Tragedy has struck the comedy world.

Legendary stand-up comic Gallagher has sadly passed away at 76 years old. His longtime manager broke the news to TMZ, revealing he passed early Friday morning at a hospice care facility in Palm Springs, California after a massive organ failure. So sad.

The rep explained that Gallagher, whose full name is Leo Anthony Gallagher, had been in poor health for a long time, suffering several heart attacks over the years.

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The icon was famously known for his Sledge-O-Matic bit, a parody of those old Veg-O-Matic commercials, which ended with him using a sledgehammer to destroy various food items… especially watermelons! It was a classic bit which led to fans being forced to wear garbage bags and ponchos in the first few rows of his shows. See (below):

His manager told the outlet:

“Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades. He was pretty sure he held a record for the most stand-up dates, by attrition alone. While Gallagher had his detractors, he was an undeniable talent and an American success story.”

Rest in peace to a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

[Images via Gallagher/YouTube]

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