Introduction
Murray Roman (March 8, 1929 – November 6, 1973) was an American stand-up comedian whose career was cut short by a car crash. Many consider his style, and material, to be similar to Lenny Bruce. Roman was also a writer on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and, as part of the Comedy Hour writing team, won an Emmy for his work in 1969. His most noted sketch was "The Honey House," which mocked the syrupy 1968 hit song "Honey," by Bobby Goldsboro. The skit featured a tour of house where the eponymous Honey had lived and died, conducted with suitable melodrama by her husband, played first by Tom Smothers and then by Dick.
Biography
Roman was Keith Moon's favorite comedian. Moon helped Roman obtain a contract with Track Records, which had also signed Jimi Hendrix and The Who.
Roman married three times and had 3 daughters.
Discography
- Out of Control
- You Can't Beat People Up And Have Them Say I Love You
- A Blind Man's Movie
- Busted
- Backtrack 13 (You Can't Beat People Up And Have Them Say I Love You)
TV appearances
- The Rat Patrol, The Tug-of-War Raid: (Mar/04/1968) As Lt. Pohl
- The Monkees, Fairytale (Jan/08/1968) As Harold
- That Girl, This Little Piggy Had a Ball (Mar/23/1967) As Manager of Bowling Alley
- ABC Stage 67, On The Flip Side (Dec/07/1966) As Hairy Eddie Popkin
- Batman, Hizzonner the Penguin (1) (Nov/02/1966) and Dizzonner the Penguin (2) (Nov/03/1966) as E.G. Trends
THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS show. Wrote and very occasionally appeared.
Influence
Roman's record Busted was sampled by DJ Shadow in "Stem/Long Stem/Transmission 2" of his Endtroducing album. DJ Shadow also sampled from Busted on his single "Lost and Found (S.F.L.)".