George Carlin, whose routine about the seven words “you can’t say on television” was heard from college campuses to the Supreme Court, died yesterday(Sunday) of heart failure at a Santa Monica, Calif., hospital, his publicist announced. He was 71.

Carlin, who suffered his first heart attack at age 41, was admitted to St. John’s Hospital earlier today after complaining of heart trouble, the statement said. He died at 5:55 p.m.

Much more than a “footnote in legal history,” as Carlin often referred to himself for his role in the seven “filthy” words case, the comic was the first-ever host of Saturday Night Live, a four-time Grammy winner, and a touchstone for generations of writers and performers.

Carlin was due to receive the 11th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November. The honor was announced just last week, around the time of his final performances, at the Orleans in Las Vegas. According to his Website, he had dozens of shows booked through the end of the year.

If there was one thing Carlin wasn’t, it was the retiring type.

“Yes, I’ve accomplished all the things I’ve wanted to and way more, I couldn’t have really predicted some of the paths,” Carlin told Salon in February. “But I know that there’s a restlessness, you know, artists are never finished.”

Born May 12, 1937, in New York, Carlin celebrated his 50th year in show business last year.