George Burns – Photo linked to sharetv.org

Cigar Coop Hall of Fame
Inductee Name: George Burns (aka Nathan Birnbaum)
Inductee Category: Non-industry Ambassador
Inductee Year: 2011

Perhaps no celebrity was ever associated with a cigar more than George Burns.  George Burns started celebrating his 100th birthday in his 80s with various television specials and there was little doubt in many minds that he would live to be 100 – and that’s exactly what George Burns did.

According to a December 1, 1994 article in Cigar Aficionado, George Burns smoked 10 to 15 cigars a day.   When asked about this in the piece, Burns gave a quote that has become famous saying “”If I’d taken my doctor’s advice and quit smoking when he advised me to, I wouldn’t have lived to go to his funeral”

Throughout his whole career, Burns was constantly seen with a cigar.  Even today, I cannot think of a better ambassador for the cigar industry.