Alan King

By Joel Stein

He didn't kiss up. He didn't smile much. And he certainly wasn't much of a looker. Despite lacking these standard keys to success in the world of entertainment, ALAN KING, who died from lung cancer last week at age 76, appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show 56 times, acted in more than 20 movies and was paid handsomely to speak during at least one corporate event you might have attended. King, whose most famous stand-up comedy routines critiqued suburban life, succeeded because he was brutally honest, hardworking and loyal. His greatest attachment was to the Friars Club, of which he was a member for more than 50 years, succeeding Frank Sinatra in 1997 as Abbot. Although it rarely showed on his face, his love of all things Friarly--not just the roasts he often hosted but the everyday bonding over lunches and cigars--was contagious, and he saved an organization whose average age, when he took over, was often described as "dead." The club, in all its ridiculous seriousness, will forever be shaped by his personality.

--Joel Stein