The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said on Monday it would go ahead with plans to present its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to the late George Carlin, making him the first ...

In the 1970s, George Carlin's seven dirty words routine was the center of a famous obscenity case. More recently, the comic was named the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

As a recipient of The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, O'Brien joins a who's who of American comedy that includes Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg and Kevin Hart.