Bob Smith—the first openly gay comedian to appear on the Tonight Show—has died after a long struggle with ALS, according to Deadline.com . He was 57.
Smith's partner, Michael Zam, confirmed the death on Facebook. Zam posted, "It's with great sadness, but also a lifetime of happy memories that I'm writing to share that my beloved Bob Smith passed away this morning at age 59 after a remarkable 12-year battle with ALS. He was the funniest and most optimistic person I've ever known, as well as the most committed and stubborn ( I'm convinced this last trait kept him going so well for so long ). I'm glad we got to share so many years together, traveling the world, supporting each other's writing, and caring for two amazing, temperamental older rescue beagles. I love you, Bob. Thanks for everything! And thanks to the dozens of friends who came to see him and lend a hand over these last years.
"Fittingly, there will be a memorial in a comedy club sometime in the near future."
Smith also starred in his own HBO Comedy half-hour and made numerous TV appearances.
While taping a 2007 comedy special for Logo, Smith disclosed that he is suffering from a neurological disorder. Five years later, Smith posted that he had ALS.
The Deadline item is at deadline.com/2018/01/bob-smith-dies-first-openly-gay-comic-to-appear-on-the-tonight-show-was-59-1202264688/ .
