TRAGIC LOSS. The Funniest Man in America has passed away today

“Heart problems” had afflicted the comedian who called himself “the funniest man in America.” His family confirmed his death on May 9, expressing that he “brought laughter and joy to countless lives.”

“Today, with heavy hearts, we make the sad announcement that the Funniest Man in America, comedian James Gregory, has died,” they said. “He made many people laugh and smile, and he left an indelible mark on the comedy world and on the people who loved him.”

James was born in 1946 in the kitchen of his parents’ house in Lithonia, Georgia. He started working at age 11 in the family grocery store. Later, he worked as a postman and joined the US Marines at 18, but he was medically released a few weeks later.