Letterman Regular 'Bud' Melman Dies

[namedmydaughterHALEN]

Letterman Regular 'Bud' Melman Dies

Mar 21, 9:52 PM (ET)

By LARRY McSHANE

NEW YORK (AP) - Calvert DeForest, the white-haired, bespectacled nebbish who gained cult status as the oddball Larry "Bud" Melman on David Letterman's late night television shows, has died after a long illness. The Brooklyn-born DeForest, who was 85, died Monday at a hospital on Long Island, Letterman's "Late Show" announced Wednesday.

He made dozens of appearances on Letterman's shows from 1982 through 2002, handling a variety of twisted duties: dueting with Sonny Bono on "I Got You, Babe," doing a Mary Tyler Moore impression during a visit to Minneapolis, handing out hot towels to arrivals at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

"Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself - a genuine, modest and nice man," Letterman said in a statement. "To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."

The gnomish DeForest was working as a file clerk at a drug rehabilitation center when show producers, who had seen him in a New York University student's film, came calling.


He was the first face to greet viewers when Letterman's NBC show debuted on Feb. 1, 1982, offering a parody of the prologue to the Boris Karloff film "Frankenstein."

"It was the greatest thing that had happened in my life," he once said of his first Letterman appearance.

DeForest, given the nom de tube of Melman, became a program regular. The collaboration continued when the talk show host launched "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS in 1993, though DeForest had to use his real name because of a dispute with NBC over "intellectual property."

Cue cards were often DeForest's television kryptonite, and his character inevitably appeared in an ill-fitting black suit behind thick black-rimmed glasses.

DeForest often drew laughs by his bizarre juxtaposition as a "Late Show" correspondent at events such as the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway or the anniversary Woodstock concert that year.

His last appearance on "Late Show," celebrating his 81st birthday, came in 2002.

DeForest also appeared in an assortment of other television shows and films, including "Nothing Lasts Forever" with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

At his request, there will be no funeral service for DeForest, who left no survivors.




R.I.P. Calvert!!
he made some classic bits!

[Mister Bullethead]

Funny guy, RIP Bud!!

[ZeoBandit]

RIP

[billy007]

Another from the list of "I thought they were already dead" celebrities.

R.I.P., "Bud"...

[MF5150]

RIP Bud

[voivod]

At his request, there will be no funeral service for DeForest, who left no survivors

Talk about going out in a whimper and having a branch of the family tree removed from existance...

[darthadv]

RIP, Bud.

[sixstring]

Always thought he was a very strange character but VERY funny.

You will be missed...RIP, Bud...

[hatchetforce]

I met Larry Bud Melman on Spring Break in Daytona -1986. I had just won a "Name That Riff" contest and proceeded to trip over the DJ booth and fell over the table (wiping out the turntable) and he kinda helped brace me up. Bud was there to sign autographed pictures. Later I saw him on the beach as I was talking to a snaky-looking brunette and the three of us stood on the beach describing what animals the clouds looked like. He was an interesting character with a neat, devilish laugh. RIP Bud.

[Guitar Shark]

That's too bad. He was hilarious.

RIP.

[Wickett]

Later I saw him on the beach as I was talking to a snaky-looking brunette and the three of us stood on the beach describing what animals the clouds looked like. He was an interesting character with a neat, devilish laugh. RIP Bud.

Now that, my friend, is a story...

[wham bam will rock]

One of the reasons I got average grades in school and have such poor sleep habits now is the Letterman show, early to late 80s. I used to wake up and sneak to watch the show while my parents slept.

I thought Larry 'Bud' was one of the greatest characters on television, ever!




"Hey you guys. This is a rock and roll museum. You don't belong in here."

[mmdog]

I met Larry Bud Melman on Spring Break in Daytona -1986. I had just won a "Name That Riff" contest and proceeded to trip over the DJ booth and fell over the table (wiping out the turntable) and he kinda helped brace me up. Bud was there to sign autographed pictures. Later I saw him on the beach as I was talking to a snaky-looking brunette and the three of us stood on the beach describing what animals the clouds looked like. He was an interesting character with a neat, devilish laugh. RIP Bud.

Hatchetforce,

That's a great Brush with Greatness, now is there any more to this story?

[twonabomber]

One of the reasons I got average grades in school and have such poor sleep habits now is the Letterman show, early to late 80s. I used to wake up and sneak to watch the show while my parents slept.

me too, 'cept i stayed up and went to bed after the show. once i got to school, i'd be sleeping during my second class of the day.

[Double Down]

To be honest, I would have thought that guy died at least 10 years ago, if not more.

Funny guy.....RIP.