Stand-up comedian and actor Tom Dreesen passed away on Wednesday, June 17, at his Los Angeles home, his family announced. He was 86. No cause of death was given.
Dreesen carved out a remarkable career spanning more than five decades in show business, earning recognition for opening for Frank Sinatra for 14 years and for forming one of the country’s first interracial comedy teams. His children shared in a message on his official Facebook page that he died early in the morning and wanted audiences to know how much joy they had brought him throughout his career.
“For more than five decades, Tom Dreesen brought laughter, heart, and humanity to audiences across America. A proud native of Harvey, Illinois, Tom built a remarkable career through perseverance, talent,” his family wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
From Navy Veteran to Comedy Pioneer
The third child in a poor family of eight, Dreesen was born on Sept. 11, 1939, and raised in Harvey, a south suburb of Chicago. To help his family make ends meet, he worked from a young age shining shoes, selling newspapers and setting pins in bowling alleys. He dropped out of Thornton Township High School as a sophomore and enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17, serving until 1960.
Following his military service, Dreesen returned to the Chicago area and took a series of jobs, including selling insurance. During this time, he met Tim Reid, who would later star in “WKRP in Cincinnati.” In 1969, the pair formed “Tim and Tom,” which became one of the first interracial comedy duos in the United States. “Together, they became one of America’s first interracial comedy duos, using humor to break barriers and open doors during a time of great social change,” the family statement read.
The duo left an enduring mark on American comedy. Dreesen and Reid documented their partnership in the 2008 book “Tim and Tom: An American Comedy Act in Black and White,” detailing their experience performing during a turbulent era. When the team eventually split, Dreesen launched a solo career that would bring him national fame.
Opening for Ol’ Blue Eyes
Dreesen warmed up crowds for entertainment giants including Sammy Davis Jr., Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson and Liza Minnelli. But his most significant partnership began in 1983, when he started opening for Frank Sinatra. The collaboration lasted 14 years and came to define much of Dreesen’s legacy. The two developed a close friendship, and when the singer died in 1998, Dreesen served as a pallbearer and spoke at Sinatra’s funeral.
His solo work made him a television mainstay, accumulating more than 500 appearances over his career. He visited The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson roughly 60 times, cementing his reputation as one of the most dependable stand-ups of his generation. He also became a frequent guest, and occasional guest host, on The Late Show with David Letterman. The two comedians first met in the early 1970s while performing at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood. “He had wisdom and endless stories. Everyone admired him, looked up to him,” Letterman wrote in a tribute. Dreesen appeared on “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” just last week in what would be his final television appearance.
Acting and Advocacy
In addition to stand-up, Dreesen pursued acting in film and television. His movie roles included “Spaceballs,” “Man on the Moon” and “Trouble With the Curve,” as well as the HBO films “The Rat Pack” and “Lansky.” He appeared on television shows such as “Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Touched by an Angel.”
Dreesen also championed the rights of fellow performers. Leveraging his background as a Chicago teamster, he helped organize a 1979 strike at The Comedy Store to secure payment for comedians. In his later years, he focused on charitable work, motivational speaking and supporting veterans, including serving as an ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation. “America lost one of our great comedians and patriots, and I lost a dear friend,” Sinise wrote following news of his death.
