LOS ANGELES (AP) — Judy Tenuta, a brash stand-up who brazenly branded herself the “Goddess of Love” and toured with George Carlin as she built her career in the golden age of 80s comedy, died Thursday. She was 72.
Tenuta died Thursday afternoon at home in Los Angeles, with her family around her, publicist Roger Neal told The Associated Press. The cause of death was ovarian cancer.
“She was a very funny, great performer,” Neal said, and it was always a “happy time to be around her.”
Tenuta had claimed her birth date as Nov. 7, 1965, but she was born in 1949, Neal said. “She was old school so she would never tell her real age, but now that she’s gone we can tell her real age,” he added.
Her heart-shaped face, covered in wavy hair with a floral accent, conveyed an impression of sweet innocence that was quickly shattered by her loud, grim delivery and sour humor, including expletives. The accordion she made with her act was “an instrument of love and submission,” as she affectionately called it.
She belonged to a generation of performers that has fueled the popularity of live comedy in clubs across the country, including the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Laff Stop in Houston, and Caroline’s in New York City. A typical male-dominated field took place for women, including Tenuta.
Tenuta gained national attention in 1987 with “On Location: Women of the Night,” an HBO special in which she starred with Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, and Rita Rudner.
In 1988’s “American Comedy Awards” TV special, Tenuta was named Best Female Comedy Club Artist opposite male winner Jerry Seinfeld. Other honorees that year for their club or screen work were Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler.
“I’d trade it in, if only I could be wife and mother,” joked the gold-wrapped, gum-chewing Tenuta, taking her prize from Carlin.
She was a frequent guest on nightly talk and game shows and radio shock jock Howard Stern. Her acting and voiceovers were eclectic, including appearances on “The Weird Al Show” and “Space Ghost Coast to Coast.” She appeared on stage in “The Vagina Monologists” in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Tenuta grew up in the Chicago suburb of Maywood and attended Catholic schools, including one she called “St. Unpleasant and slavery.” She said she was the “isolated little flower” — Petite Flower became one of her stage nicknames — in a Catholic family of six brothers.
After graduating from college, she worked odd jobs that included packing meats and stocking a point of sale for Catholic religious clothing.
“I was fired for catching me trying things out,” Tenuta said in a 1989 interview with The Associated Press. “So the boss came in and I think he was a little upset. And I said, ‘Well, I need to see if they look good, pig. I’m trying to make improvements for these girls.”’
Tenuta joined the Chicago comedy troupe Second City before embarking on her solo standup career. Despite her outlandish dress and outlandish performance on stage, Tenuta said most people immediately caught on to her act, including the self-centered religion she called “judyism.”
“In my religion I am the only one who can complain. The nice thing about my religion is that you can forget about all your problems and think about mine for a while,” she told AP.
____
Associated Press journalist Mallika Sen contributed to this report from New York.
____
This story has been updated to correct Tenuta’s age to 72.
