Comedy legend Bob Newhart dead at 94: publicist

The decorated Chicago icon was an accountant before striking gold with comedy, acclaimed for his dry, deadpan delivery. He died at his Los Angeles home after a series of short illnesses, his longtime publicist Jerry Digney said in a statement. Born September 5, 1929, in suburban Illinois, Newhart studied business management before being drafted into the US army and serving in the Korean War. He briefly studied law before quitting and getting work as an accountant, while moonlighting as a comedy performer and writer.