On Aug 1, Mac was admitted to a hospital at Northwestern Memorial hospital with pneumonia said his rep, adding that he was expected to recover, despite widespread rumors about the seriousness of his condition.
Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, Mac began his career as a stand-up comedian in the small comedy clubs of his native town. As a founding member of the Kings of Comedy comedy tour – the success of which spawned Spike Lee’s 2000 concert movie The Original Kings of Comedy (also starring Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer) – Mac was able to spotlight what would become his rapid-fire delivery. This effectively launched him into the big time.
In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on the Late Show that he intended to retire from standup comedy.
“It’s going to be 30 years for me, and I’m going to call it,” said Mac. “I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977.”
The years of hard work, Mac says, caused him to “miss out on so much, you know, and you live in all these hotels – I was on the road 47 weeks out of the year.” As the comedian told Letterman, “I want to enjoy my life a little bit.”
Check out one of Bernie Mac’s funniest moments. Click here.
R.I.P. Bernie Mac
