Comedian Gallagher, best known for his watermelon-smashing comedy routine and numerous popular specials in the 1980s, died from organ failure Friday morning, according to his manager Craig Marquardo at 76. Gallagher had been in hospice care in California after suffering multiple heart attacks in recent years.

In a statement given to CNN by Marquardo, Gallagher died “after a short health battle” and “passed away surrounded by his family in Palm Springs, California.” Gallagher, born Leo Gallagher, became a household name in the 1980s with a comedy special called “An Uncensored Evening.” According to an obituary shared by Marquardo, this special was the first to air on cable television.

Gallagher’s most famous joke involved a hand-made sledgehammer he called the “Sledge-O-Matic,” used to smash food on stage, spraying the audience. His obituary said, “That was something else he liked to claim credit for, which was physically engaging the audience in that manner.”

Gallagher, a Fort Bragg, North Carolina native, earned a chemical engineering degree from the University of South Florida before moving to Los Angeles and developing his comedy act at legendary venue The Comedy Store, located on the Sunset Strip. After college, Gallagher started working as Jim Stafford’s road manager. He went to California in 1969, where he decided to perform himself. People began noticing Gallagher in 1975 after he performed his prop comedy on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show.”

In 1978, he appeared on “The Mike Douglas Show,” and the following year, he appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show.” However, his Showtime comedy specials in the 80s cemented him in pop culture. Gallagher would do more than a dozen comedy specials for the network over 27 years. He was also a staple on Comedy Central and MTV.

Gallagher’s obituary continued, “While his counterparts went on to do sitcoms, host talk shows, and star in movies, Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades. He was pretty sure he held a record for the most stand-up dates, by attrition alone.” Gallagher toured heavily until the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent the break with his children, Barnaby and Aimee. Aimee appeared with him on his specials when she was younger.

The comedian, who often wore a Tam o’Shanter hat, appeared on many talk shows throughout his career, including David Letterman’s NBC and CBS shows, “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “Match Game,” “The Hollywood Squares” and Howard Stern’s TV and radio programs. He also appeared in episodes of “WTF with Marc Maron,” “Tosh.0,” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”

He had a health scare back in 2011 when he collapsed onstage during a performance in Minnesota. In 2012, he suffered a heart attack in Texas moments before a performance. Gallagher’s comedic styling was innovative and one we’ll likely never see again.