Tom Dreesen, who alongside Tim Reid formed the United States' first biracial stand-up comedy duo, has died at 86.

Tom Dreesen, the comedian who led the Comedy Store strike, combated civil rights-era racial tension with comedy in the duo Tim & Tom, and toured with Frank Sinatra, has died at 86.

Tom Dreesen, known as half of one of America's first interracial comedy duos with Tim Reid, has died. His publicist confirmed his death in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Dreesen and Reid, who met in ...

Stand-up comedy great Tom Dreesen, who was an longtime opening act for Frank Sinatra and made hundreds of television appearances, has died.

He rose from a hardscrabble childhood to form a pioneering interracial comedy duo. He later spent years opening for Frank Sinatra.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Tom Dreesen, the veteran comedian who led the Comedy Store strike and toured with Frank Sinatra, has died at 86. (Rodin Eckenroth ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. FILE - Comedian Tom Dreesen talks to the media during a news conference in La Quinta, Calif., on Jan. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris ...

Tom Dreesen, the veteran comedian who led the Comedy Store strike and toured with Frank Sinatra, has died at 86. (Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images) Tom Dreesen, the veteran stand-up comedian who toured ...