Bill Saluga obit

Bill Saluga, “You Can Call Me Ray” Comedian, Dies at 85

He was also a member of the improv comedy group Ace Trucking Company with Fred Willard and Patti Deutsch.

 

He was not on the list.

Bill Saluga, a comedian best known for his trademark phrase, “You can call me Ray,” has died. He was 85.

Saluga spent eight months in the hospital and died March 28 in hospice care in Los Angeles, his friend Bill Minkin told The Hollywood Reporter.

Born Sept. 16, 1937, in Youngstown, Ohio, Saluga worked as a doorman at The Bitter End in New York, then took the stage at the famed nightclub as a member of the Ace Trucking Company.

The improvisational comedy group, with other founding members including George Memmoli, Michael Mislove, Patti Deutsch and Fred Willard, found success in the 1960s and ’70s. They opened for Tom Jones in Las Vegas and performed on the singer’s 1971 ABC variety show, which was filmed in London.

Saluga’s Raymond J. Johnson Jr. was his most notable character. He would begin comedy sketches with “You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me …” and would continue the bit before ending it with, “but you doesn’t has to call me Johnson.”

The spiel received more widespread attention in the late 1970s after being used in a series of commercials for Miller Lite beer, and subsequently, in the early 1980s for Anheuser-Busch Natural Light beer. Saluga appeared alongside comedian/pitchman Norm Crosby echoing (in a roundabout way) Norm's advice to unknowing customers on how to more easily order the lengthily-named beer: "Well, y'doesn't hasta call it Anheuser Busch Natural Light Beer, and y'doesn't hasta call it 'Busch Natural.' Just say 'Natural!'" Saluga then later launches into the "You can call me Ray" routine after Crosby warns not to ask Johnson his name.

Saluga, as Raymond J. Johnson Jr., was also a frequent guest on Chuck Barris' The Gong Show during 1977 and 1978.

From 1977 to 1978, Saluga appeared regularly as Raymond J. Johnson Jr. on Redd Foxx's eponymous variety show. Saluga as Johnson also made appearances on This Is Tom Jones, Laugh-In and The David Steinberg Show.

A novelty disco single called "Dancin' Johnson" was based around Johnson's schtick was released in 1978.

Bob Dylan references the "you may call me" schtick in his 1979 hit, "Gotta Serve Somebody," when he sings, "You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy / You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy / You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray / You may call me anything, but no matter what you say / You’re gonna have to serve somebody." The idea for the verse originated from Jerry Wexler, who suggested it during the recording sessions for Slow Train Coming.

The character's popularity is referenced in multiple episodes of The Simpsons, with Saluga appearing as himself in the 2002 episode "The Old Man and the Key". Saluga also appeared as Johnson in the 2010 King of the Hill episode "Just Another Manic Kahn-Day".

Saluga also was an usher on the 1992 Seinfeld installment “The Opera” and played Richard Lewis’ uncle on three episodes of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2005. He made appearances on other shows, including Redd Foxx, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The David Steinberg Show, Mad About You, Blossom, Home Improvement, Sisters and Murphy Brown.

Actor

 

    Kathy Najimy, Breckin Meyer, Brittany Murphy, Ashley Gardner, Beth Grant, Johnny Hardwick, Toby Huss, Jonathan Joss, Mike Judge, Stephen Root, Pamela Adlon, and Lauren Tom in King of the Hill (1997)

    King of the Hill

        Raymond J. Johnson Jr. (voice)

        TV Series

        2010

 

Tom Hanks, John Malkovich, Griffin Dunne, Steve Zahn, Colin Hanks, Ricky Jay, and Emily Blunt in The Great Buck Howard (2008)

The Great Buck Howard

 

    Bill Saluga

 

    2008

 

Desmond Harrington, Trevor Einhorn, Max Gail, Greg Pitts, Alison Quinn, Gillian Vigman, Dee Wallace, Jerry Lambert, Amanda Walsh, Eden Sher, Randy Wayne, Fred Goss, and Noah Matthews in Sons & Daughters (2006)

Sons & Daughters

 

    Constable

 

    TV Series

 

    2006

 

Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)

Curb Your Enthusiasm

 

    Louis Lewis

 

    TV Series

 

    2005

 

Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)

The Simpsons

 

    Raymond J. Johnson Jr. (voice)

 

    TV Series

 

    2002

 

Playboy's Really Naked Truth (1995)

Playboy's Really Naked Truth

 

    Various

 

    TV Series

 

    1995–1996

 

Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser in Mad About You (1992)

Mad About You

 

    Mr. FefvilRacing Fan

 

    TV Series

 

    1994–1995

 

Sela Ward, Swoosie Kurtz, Patricia Kalember, and Sheila Kelley in Sisters (1991)

Sisters

 

    Ed Gorrance

 

    TV Series

 

    1995

 

Ashli Adams, Tyrone Burton, Suzzanne Douglas, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Robert Townsend, and Curtis Williams in The Parent 'Hood (1995)

The Parent 'Hood

 

    Steve

 

    TV Series

 

    1995

 

Jenna von Oÿ, Joey Lawrence, Mayim Bialik, Michael Stoyanov, and Ted Wass in Blossom (1990)

Blossom

 

    Paul, the plumber

 

    TV Series

 

    1994

 

Gregg Berger and Lorenzo Music in Garfield and Friends (1988)

Garfield and Friends

 

    Ali Ben (voice)

 

    TV Series

 

    1994

 

Tim Allen, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Patricia Richardson, Zachery Ty Bryan, Earl Hindman, and Taran Noah Smith in Home Improvement (1991)

Home Improvement

 

    Man #1

 

    TV Series

 

    1994

 

The American Clock (1993)

The American Clock

 

    Steward

 

    TV Movie

 

    1993

 

Annie Potts, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, and Dixie Carter in Designing Women (1986)

Designing Women

 

    Guest #4Man

 

    TV Series

 

    1991–1993

 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards in Seinfeld (1989)

Seinfeld

 

    Usher

 

    TV Series

 

    1992

 

Coconut Downs (1991)

Coconut Downs

 

    2nd Gambler

 

    TV Movie

 

    1991

 

Candice Bergen in Murphy Brown (1988)

Murphy Brown

 

    Charlie

 

    TV Series

 

    1991

 

Tall Tales & Legends (1985)

Tall Tales & Legends

 

    Cook

 

    TV Series

 

    1986

 

Charlie & Co. (1985)

Charlie & Co.

 

    Guthrie

 

    TV Series

 

    1985

 

Marie Denn, Emily Moultrie, and Tim Topper in Going Bananas (1984)

Going Bananas

 

    Hubert

 

    TV Series

 

    1984

 

The Jerk, Too (1984)

The Jerk, Too

 

    Shoes

 

    TV Movie

 

    1984

 

Going Berserk (1983)

Going Berserk

 

    SkipperKung Fu Leader

 

    1983

 

Norman Fell, Lynn Redgrave, Tim Reid, Jean Smart, Joel Brooks, Teresa Ganzel, and Steve Ryan in Teachers Only (1982)

Teachers Only

 

    Heater Repairman

 

    TV Series

 

    1983

 

Cher in Cher... and Other Fantasies (1979)

Cher... and Other Fantasies

 

    Johnson, Cher's Driver

 

    TV Movie

 

    1979

 

Billy Barty, Redd Foxx, Bill Saluga, and Hal Smith in Redd Foxx (1977)

Redd Foxx

 

    Raymond J. Johnson, Jr

 

    TV Series

 

    1977

 

The David Steinberg Show (1972)

The David Steinberg Show

 

    Vinnie DeMiloRaymond J. Johnson, Jr.

 

    TV Series

 

    1976–1977

 

Tunnel Vision (1976)

Tunnel Vision

 

    Victor

 

    1976

 

Johnny Carson in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

 

    CustomerMr. Kittering

 

    TV Series

 

    1974

 

Lee Majors in ABC Funshine Saturday Sneak Peek (1974)

ABC Funshine Saturday Sneak Peek

 

    PSSST Tarzan (as Ace Trucking Company)

 

    TV Movie

 

    1974

 

Harrad Summer (1974)

Harrad Summer

 

    1974

 

Don Johnson and Laurie Walters in The Harrad Experiment (1973)

The Harrad Experiment

 

    The Ace Trucking Company (uncredited)

 

    1973