Conan O’Brien Just Gave the Most Heartfelt Tribute to Garry Shandling
It’s been a tough week. Hell, it’s been a tough year. Music critic Steven Hyden might have put it best:
2016: the year of constantly wanting to check in with all your heroes to make sure they're okay. https://t.co/O7HFtrC0Ax
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) March 24, 2016
On Wednesday, we lost Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest, the Five-Foot Assassin himself, a true hip-hop luminary.
And earlier today, the news broke that comedy icon Garry Shandling — he of It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show, two of the most groundbreaking, influential sitcoms of the last 30 years — died in a Los Angeles hospital of unknown causes. He was 66.
There have been many tributes to Shandling already from fans, the media and the comedy world alike, and there will surely be many more to come in the following days. But tonight, Conan O’Brien took to the air and gave what will likely stand as one of the most moving, heartfelt salutes to the late comedic force, recalling how Shandling once helped guide him through a dark and difficult period in his life.
Shandling’s passing also gives added poignancy to his phenomenal appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with longtime friend Jerry Seinfeld — the episode, somewhat presciently, was entitled “It’s Great That Garry Shandling Is Still Alive.” We’ll leave you with that here.
Rest in peace, Garry. You’ll be very, very missed.
