- Born
- DiedJune 5, 1994 · Joshua Tree, California, USA (respiratory failure brought on by pulmonary disease and emphysema)
- Birth nameMerwyn Alton Bogue
- Nickname
- Ish Kabibble
- Merwyn Bogue took the name Ish Kabibble from the lyrics of one of the comedic songs in his routine. Born in Erie, PA, Bogue started out studying law at West Virginia University. In his role as Ish Kabibble, Bogue entertained fans with his trumpet playing, his nonsensical quips and corny poems. He managed Kay Kyser's big band from 1931 to 1951. During World War II, Bogue entered the U.S. Army, serving as a private, and continued with Kyser's band entertaining the troops.- IMDb mini biography by: Richard Rongstad <rhrongstad@aol.com>
- SpouseJanet (Meade) Bogue(? - June 5, 1994) (his death, 3 children)
- His 1989 autobiography explained the meaning behind his stage name. "Ish Kabibble" derives from the Yiddish expression "Ische ga bibble?", meaning, essentially, "What, me worry?", the expression later appropriated by MAD Magazine as a motto for its Ish Kabibble-like fictitious mascot Alfred E. Neuman.
- Merwyn Bogue (Ish Kabibble) turned from music to selling real estate when big bands declined in popularity.
- Despite his Yiddish stage name, he was not Jewish and was actually of Welsh ancestry.
- His wife, Janet (Meade) Bogue, was born in Ohio on May 21, 1912. She passed away on June 13, 1994, at the age of 82, eight days after her husband.
- Inducted into the Erie [Pennsylvania] Hall of Fame in 2012.
- No matter how much you know about one thing, there's always something else you ain't as good at as, because if you was, you wouldn't be as good at the thing you are at now, if you are?
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