Comedian George Carlin dies at age 71

LOS ANGELES - Comedian George Carlin, a counterculture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital Sunday, a spokesman said. He was was 71.

   Carlin, who had a history of heart problems, died at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PT after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.

   Known for his edgy, provocative material, Carlin achieved status as an antiestablishment icon.