At her husband's urging, in 1955 Ms. Diller first took the stage at The Purple Onion, a small San Francisco nightclub.

WSJ: Humorist Phyllis Diller Dies at 95

She took the stage at San Francisco's Purple Onion Club on March 7, 1955, for her first stand-up comedy performance.

CNN: Comedian Phyllis Diller dies 'with a smile on her face'

The hired DJ seemed at one stage to have a passion for educating the younger generations in the ways of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.

BBC: Diary of a street party, part 3