About Phil Austin
Philip Baine Austin (April 6, 1941 – June 18, 2015) was an American comedian and writer, best known as a member of the Firesign Theatre. == Early life and education == Austin was born in Denver, Colorado, and later grew up in Fresno, California, attending Fresno High School. His mother was a drama teacher which influenced his upbringing as an actor. He attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, because it was nearly the most distant point in the continental United States from Fresno. He also attended Fresno State College and UCLA, but did not graduate from either of them. He was in the UCLA Drama Department at the same time as another dropout, Ray Manzarek of The Doors. == Career == === Radio === In Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he was one of the first apprentices for the Center Theatre Group and worked on the staff of KPFK radio in Los Angeles. At KPFK he worked with other staffers David Ossman and Peter Bergman who hosted Radio Free Oz on that station. Along with Bergman's friend Phil Proctor, they formed The Firesign Theatre. Starting as live radio actors, the group would go on to record a series of surrealistic comedy albums that were a hit amongst an underground audience.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.