Leonard Alfred Schneider, known professionally as Lenny Bruce, was born on October 13, 1925, in Mineola, Long Island, New York. His father, Myron, a British-born shoe clerk, and his mother, Sadie, a dancer, divorced when Lenny was a child. To support herself and her son, Sadie pursued a career in show business, sending Lenny to live with various aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Dropping out of high school, Lenny enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, but was discharged after convincing Navy psychologists that he was experimenting with homosexual urges. With his mother's help, Lenny began performing impressions, one-liners, and movie parodies in small nightclubs. He married Honey Harlow, a red-headed stripper, in 1951, but they divorced five years later. After Honey's arrest and imprisonment for a narcotics violation, Lenny raised their daughter, Kitty, on his own.
Lenny's comedy act evolved gradually, moving from performing in seedy New York City strip clubs and jazz clubs to exposing racist attitudes and forcing audiences to examine their own racial prejudices. He also incorporated Yiddish expressions and four-letter curse words into his monologues. Lenny's performances were often controversial, but he gained recognition and critical acclaim from writers, critics, and educators.
Despite his success, Lenny struggled with drug addiction and legal troubles. He was arrested multiple times for obscenity charges, including in 1961 and 1964, and was eventually found guilty and sentenced to several months in prison. The constant harassment and pressure took a toll on Lenny's mental and physical health, and he became depressed and paranoid.
In his later years, Lenny's performances became more political and focused on his constitutional rights. He appeared onstage for the first time in years in February 1966, but his performances were marked by his declining health and addiction. Lenny Bruce was found dead on August 3, 1966, at the age of 40, from a drug overdose.
