One of the great stand- ups of his era, Richard Lewis, a professional neurotic who amusingly took credit for the comic use of the phrase “from Hell” during his many years of appearances on Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” has died.

He died from a heart attack, and after recently disclosing that he had Parkinson’s. He was 76.

His Twitter feed the past year or so had a “love life” sentimental edge, suggesting he knew the end was nigh. But It could be hard to tell. He built his career on self examining, self pitying and self loathing observations about himself.

Analysis, romance and head scratching self doubt were trademarks, as was that mane of hair he maintained long past an age when anybody not a rock star typically keeps it.

The King of Kvetching was just that, a rock star comic with a few movies, a few sitcoms and thousands of live sets to his credit over a fifty year career.

I saw him live a couple of times, interviewed him a few more, and always found him loose and blunt and funny, even on bad days where you could detect his self doubt mania. 

My favorite memory of him was catching up with Lewis as he got back on the road shortly after 9/11, talking about how honored he was to go out and try to make a despondent, worried country laugh, and how touched he was that fans were still showing up.

He was one of the great ones, and if nothing else, Larry David deserves our heartfelt thanks for giving a very smart, very funny man a great career curtain call.