John Paragon, the actor who made famous the phrase "Mekka Lekka Hi, Mekka Hiney Ho" as Jambi the Genie on the Saturday morning children's show "Pee-wee's Playhouse," died on April 3, 2021. The news was made public in mid-June 2021.
Paul Reubens, the actor who played Pee-wee Herman, mourned Paragon's passing with a message to his website on June 18. He recalled meeting Paragon at The Groundlings, an improvisational theater located in Hollywood, and becoming close friends. Reubens said the two comedians got the idea for the name "Jambi" from a sandwich shop on Hollywood Boulevard.
"From the time we were both starting out, through my success and fame as Pee-wee Herman, John was my closest friend. And through all of those years, we had huge amounts of fun and laughed our asses off together," Reubens wrote. "I really loved him."
Other than "Pee-wee's Playhouse," Paragon played other comedic roles in his career, including parts in the TV shows "Seinfeld" and "Elvira," the latter featuring a macabre comedy character played by fellow Groundlings alum Cassandra Peterson.
A news release from the sheriff-coroner for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department says Paragon died in his home at the age of 66 from heart disease, with chronic alcohol use listed as a significant factor in his death. We left a voice message for the Palm Springs Police Department, which is investigating the death, to ask about the lag time in the announcement of Paragon's death, and will update this story if we get a response.