Suffered a serious stroke in August 1966 from which he never fully recovered. He spent nearly two years in various hospitals recuperating, including the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California. When he returned to performing it was for Bob Hope in his annual Christmas show in Vietnam but his participation was brief.
Known for his google-eyed roll, facial contortions, and wide, handlebar mustache, the madcap comic always looked like the tenor of a barbershop quartet. His renditions of "Sweet Adeline" and "Down By the Old Millstream" were classics.
Worked with the CBS staff orchestra as a musician. He broke up the other players so much during rehearsals that he started getting jobs doing comic warm-ups on live radio programs.