taste caught up with the times and George was a hot item again.