American writer and comedian Bob Smith tragically passed away last Saturday, Jan. 20, from his long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or better known as ALS. The openly gay comedian died in his home in New York City at the age of 59, which was confirmed by his partner, Michael Zam, on social media. 

The news was confirmed by Smith's rep to The Hollywood Reporter. Smith, who is considered to be one of the pioneers in gay comedy, indeed passed away. It is notable to mention that throughout his career, Smith was able to win numerous awards as a writer, and has served as an inspiration for many gays who wanted to make a mark in the entertainment business back in the 90s.  

The news was posted on Facebook by Zam, wherein he stated that Smith battled with ALS for 12 years, and that Smith passed away during the morning of Jan. 20. The post also suggests that the two partners shared a very positive and fulfilling relationship, wherein they were able to travel the world, take care of two dogs, and had many friends. 

In the last portion of the post, Zam stated that there may be a memorial in a comedy club in the future to honor the memory and comic contributions of Smith. 

Smith had his own special back in 1994, which lasted for 30 minutes and aired on HBO. The act was the first of its kind, since it was openly gay, which, at the time, was very rare and unheard of. On top of that, he also made an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," which was a very big deal at the time. Moreover, Smith appeared in "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" in 1998 to talk about the issues of being gay. 

Smith also put out a vast collection of literary works, and received numerous awards for them just before he was diagnosed with ALS. He also contributed his comedic talent to television shows such as "Roseanne" and "MAD TV."