Kevin Rooney, Comedian and Emmy-Winning Writer for ‘Dennis Miller Live,’ Dies at 71
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy Kevin Rooney, a stand-up comedian who won two Emmy awards for his work as a writer on “Dennis Miller Live,” died at his home on July 19 after a battle with diabetes and end-stage renal failure.
He was 71 years old.Rooney’s death was confirmed by his colleague, Jay Mandyam.“He was a sophisticated raconteur and was a modern-day H.L.
Mencken or Schopenhauer,” a statement from Mandyam reads. “As curmudgeonly as he was, he was always the wittiest person in the room and was generous and kind to all.”Rooney briefly attended Lawrence College in the 1970s before joining the military.
In 1977, he began a career in comedy, performing his first stand-up set in Washington, D.C., concluding his act by an act of arguable baptism — pouring a pitcher of beer over his head.
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