Nixon impersonator David Frye Dies - UPI.com

Posted: 30 January 2011 to 10.37 clock

LAS VEGAS, April 30 (UPI) - comedian impressionist David Frye, Nixon made a career of pretending to be someone else, especially Richard died in Las Vegas, officials said.

Frye, 77, died of cardiac arrest Monday in Las Vegas, where he lived, reported the New York Times.

His death was confirmed by the Coroner's Office Clark County.

Frye began his career in New York's Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, first imitating the voice and sometimes bizarre movements known actors. But his career quickly moved in front after President John F. Kennedy began by imitating.

Soon he was about Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey, but it was Nixon, who inspired his career, the newspaper said. In 1969, he released a comedy album for Electra as "I am the president."

"I do Nixon by copying its actual actions, but by a sense of his position that he can not believe he is really the president," Frye said in Esquire magazine in 1971.

Frye on numerous variety shows and was a top draw in casinos in Las Vegas for years.

In a skit that Nixon Frye, the president had smoked marijuana. "I see the sky and the great plain fruit and amber waves of grain," intoned Frye as Nixon after smoking the joint.

Frye was born as David Shapiro in Brooklyn in June 1934.

He served with Army Special Services in France and when he returned to New York to act as a salesman for the office of his father's cleaning business, he began to perform at the Village Gate.

talent scouts saw his impersonation of Robert Kennedy and him booked on "The Merv Griffin Show." Soon he was regularly on a variety of programs, including "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and "The Tonight Show."

His survived by one sister, Ruth.