Calvert DeForest, known to late night TV fans as his alter-ego Larry 'Bud' Melman from the David Letterman show, has died at the age of 85 following a long illness.
The short, balding DeForest, rarely seen without his large black-framed glasses, made dozens of appearances on the show between 1982 and 2002, often interviewing people on the street and famously fumbling over what he was asked to read on the cue cards.
He became a beloved regular on the program, with some of his more famous moments including a duet of "I Got You Babe" with Sonny Bono, his Mary Tyler Moore impression, and handing out hot towels to people arriving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.
"Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character but in reality he was just himself -- a genuine, modest and nice man," Letterman said in a statement.
"To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show and we will miss him."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., DeForest had fond memories of his first spot on the late night talk show. He was actually the first face to appear when the show debuted in February of 1982, in a parody of Boris Karloff's Frankenstein.
"It was the greatest thing that had happened in my life," he recalled in a past interview.
DeForest used his own name when Letterman moved over to CBS, on account of a dispute with NBC over "intellectual property", and made appearances as a correspondent for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway and the Woodstock concert, also that year.
His last appearance was in 2002, when he celebrated his 81st birthday.
To watch the Larry 'Bud' Melman bus terminal segment,
click here.