Who was Bill Saluga? Tributes pour in as You Can Call Me Ray star dies aged 85

Well-known comedian Bill Saluga passed away on March 28, 2023, at the age of 85. The news was revealed by his friend Bill Minkin, who also stated that Saluga was hospitalized for around eight months. He was then put under hospice care for some time and died from heart failure and arthritis-related complications.Author Chris Lucas posted a picture of Saluga on Facebook and wrote that all those who were alive during the 70s were well aware of his characters and comedy. Lucas also mentioned that Saluga was known for his appearance as Ray J. Johnson. He added:&quot;He would launch into a long string of other things you could call him, and always finish with &quot;But ya' doesn't has to call me Johnson!&quot; It was a one joke, one punch line routine that pre dated Saluga by at least 100 years, but he was a master at it and it put him in demand.&quot;Co-host of Ben TV, Paul Gregerson also shared a post on Facebook where he paid tribute to Saluga and wrote:&quot;R.I.P. Bill Saluga. He was 85. He was a spokesperson back in the 70's for Natural Light Beer &quot;you can call me ray, and you can call me jay, but you doesn't have to call me Johnson.&quot;&quot;You can call me Ray&quot;: Meet Bill Saluga, best known for his character Raymond J. Johnson Jr.Bill Saluga was known for his appearances on different TV shows (Image via FrackoffF/Twitter)Bill Saluga was one of the founders of the comedy group, Ace Trucking Company. His character was named Raymond J. Johnson Jr, and was distinguished by his Zoom suit and the cigar in his mouth.Raymond was featured in different TV shows and commercials. Whenever anyone used to call the character &quot;Mr. Johnson,&quot; it angered him, following which he used to say, &quot;You can call me Ray.&quot; The line was also featured in Bob Dylan's single Gotta Serve Somebody.The character was an important part of the commercials for beer brands like Miller Lite, Anheuser-Busch, and more. He was also featured on the variety show Redd Foxx, hosted by Foxx. His other show-based appearances include The David Steinberg Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, This Is Tom Jones, and more. Saluga was known for his appearances on Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Home Improvement, and Murphy Brown. He also appeared in an episode of the famous sitcom, The Simpsons, in 2002.Internet flooded with tributes for SalugaBill Saluga gained recognition all these years for his flawless work as a comedian. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise:Your Canadian GirlFriend@YourCanadianGFIn memory of Ray Jay Johnson Jr ... RIP Bill Saluga41In memory of Ray Jay Johnson Jr ... RIP Bill Saluga https://t.co/clDlLXCRvCJoAnne Richards' Almanack@JoAnneR33576229RIP Bill Saluga 1937-2023 - &quot;You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Ray Jay, or you can call me RJ, but you doesn't has to call me Johnson!&quot;214RIP Bill Saluga 1937-2023 - &quot;You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Ray Jay, or you can call me RJ, but you doesn't has to call me Johnson!&quot; https://t.co/bIyl12fLfcrich cerasale@chewy7rip actress/comedienne Bill Saluga at the age of 85rip actress/comedienne Bill Saluga at the age of 85Pacman@thepacman321Bill Saluga, “You Can Call Me Ray” Comedian, Dies at 85. I actually promoted his single of that name while doing promo for A&amp;M Records. RIP...1Bill Saluga, “You Can Call Me Ray” Comedian, Dies at 85. I actually promoted his single of that name while doing promo for A&amp;M Records. RIP...Todd Wacha@toddwachaRIP Bill Saluga, the comedian known for the bit, &quot;You can call me Ray...but, you doesn't have to call me Johnson.&quot; He died on March 28, 2023 at the age of 85.1RIP Bill Saluga, the comedian known for the bit, &quot;You can call me Ray...but, you doesn't have to call me Johnson.&quot; He died on March 28, 2023 at the age of 85.Kevin Maher@KevinGeeksOutR.I.P. Bill Saluga, seen here doing his most famous bit in Hal Ashby's BEING THERE.91R.I.P. Bill Saluga, seen here doing his most famous bit in Hal Ashby's BEING THERE. https://t.co/4Ihh9nAq3TCasper Fox@CasperFoxBill Saluga aka Raymond J. Johnson Jr. (1937 - 2023) &quot;He's the man who taught America to laugh! Well if there was a Mr. 1976 it was certainly him! He's the one who got us through the second Gas Crisis!&quot;youtu.be/M2-tiiZz6pk?t=…2Bill Saluga aka Raymond J. Johnson Jr. (1937 - 2023) &quot;He's the man who taught America to laugh! Well if there was a Mr. 1976 it was certainly him! He's the one who got us through the second Gas Crisis!&quot;youtu.be/M2-tiiZz6pk?t=…Kimberly Morgan🐟 26947 #FollowBackResistance# BLM@ColinMorgan65Thanks for the smiles and laughs Mr. Johnson. Bill Saluga Dies: ‘You Can Call Me Ray’ Comedian Was 85youtube.com/watch?v=ZCqh5R…3Thanks for the smiles and laughs Mr. Johnson. Bill Saluga Dies: ‘You Can Call Me Ray’ Comedian Was 85youtube.com/watch?v=ZCqh5R…Saluga's is survived by a nephew residing in Youngstown, Ohio. He never revealed anything about his personal life and there are currently no details available about his childhood and educational background.

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