  henry gibson (september 21, 1935&nbsp;â september 14, 2009) was an american actor, singer and songwriter, best known as a cast member of rowan & martin's laugh-in, for his portrayal of diminutive country star haven hamilton in nashville, and for his recurring role as judge clark brown on boston legal. ==early life== gibson was born as james bateman in germantown, philadelphia, pennsylvania, son of edmund albert bateman and his wife dorothy (cassidy). he attended saint joseph's preparatory school, where he was president of the drama club. after graduating from the catholic university of america in washington, d.c., he served as an intelligence officer in the u.s. air force. he then developed an act in which he played a poet from alabama. his stage name was a play on that of dramatist henrik ibsen. ==career== gibson's performing career began at the age of seven.http://www.alluc.to/movies/actor/henry+gibson he appeared in many stage and theater productions. gibson made many appearances on jack paar's tonight show between 1957 and 1962, often reciting his poetry. his career took off when he performed in the jerry lewis film the nutty professor (1963). this was followed in 1964 by his poetry-reciting cowboy character quirt manly on the popular beverly hillbillies.imdb at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002099/?ref_=nv_sr_1 gibson also appeared on the dick van dyke show, reading the poem "keep a-goin", which he turned into a song in the robert altman movie nashville (1975), starring ned beatty and keith carradine. gibson appeared in three other films directed by altman: the long goodbye (starring elliott gould), [[a perfect couple
1935_births 2009_deaths American_comedians American_male_film_actors American_male_television_actors American_male_voice_actors Cancer_deaths_in_California Deaths_from_cancer Male_actors_from_Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania People_from_the_Greater_Los_Angeles_Area The_Catholic_University_of_America_alumni United_States_Air_Force_officers