When Billy Crystal Paid Tribute to Muhammad Ali
Image by YouTube
Image by YouTube
Former President Bill Clinton and Bryant Gumbel will also speak the memorial service in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, ESPN reported.
“This is what was chosen for him: to be the great ambassador for peace and understanding,” Crystal wrote in a 2010 USA Today piece about Ali. “Our teacher, our healer. He was the fighter who wouldn’t fight. He is a good man.”
One of Crystal’s best known acts is his flawless impression of Ali, who enthralled the world with his iconic combination of power and braggadocio.
Ali himself revelled in Crystal’s “fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee” schtick.
Crystal posted a video of his impression of Ali on Twitter along with a moving eight-word tribute: “For the greatest man I have ever known.”
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
