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Billy Crystal

Biography


Born in Long Island,N.Y.

Bill Crystal was the scion of a family of jazz music

performers.


His uncle Milt Gabler owned "The Commadore Jazz

Music store and recording Co."on Mahattan's upper west

side and his family would always have jam sessions in their

home with the creme' of jazz music.


During the late 1950's..Crystal was going to be in the

audience of "The Clubhouse Gang!"..

Popular NYC based kids tv show that screened "The Little

Rascals"film comedies and was hosted by"Oficer Joe"Bolton

( A beloved NYC kids tv wraparound host/performer)on

WPIX TV Ch.11.


But?


Crystal never got on the show..due to stage fright

and food posioning.


It was not until the 1960's that he made his first tv

appearance in the studio audience of Mr.Merv Griffin's

NYC based tv talk/variety show.


During the 1970's..he trained to become a school

teacher.

His involvement with a comedy troop and his love for

performing sidetracked his plans and he became a comedy

performer in many NYC nightclubs.


His first tv performance was on "The Dinah Shore"TV Talk

show in 1976.


From there..he became a regular on the ABC TV Sitcom

"Soap"playing "Jody Dallas" the gay man.


He also went onto become a regular member of "Saturday

Night Live's"stock company.


Crystal would leave "SNL"to try and host his own comedy/

variety tv show on NBC.


Despite his talents as a comic/character actor,mimic,

pantomimist,storyteller and song and dance man?


"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour"failed to attrack an

audience and it was cancelled after a few shows.


Since his departure from tv..Mr.Crystal has performed

in movies and he has also written,directed and produced his

own films.


His most memorable movies are"City Slickers"with Jack

Palance,"Mr.Saturday Night"and "When Harry Met Sally".



Mr.Crystle also wrote a children's book and he has written

and directed a cable tv movie "62"about the baseball careers of former

New York Yankees Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.


He has also hosted The Oscars telecasts and co-hosted

"The Comic Relief Telethons"for the homeless with Ms.Whoopee

Goldberg and Mr.Robin Williams.

TV Roles

Second Thoughts - Sammy 1998
Soap - Jodie Dallas (53 episodes, 1977-1981)
Sesame Street - He was on the show a few times in the 80s, including performing his SNL character Ricky The Bowler.

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