Bill Richmond

Bill Richmond was a writer and producer best known for his collaborations with Jerry Lewis, with whom he wrote several hit films, and Carol Burnett. He was nominated for six Emmy Awards and won three for his work on The Carol Burnett Show. In addition to writing and producing, he also worked as an actor, musician and composer.

Born in Kentucky, Richmond grew up in Illinois and served as a Marine Corps pilot during World War II. After completing his service he moved to Los Angeles with the goal of becoming a musician. In the late 1940s and 1950s he worked as a drummer for such artists as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Les Brown, Harry James and  Nelson Riddle. In 1959 he met Lewis, and the two men hit it off. For a time, Richmond was a drummer in Lewis' stage band, and the two men established such a rapport that they began collaborating on writing projects.

Their first film was The Ladies Man, followed by The Errand Boy, The Nutty Professor, The Patsy, The Family Jewels and The Big Mouth.

He segued into television with The Jerry Lewis Show in 1963, and in the years that followed he wrote for numerous TV comedies, including Rown and Martin's Laugh-In, All in the Family, Welcome Back, Kotter, CPO Sharkey, What's Happening!!, The John Larroquette Show and Blossom.

He was part of The Carol Burnett Show from 1973 to 1978, during which he contributed a sketch to every episode during that time.

Richmond died on June 4, 2016, in Calabasas, California. He was 94.