Lewis was born on March 16, 1926, in Newark, New Jersey, to a Jewish family. While nicknamed 'The King of Comedy' in the United States, Lewis was also known as 'Le Roi du Crazy' in France. Lewis performed in concert stages, nightclubs, casinos, theaters, music recordings and starred in 118 film and television productions throughout his career. Since becoming national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in 1956, he dedicated his life to the cause, for which he received several accolades, including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Lewis focused on muscular dystrophy activism, after his film career stalled in 1972. He was one-half of Martin and Lewis, with singer Dean Martin, one of the most popular acts of the 1940s and 1950s, before becoming the highest-paid movie star of the 1950s and 1960s and an early and prominent user of video assist. Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian.
