The world lost one of the brightest minds to ever tell a joke

Don Rickles appears onstage at The 2012 Comedy Awards in New York, Saturday, April 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)

Comedian Don Rickles, known across the world as one of the pioneers of modern stand up comedy has died. He was 90-years-old.

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Rickles passed away on Thursday at his home, with his wife at his side, this according to TMZ. Rickles rep later confirmed his passing, citing kidney failure as the cause of death.

RELATED: Don Rickles opens up about the current state of comedy and whether he still gets laughs 

For generations of comedy fans, Rickles was the comedic force that taught them how to laugh. For seven decades, Rickles was a regular on late night talk shows and in comedy clubs across the country. His close friendships with pop culture icons such as Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin made him a frequent talk show guest.

Don Rickles is honored for best individual performance in a variety or music program for “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

In recent years, Rickles stayed in the public eye with frequent appearances on shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Rickles death comes several weeks after a web series starring the comedian was announced.

In a 2015 interview with Access Hollywood, Rickles explained his take on the current state of comedy.
“Funny is funny…if a guy goes out on the stage and he has an attitude it’s funny…some guys just repeat joke, joke, joke and they’re not funny,” Rickles said.

“I still kid about a lot of things…but I do it in a way that I’m saying ‘hey, you’re a damn fool if you think I mean it,’”

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