Hollywood
What caused Mark Russell’s death?
The political satirist who delivered jokes while on the piano has passed away at 90
Mark Russell, the bowtie-wearing comedian who was known for playing the piano while cracking political jokes, has reportedly died at the age of 90. The Buffalo, New York-born satirist was best known for his bimonthly comedy specials on PBS television from 1975 to 2004.
Although the comedian retired in July 2010, he continued to write political humor for various venues and also published jokes on his own website. He also briefly toured again in 2013 until his final performance in October 2016.
What caused Mark Russell’s death?
The comedian and performer passed away on March 30, 2023, at his home in Washington, D.C. at the age of 90. According to his wife Alison Russell, he passed away due to complications from prostate cancer.
Russell kept a private life after his final retirement and did not update the public on his illness at the time.
His life’s work
Russel began taking piano lessons at age seven and had his first professional gig at 14 years old by earning $10 playing piano at an Italian restaurant on New Year’s Eve.
“We knew 10 songs and kept playing the same songs over and over,” he told The Times in 1991.
In the early 1960s, he became a regular entertainer at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. He went on to do his first PBS show in 1975.
He was a correspondent on the NBC reality TV show ‘Real People,’ from 1979 to 1984. He also made appearances on the brief ‘Starland Vocal band Show’ during the summer of 1977.
For many years on the Sunday before Labor day, Russell made annual appearances on ‘Meet the Press,’ which was hosted from 1991 to 2008 by Tim Russert, who is a graduate of the same high school as Russell.
After coming out of retirement for three years, Russell went on to perform his final show on October 30, 2016, at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Russell also went on to have a large family and see two more generations of children after his own.
According to The Times, Russell is survived by his wife along with his brother, his children and six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.