Bernie Mac dead at 50

After a brief battle with pneumonia at a Chicago hospital, Bernie Mac died this morning, according to family members. Bernie Mac, the 50-year old raucous comedian, died this morning from complications due to pneumonia. Bernie Mac had suffered from sarcoidosis, which is an inflammatory lung disease. The condition reportedly went into remission in 2005. There are no other details available at this time, and his publicist asked that the family’s privacy be respected.

Bernie Mac was born in Chicago, IL on October 5, 1957. His full name was Bernard Jeffrey McCollough. Because of his large family and his experiences growing up in Chicago’s South Side, Mac had a wealth of material for his humor. He performed his first standup routine when he was only 8 years old - performing for the church congregation by impersonating his grandparents at the dinner table.

It was tragedy that made Bernie Mac appreciate the healing power of laughter - he lost his mother and both brother early in life. He worked odd jobs to make enough money to live while working on the side to develop his comedy. He was able to establish his own weekly variety show at Chicago’s Regal Theater and joined the comedy club circuit in 1977.

Bernie Mac gained national attention for his comedy with Spike Lee’s Original Kings of Comedy. He was known for edgy comedy that, at first, would seem a bad fit fo television. However when he was able to create a sitcom on his own terms, he came up with the Bernie Mac show in 2001. He based the show on family experiences, and the show had a strong debut on Fox. It ran through 2006 and starred Bernie Mac as the father of three adopted kids. The show won an Emmy and a Peabody award. Movie Credits include Bad Santa, and Oceans Eleven.