SHERMAN OAKS—On June 17, Chicago native, Stand-Up Comedian, actor, and opener for Frank Sinatra, Tom Dreesen, has passed away. He died peacefully at his home in Sherman Oaks. He was 86. His children left the following message on Dreesen’s Facebook page.

“My sister and I regret to inform you that our father passes away at 5:50 this morning. He wanted you all to know how much joy you brought him through the years. He said to tell you that he loved you all. May he rest in peace.”

Dreesen, who was born in Harvey, Illinois, just outside of Chicago was best known for his improv as the opening act for the famous, Frank Sinatra, better known as, “Ol Blue Eyes.”

He acted and entertained on classic tv shows in the days when the big box televisions only had three channels. One of those channels was trained on WKRP In Cincinnati. Tom Dreesen was making people laugh on the Tonight Show, with Johnny Carson, before David Letterman took on the role as host.

The following details came directly from the comedian’s webpage at tomdreesen.com

“Tom Dreesen has been in show business for 50 years. Along the way, Tom has made over 500 appearances on national television as a stand-up comedian, including more than 60 appearances on The Tonight Show. He was one of David Letterman’s favorite guests and frequently hosted the show in Letterman’s absence.

He also appeared countless times in Las Vegas, Tahoe, Reno, and Atlantic City, with artists like Smokey Robinson, Liza Minnelli, and Sammy Davis, Jr. And for 13 years, he toured the nation as the opening act for Frank Sinatra. A Career like this is rich in stories, and no one tells them better than Tom does.”

On June 9, 2020, Tom Dreesen’s memoir he wrote with Darren Grubb and Johnny Russo entitled “Still Standing,” was published. He tells the tales he lived as a comedian and in opening acts on the road with his fellow celebrities.

His hometown of Chicago gave tribute to Dreesen on their X social media page.

“RIP Tom Dreesen-The only person to appear on the cover of the Chicago Southland Visitors Guide. You really did us proud.”