4. Lenny Bruce
Over fifty years after his death, it’s difficult to separate Lenny Bruce the comedian from Lenny Bruce the icon. Bruce’s penchant for saying whatever came to his mind on stage earned him genius status. His brilliance was paired with a career-wrecking level of controversy in the ’50s and early ’60s. But more importantly, Bruce almost single-handedly transformed stand-up into an outlaw occupation.
Image Source: LA Times/Museum of Television and Radio