Name George Hopkins Grandchildren Zack Hopkins Children Kim Hopkins | Died February 28, 2011 Role Comedian | |
People also search for Kim Hopkins, Zack Hopkins, Eckwood Solomon III | ||
George Hopkins (July 4, 1928 –February 28, 2011) was an American comedian and musician.
Contents
Early life
George Hopkins was born July 3, 1928 in Manayunk Philadelphia, to Ruth and John Hopkins Sr. He was of half Welsh and half Polish ancestry. He was the youngest of five children, three sisters and a brother. When Hopkins was 16 he lied about his age and enlisted in the United States Navy and served in World War 2 in the Pacific Theatre.
Comedy career
Hopkins’ first professional gig was in 1946 at Jerry’s Café in West Philadelphia in the back room of the local bar. Seating capacity was about 60 the band was a blind organ player. He did one show on Friday night and one show on Saturday night; Hopkins was paid $35 for both nights.
Then Mr. Hopkins started to do one niters at all the different places in Philadelphia, like 24 Club, Palumbo’s - a nightclub with a seating capacity of 400 and other nightspots in Philadelphia.
George Hopkins’ first big break came on the Monday night Arthur Godfrey Talent Show, which he won, George says “I thought the female singer, Mary Sullivan was much better than me and she should have won, but the audience picked me.” It was really a big deal in 1949. Then Arthur Godfrey booked Mr. Hopkins for his Wed night show, Arthur Godfrey and His Friends and then he was on his radio show the following morning for two weeks. George was actually on the show when Arthur Godfrey fired Julius La Rosa on the air.
Hopkins' agent Herb Marx in New York booked him into the Village Vanguard, on the bill was Eartha Kitt, Wally Cox, Orson Bean and George Hopkins.
From there he started to work a lot of New York theatres, The Jefferson 14th Street Theater, theaters in Brooklyn, the Bronx and then Hopkins was starring at the Palace Theater on 46th and Broadway.
On television Hopkins appeared on The Les Crane Show, Omnibus, The Ed Sullivan Show and Chance of a Lifetime w/ Dennis James to name a few.
In 1952 NBC signed Mr. Hopkins to a 5-year contract starting out at $2500 a week. Georges debut was with Beatrice Lillie, Gordon Jenkins and his orchestra, 23 dancers and was hosted by George Abbott.
Herb Marx had offices across from Carnegie Hall on 57th Avenue as well as in Miami Beach Florida. In December 1952 Herb sent George Hopkins to the Eden-Roc Hotel in Miami Beach where he opened for Billy Daniels. Then he went into the Olympia Theater where he was the comedian with Rosemary Clooney and Buddy Rich. Later he played The Caribe Theater with Tony Martin, The Americana Hotel with Vaughn Monroe, Sans Souci Hotel Miami with Lena Horne and The Nicholas Brothers, George was the comedian. George also played The Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood Florida with Tony Bennett.
Then in 1953 Herb Marx sent him to the Beverly Hills California venue, Ye Little Club, a hangout for movie stars.
Later Mr. Hopkins performed at The Slate Brothers Club on La Cienga Blvd. Then went on a string of Playboy clubs starting at the Playboy Club Sunset Blvd club then Playboy Club Chicago then to Playboy Club Atlanta, then Playboy Club Miami then back to Playboy Club Arizona, and the Playboy Club New York. Page text.
Next was Las Vegas, at the Sahara Hotel in the Casbah Theater. George was booked for a two-week contract but they held him over for 10 more weeks. Mr. Hopkins worked the Sahara five different times, one of those times he produced, directed and starred in his own show called “Fantasia International” which stayed for 3 months. Another time at the Sahara Hotel he worked with Tony Bennett and Joey Heatherton.
George Hopkins also headlined at The Flamingo Hotel with a 14-piece band. Next was the Desert Inn, in the John Gregory Revue. Then he also worked The Hacienda with his wife Jeanette Hopkins, who plays piano and sings.
The critic Richmond Shepard noted that Hopkins was one of only two people whom he had ever seen with the ability to perform a "straight-back fall", that is, falling backwards while remaining perfectly straight throughout.
Music career
In 1961, he performed for a short time as drummer/stand-up comedian for The Ventures. The Ventures were famous for their signature song "Walk, Don’t Run", which eventually sold over two million copies, along with an unprecedented one million album sales each year from 1961 through 1966.
Present
Hopkins was diagnosed with untreatable cancer in 1995 at age 69 and was given a year to live. Three years after his cancer diagnosis he lost his sight. He still plays drums.
He is a father of four children, Kim Hopkins; actress : The Hollywood Knights, Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, and The Tonight Show, and now following in her fathers footsteps doing stand up comedy, Leigh Hopkins; hairdresser/ Sportclips Manager and son John Hopkins; who owns an electrical business and youngest daughter Sonni Harris- radio personality. George also has 5 grandchildren, Cary Adams -Corporal Marine and former Fast co. Anti Terrorist Task Force- returned Iraq Veteran, Jasmyn -Hopkins-Buduan, Youtuber-also one of which is also a comedic actor, Zack Hopkins who was a series regular with Harry Hamlin on the WB show Movie Stars.
Death
George Hopkins died February 28, 2011, at his home in Miami, Florida. He was 83