Former Baltimorean Lionel “Lonnie” Shorr, whose brand of stand-up comedy made him a familiar presence on national TV shows, passed away last Thursday, Jan. 4., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 86.
“His laughter-infused journey through life touched the hearts of many, and Lonnie’s successful career in comedy left an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to witness his performances,” his family wrote on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros. “In his own humble way, he often compared his likeness to that of a modern-day Will Rogers.
“Lonnie illuminated the world with timeless humor, leaving behind a legacy that will forever echo in the hearts of those who found solace and joy in the magic of his comedic genius.”
A native of Zebulon, North Carolina, Shorr grew up in Baltimore’s Reservoir Hill area, living with his grandmother and attending Baltimore City College. Through his uncle Maxwell Alpert, a local attorney and Baltimore City Councilman, Shorr worked summer jobs at Druid Hill Park and the Baltimore Zoo.
He discovered a love for the stage while in high school and made his theatrical debut in the student play “Remains to be Seen.”
“I was always the class clown,” Shorr said in a May 2008 Baltimore Sun profile.
As a young comedian in the 1950s, he got his first local show business break at the Mardi Gras supper club on Harford Road and went on to perform at the Playboy Club on Light Street.
After graduating from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history, Shorr began performing stand-up on the nightclub circuit in the late 1950s and1960s. He eventually worked his way up to venues in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Atlantic City, performing with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Kenny Rogers, Sonny and Cher, Dionne Warwick, the Gatlin Brothers and Mac Davis.
In the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Shorr appeared on such popular TV shows as “Love, American Style,” “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Dean Martin Comedy World,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” “Tony Orlando and Dawn,” “The Jim Nabors Show” and “Dinah!”
Shorr also was a regular on such TV game shows as “Hollywood Squares,” “Break the Bank” and “Celebrity Sweepstakes.”
In November of 1980, Shorr survived the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino Las Vegas fire, which killed 85 people. The tragedy remains to be the deadliest disaster in Nevada history and the third-deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history.
On the Sol Levinson website, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, founder and director emeritus of the American Visionary Art Museum, recalled, “When I was just 16, I served as maid of honor for my sister Phyllis in her wedding to Larry Richman. The rabbi officiated on the jukebox stand at Spalding’s [restaurant and lounge in Pikeville] and Lonnie Shorr was a hilarious best man and emcee. I will never forget his kindness nor his generous good humor.
“There’s a special place in Heaven for those who make us laugh,” she wrote. “May Lonnie know great joy among the righteous.”
Shorr is survived by his nephews, Simon and Alexander Skarbelis, and cousins, Howard Lamden, Alvin Lamden, Alan Rosenberg, Erwin Rosenberg and Arnold Rosenberg. He was predeceased by his siblings, Erwin Shorr and Sandy Shorr Ezersky, and parents, Eleanor and Stanley Shorr.
Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 8, at B’nai Israel Cemetery, 3701 Southern Avenue in Northeast Baltimore. Contributions in Shorr’s memory can be made to the Duke University Children’s Hospital, 300 W. Morgan Street, Durham, North Carolina 277701.
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