Jerry Lewis’ Last Telethon

Actor and comedian, Jerry Lewis, has announced that this will be the last year he will host the Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon after a 45 year run. At 85, the funnyman has been battling numerous medical problems of his own, including a debilitating back condition, heart problems and the crippling lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis.

“As a labor of love, I’ve hosted the annual Telethon since 1966 and I’ll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,'” Lewis said, but will continued to serve as national Muscular Dystrophy Association chairman, a position he has occupied since the early 1950s.

Lewis’ philanthropism was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in 2009 when he was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Appropriately, Eddie Murphy, the star of a remake of “The Nutty Professor,” a role made famous by Lewis, presented the trophy.

While no one can take away the tremendous amount of good he has done, or the enormous amounts of money he has raised to battle muscular dystrophy, Lewis was criticized last year for remarks he made about watching porn and slapping Lindsay Lohan.

The MDA telethon is scheduled to be broadcast on September 4, 2011.