Tom Davis (comedian)

Thomas James Davis (August 13, 1952 – July 19, 2012) was an American writer, comedian, and author. He is best known for his comedy partnership with Al Franken, as half of the comedy duo "Franken & Davis" on Saturday Night Live.

For other people named Tom Davis, see Tom Davis (disambiguation).
Tom Davis
Birth nameThomas James Davis
Born(1952-08-13)August 13, 1952
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJuly 19, 2012(2012-07-19) (aged 59)
Hudson, New York, U.S.
MediumTelevision
NationalityAmerican
Years active1972–2012
SpouseMimi Raleigh
(m. 1991, separated since 1999; his death)

Life and career

Davis was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he began his friendship and professional partnership with Al Franken. In 1975, Davis got his big break as one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live where he and Franken also performed together. The duo wrote the screenplay for and appeared in the film One More Saturday Night, and had brief appearances in Trading Places and The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash. Davis was a frequent guest on The Al Franken Show, appearing in sketches as various characters. In a well-known sketch on Saturday Night Live, he provided the voice calling into an interview with Dan Aykroyd's Jimmy Carter as the youngster that Jimmy Carter talked down from a bad trip. Davis created the SNL sketches "Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber" (with Steve Martin), "Nick The Lounge Singer" (with Bill Murray), "The Continental" (with Christopher Walken), and "Coneheads" (with Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin).

Illness and death

In 2009, Davis was diagnosed with cancer. He was treated at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, where, on March 31, 2009, Dr. Eric Genden with minimally invasive robotic surgery, removed a tumor on Davis' right tonsil that had metastasized to an adjoining lymph node.[1]

Davis died on July 19, 2012 of throat and neck cancer, aged 59.[2] He was survived by his wife, Mimi Raleigh, a veterinarian in Mount Kisco, New York, whom he married in 1991; they separated in 1999, but reconciled before his death. He was also survived by his mother, Jean Davis, and a large extended family.[3]

Bibliography
  • Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss (2009; ISBN 978-0-8021-1880-6)
  • Owsley and Me: My LSD Family by Rhoney Gissen Stanley and Tom Davis (2012; ISBN 978-0-9833589-3-0)

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1975-2003Saturday Night LiveVarious153 episodes, (final appearance)
1976Tunnel VisionTom
1977The Paul Simon SpecialTV Special
1979Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & GildaMerry ManUncredited
1981Steve Martin's Best Show EverTV Special
1983Trading PlacesBaggage Handler #2
1983The ConeheadsBarry PaisnerVoice, Animated TV Special
1984Franken and Davis at Stockton StateHimselfTV Special
1984The New ShowHerselfTV Series
1986One More Saturday NightLarry Hayswith Al Franken
1989The FeudTeammate
1993ConeheadsSupplicantwith Dan Aykroyd
1995Trailer ParkHostTV Series
1998Blues Brothers 2000Prison Clerk
2001EvolutionGovernor's Aide

References
  1. Tuesday (2010-04-27). "The Apiary - A Comedy Website". The Apiary. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  2. "Tom Davis Dies at 59; 'SNL' Writer and Comedy Partner to a Future Senator". The New York Times. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  3. Shapiro, T. Ross. "Tom Davis, 'SNL' writer, Franken's comedy partner, dies at 59". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  • Tom Davis at IMDb
  • Tom Davis Papers. General Collection of Modern Books and Manuscripts. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
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