R.I.P. Gary Shapiro

Singer. Songwriter. Comedian. Rabbi. Cantor. Gary Shapiro touched many lives in and around Los Angeles in ways a typical comedian never did. Shapiro died unexpectedly on Thursday. More details on that as they become available.

Shapiro was born July 1, 1964. He was only 52.

Memorial services will be held at 12:30 p.m. Monday, May 1, at Mount Sinai, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, in Los Angeles.

Shapiro (@ElSmoocho on Twitter) had just performed at the beginning of the week at the monthly Top Tune showcase for singer/songwriters.

At @thehotelcafe last night for #TopTune (L-R): hilarious host @Henlips groove master @BrendanDrums & our outpatient narcotics counselor pic.twitter.com/ryoD7HDVq6

— Gary Shapiro (@ElSmoocho) April 24, 2017

He presided over many Jewish ceremonies and celebrations in his functions as a rabbi or as cantor at Congregation Beth Israel. He also served as a religious consultant on TV series such as Six Feet Under and Seventh Heaven. His credits also include “Twitter guy” on Showtime’s The Green Room with Paul Provenza. Shapiro described that last job in an early episode of Jackie Kashian’s “The Dork Forest” with the now also-late Marcia Wallace.

“It’s the toughest job I’ve ever had, but it’s the greatest as well,” he said then. “Paul does a brilliant job at playing ringmaster and keeping everything going, and I sit about six feet away — and whenever Paul wants to cut away or there’s a lull in the conversation, he’ll say, ‘Gary are you online right now? What’s happening on the Internet? What’s going on? And I have to have something great to say. Every time he calls on me, in front of everyone I idolize.”

In 2015, you could hear him at length talking about himself and hot political topics of 2015 with David Feldman on The David Feldman Show.

All I ever really wanted in life is just hundreds of thousands of people overpaying me to entertain them.

— Gary Shapiro (@ElSmoocho) February 23, 2017