Absolutely an American icon. He was a pioneer of the sexual revolution and long time advocate for equality during a time when doing so was dangerous. He was one of the few people in modern American history who every celebrity, writer, musician, etc. (many of them American icons themselves) for the last 60 years wanted meet. I think he made some mistakes and bad decisions in his life and business, but none of them take away from the overall good of his accomplishments. He definitely lived one hell of a life.