Comedian Gallagher, famous for his watermelon-smashing routine, dies at 76

American comedian Leo Gallagher has died at the age of 76, according to his family.

Gallagher passed away from organ failure while in hospice care in his Palm Springs, California, home, his son-in-law told NBC News. He had been unwell and had multiple heart attacks.

In 1980, Gallagher’s comedy stand-up special “An Uncensored Evening” was the first to ever air on cable television, according to his longtime former manager, Craig Marquardo.

He rose to fame from his signature sketch, “Sledge-O-Matic,” where he’d take a large, handmade wooden mallet and smash a variety of foods before ending in the main act — a watermelon.

Gallagher was the No. 1 comedian in America for 15 years, with comedy specials airing on Showtime and MTV. In his career spanning decades, Gallagher hosted 14 Showtime specials and around 3,500 live comedy shows, according to his website.

Toward the end of his career, the comedian starred in Geico commercials and in his first movie, “The Book of Daniel.”