David Frye, known for his impressions of President Richard Nixon, died in Las Vegas, the New York Timesreports. He was 77.
Frye, who was born David Shapiro, became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, when he portrayed Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Nelson Rockefeller and other politicians in the public eye.
Frye’s career took off when Nixon began his presidency. Some of the television shows he appeared on included The Ed Sullivan Show and the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. When Nixon left office, Frye’s career slowly disappeared, though he kept at it, recording comedy albums David Frye Presents the Great Debate (1980) and Clinton: An Oral History (1998).
A spokesperson for the Clark County coroner’s office told the Times that Frye passed away of cardiopulmonary arrest Monday.
Frye is survived by his sister Ruth Welch, who said that he got his start imitating neighbors while living in Brooklyn.
Watch Frye in The Voices of America:
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