Tom Dreesen, stand-up comic, Sinatra’s opening act, and Palm Springs regular, dead at 86
Jesus Reyes
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Tom Dreesen, stand-up comic, longtime opening act for Frank Sinatra, and a Coachella Valley regular, died at the age of 86, according to multiple reports.
Dreesen, a Chicago native, died at his home in Los Angeles, a family spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. There was no word on a cause of death.
He made over 500 appearances on National Television as a stand-up comedian, including 61 appearances on The Tonight Show and guest-hosting David Letterman’s late-night shows.
For 14 years, he toured the nation as the opening act for Frank Sinatra, a connection that brought him to the Palm Springs area multiple times over the years. He was featured in the documentary, Sintra in Palm Springs.
Dreesen was known as the longtime Master of Ceremonies of the Bob Hope Classic (Now known as the American Express) and the host of the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational Gala.
Tom Dreesen speaks with News Channel 3 at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic
He spoke at the funerals of Frank and Barbara Sinatra after their deaths in 1998 and 2017.
Dreesen speaks at Barbara Sinatra’s funeral at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in 2017
In 1999, Dreesen received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. His star is located at 265 S Palm Canyon Drive, near Sammy G’s Tuscan Grill
Dreesen was a guest on Eye on the Desert multiple times, including in 2020, speaking with News Channel 3’s Patrick Evans about his memoir, Still Standing.