John Herbert Gleason (February , â€" June , ) was an American actor,
comedian, writer, composer and conductor. Developing a style and
characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was known for his
brash visual and verbal comedy, exemplified by his city bus driver
Ralph Kramden character in the television series The Honeymooners. He
also developed The Jackie Gleason Show, which maintained high ratings
from the mid-s through . After originating in New York City, filming
moved to Miami Beach, Florida in after Gleason took up permanent
residence there.Among his notable film roles were Minnesota Fats in 's
The Hustler (co-starring with Paul Newman), and Buford T. Justice in
the Smokey and the Bandit series from into the early s (co-starring
Burt Reynolds). Throughout the s and s, Gleason enjoyed a prominent
secondary music career, producing a series of best-selling "mood
music" albums. His first album, Music for Lovers Only, still holds the
record for the longest stay on the Billboard Top Ten Charts ( weeks),
and his first albums sold over a million copies each. To date, his
output spans some -plus singles, nearly long-playing record albums,
and over CDs.John Herbert Gleason was born in at Chauncey Street in
the Stuyvesant Heights, now Bedford-Stuyvesant, section of Brooklyn.
Named Herbert Walton Gleason Jr. at birth, he was baptized John
Herbert Gleason and grew up at Chauncey (an address he later used for
Ralph and Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners). His parents were Herbert
Walton "Herb" Gleason and Mae "Maisie" (née Kelly), originally from
Farranree, Cork, Ireland. Gleason was one of two children; his brother
Clement J. died of meningitis at the age of in .
comedian, writer, composer and conductor. Developing a style and
characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was known for his
brash visual and verbal comedy, exemplified by his city bus driver
Ralph Kramden character in the television series The Honeymooners. He
also developed The Jackie Gleason Show, which maintained high ratings
from the mid-s through . After originating in New York City, filming
moved to Miami Beach, Florida in after Gleason took up permanent
residence there.Among his notable film roles were Minnesota Fats in 's
The Hustler (co-starring with Paul Newman), and Buford T. Justice in
the Smokey and the Bandit series from into the early s (co-starring
Burt Reynolds). Throughout the s and s, Gleason enjoyed a prominent
secondary music career, producing a series of best-selling "mood
music" albums. His first album, Music for Lovers Only, still holds the
record for the longest stay on the Billboard Top Ten Charts ( weeks),
and his first albums sold over a million copies each. To date, his
output spans some -plus singles, nearly long-playing record albums,
and over CDs.John Herbert Gleason was born in at Chauncey Street in
the Stuyvesant Heights, now Bedford-Stuyvesant, section of Brooklyn.
Named Herbert Walton Gleason Jr. at birth, he was baptized John
Herbert Gleason and grew up at Chauncey (an address he later used for
Ralph and Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners). His parents were Herbert
Walton "Herb" Gleason and Mae "Maisie" (née Kelly), originally from
Farranree, Cork, Ireland. Gleason was one of two children; his brother
Clement J. died of meningitis at the age of in .
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