Remember When Gilbert Gottfried Randomly Performed at a Church in Rumford, Maine in 2020?

Rest in Peace Gilbert Gottfried

It was announced today, April 12, 2022, that comedic legend Gilbert Gottfried passed away at the age of 67.

The official announcement came from his official Twitter page noting that he had been battling a “long illness”. In the post, they noted that he was a “wonderful husband, brother, friend, and father to his two young children,” and ends with “please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.

The first movie I saw in theaters was Disney’s animated Aladdin and thus my first exposure to comedic geniuses; Robin Williams who played Genie and Gilbert Gottfried who played Iago the parrot.

Gilbert Gottfried amassed 184 actor credits according to IMDB, many in children’s animation thanks to his iconic voice. His stand-up comedy was usually on the crude side which gave him fans of all ages and generations.

Gottfried in Church

When one thinks stand-up comedy they’re not typically thinking of using a church as a venue, let alone a small church up in Rumford, Maine. Two years ago, however, just before the pandemic hit, Gilbert Gottfried did in fact perform at a church in Rumford, Maine.

Sun Journal tracked down this story that is also so very Maine. A couple of locals, Scot and Cindy Grassette put their heads together to turn the church building into an entertainment venue, 49 Franklin.

Enter the trio that made it happen; Scot Grassette sought out the assistance of Rob Steen, a well-known comedian and promoter here in New England, who then connected to Mark Turcotte, the organizer of Maine Event Comedy. Together they were men on a mission and the mission was accomplished.

Sun Journal reported that the Gottfried show attracted 190 people to the Thursday show. An impressive gathering for a mid-week show outside of Portland or Bangor.

Between the passing of Betty White in December, Bob Saget in January, and now Gilbert Gottfried, can we have a break from losing comedians loved by generations?

Check out these tributes to Gottfried from Twitter: