His signature routine involved the "Sledge-O-Matic", a large mallet-like tool which he used to smash various items, most notably watermelons.

[1][2] Gallagher was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on July 24, 1946,[1] to a family of Irish and Croatian heritage.

[3] Until the age of nine, he lived in Lorain, Ohio, but because of his asthma, the family moved to South Tampa, Florida, where he attended Henry B.

[8] Running for governor (as an independent) in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, Gallagher finished 16th out of 135 candidates with 5,466 votes.

[9] Proclaiming himself the "Wizard of Odd," Gallagher was known for "witty wordplay" and sharp observational comedy, but his signature act involved the use of the "Sledge-O-Matic", a large wooden mallet that he used to smash a variety of food items and other objects, culminating with a watermelon.

His favored targets also included oranges, cottage cheese, pound cake, beans, cheeseburgers, tubes of toothpaste, video game controllers, and grapes.

[12] His show also featured a variety of props, including a large trampoline designed to look like a couch.

[5][16] In subsequent years, Gallagher's routine was criticized for frequent homophobia, paranoid overtones, and racism.

[17][18][19][20] In July 2012, Gallagher was featured in a television commercial for GEICO Insurance, repeating his Sledge-O-Matic routine.

[21] Despite serious cardiac issues he experienced in his 60s and early 70s, Gallagher continued to tour until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to stop.

People in the first several rows were usually prepared to be splattered by opening umbrellas, wearing raincoats, or raising plastic sheeting.

[23] The entire routine was inspired by infomercials which peddled novelty household products and whose popularity peaked in the late 1970s/early 1980s before waning during the 1990s.

At a show at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California, on September 29, 1990, a woman in the audience was struck on the head by a heavy plush penguin that had a fire extinguisher inside it.

"[25] At a show at the Washington County Fair in Hillsboro, Oregon, on July 8, 2010, a woman rushed the stage, slipped on debris, and was taken to the hospital for her injuries.

[27] The courts ultimately sided with Leo, and granted an injunction prohibiting Ron from performing any act that impersonated his brother in small clubs and venues.

[8] Announcing his death on November 11, 2022, his manager said that while Gallagher had his detractors, "He was an undeniable talent and an American success story".

[8] In the 1980s, researchers at Loma Linda University used Gallagher's comedy to study laughter's effect on the body.

[31] A year later, on March 14, 2012, just before a performance in Lewisville, Texas, Gallagher began to experience intense chest pains.