Jackie Gleason

Jackie Gleason
Gleason in the 1940s
Born	Herbert Walton Gleason Jr. (1916-02-26)February 26, 1916 New York City, U.S.
Died	June 24, 1987(1987-06-24) (aged 71) Lauderhill, Florida, U.S.
Burial place	Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery Doral, Florida, U.S.
Occupations	Actor comedian musician writer composer conductor
Years active	1937–1986
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Genevieve Halford ​ ​ (m. 1936; div. 1970)​ Beverly McKittrick ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1975)​ Marilyn Taylor ​ ​ (m. 1975⁠–⁠1987)​
Children	2, including Linda Miller
Relatives	Jason Patric (grandson)

John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916 – June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American actor, comedian, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One".^[1][2][3] He developed a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, and was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy, exemplified by his city bus driver character Ralph Kramden in the television series The Honeymooners. He also developed The Jackie Gleason Show, which maintained high ratings from the mid-1950s through 1970. The series originated in New York City, but filming moved to Miami Beach, Florida, in 1964 after Gleason took up permanent residence there.

Among his notable film roles were Minnesota Fats in 1961's The Hustler (co-starring with Paul Newman) and Buford T. Justice in the Smokey and the Bandit trilogy from 1977 to 1983 (co-starring Burt Reynolds).

Gleason enjoyed a prominent secondary music career during the 1950s and 1960s, producing a series of bestselling "mood music" albums. His first album Music for Lovers Only still holds the record for the longest stay on the Billboard Top Ten Charts (153 weeks), and his first 10 albums sold over a million copies each.^[4] His output spans more than 20 singles, nearly 60 long-playing record albums, and more than 40 CDs.