Joan Rivers

Standup pioneer and late night first

Facts

• Born: 1933
• Country: United States
• Field: Comedy
• Era: Television Age

Overview

Rose through Greenwich Village clubs to The Tonight Show in 1965, becoming a frequent guest host. In 1986 she became the first woman to host a network late night talk show. She won a Daytime Emmy in 1990 for The Joan Rivers Show and a Grammy nomination in 2014 for her final comedy book. Her five decades of standup opened doors for generations of women in comedy.