Skip Stephenson
| Skip Stephenson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Charles Frederick Stephenson |
| Born |
April 18, 1940 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died |
May 18, 1992 (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1971–1992 |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Subject(s) | Current events |
Charles Frederick "Skip" Stephenson (April 18, 1940 – May 18, 1992) was an American actor and comedian. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated in 1958 from Holy Name High School. After attending a year at University of Omaha, Stephenson took a job as a DJ in Alliance, Nebraska.
In the 1970s he moved to Los Angeles, where he performed stand-up comedy at the L.A. Cabaret Comedy Club in Encino and the legendary Comedy Store. On October 6, 1977, he appreared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His big break came in 1979 as the co-host of NBC's Real People. Wearing bright crew-necked sweaters, he was known for his quirky comments and playful flirtings with co-host Sarah Purcell.
Alongside this success came appearances on The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Password Plus, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Dinah Shore Show and The Merv Griffin Show. He released a comedy album, The Real Comedy of Skip Stephenson on Laff Records. His career declined after the cancellation of Real People. He dabbled in country music in 1982. In 1991, he starred in the video Skip Stephenson Live at the Comedy Store.
He was the last star to play the head to head match on the last episode of Match Game in 1982. His response was a match that won the contestant $10,000.
Stephenson died of a heart attack at his home in 1992 exactly one month after his 52nd birthday. His death is referred to on The Lemonheads song '6ix' on the album Car Button Cloth.