Does this count? I was obsessed with The Animal in high school, I'd imitate Norm by interrupting my teachers. Never knew who he was though, but once I got into stand-up I immediately recognised him because of it.
Have you come across the clip where he mentions an ad offering weight loss without diet or exercise and says "that just leaves disease"? I saw it on YouTube just after he died but I think the upload got deleted soon after.
there are absolutely loads of hints in his stuff about his terminal illness in retrospect. "i didn't even know he was sick" was a norm catchphrase for years lol.