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Mitch Hedberg, March 30, 2005
(Update 12:23 PM EST) We have confirmed through two reputable sources that Mitch Hedberg died yesterday, March 30, 2005. A statement will be issued shortly by his representatives.
We are sad to report that Mitch Hedberg is dead.
We’ve referred to Mitch as one of the few “rock stars” of comedy. We saw him perform at a gala at Just For Laughs in 2001 and it was astonishing to see the reaction of the crowd in the theater that night. Radically different from any other response.
From our Sunday, July 22, 2001, J.F.L. update:
The highlight, though, was seeing Hedberg live. It was like seeing a rock star. The response was tremendous and he was forced to step on the laughter to get all the material in. It was frenzied. To top it all off, he’s a nice guy.
We never did get to see him do an extended set. Our schedules never worked out. We made a half-assed attempt to get one of us (the male half) on the bill when he and Stephen Lynch came to Philly to perform at the Tower Theater late last year, but it never worked out.
We met him in Montreal, just after his gala performance. He was gentle, quick to laugh, seemingly shy– a lot like his onstage persona.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Mitch early on in the magazine’s history (1999?) and that interview put us on the map. For that, we’ll always be grateful.
Shortly after it ran, we recieved an email from Mitch’s mother, requesting a hard copy. We printed it out as best we could and sent it along with a note saying how nice her son was. She was very proud of him and she liked to collect all of his clippings.
To this day, it is one of our most-hit files. We declared, to anyone who would listen, that, more than any comedian who was out there working, Mitch Hedberg inspired an internet buzz, a fan reaction, a loyalty like no other. His fans, owing to their average age or sensibilities perhaps, made him the first comedian to become a WWW star as well as a television and live performance star. We could tell that he was appearing somewhere when the number of hits on that file spiked.
He was one of our favorites here. Our hearts go out to his friends, his family and his loved ones.
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Do you people not watch CSI, CSI NY, CSI Miami, Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, the other TWO Law and Order shows, plus JAG, NYPD Blue and NCIS?Wait until they determine a cause of death before deciding that drugs did him in. For all we know it was a mosquito, heart attack, low blood sugar, bad clams…
After seeing Mitch on the Comedy Channel one time, I would always stop what I’m doing, call my friends and tell them to watch. That happened tonight when I saw the Comedy Channel playing a clip. I thought it was a preview of the next segment….just as I was getting ready to yell out to my roommate to come watch, I see two dates below the clip…his birthyear and 2005. “Damn!” was all I could say.
If anyone saw him in the past few months, you could tell that something was wrong. I saw him in Cleveland last month, and if was a very sad show – he was on something, and it showed more than in most of his shows. I wish I could say I didn’t see it coming, but it’s still terribly tragic.
An article from Mitch’s home state of MN: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5323039.htmlIt states that Mitch died of a heart attack. His mother also says that he was born with a heart defect. Whether drugs played a role or not, it was a terrible loss for fans. I was listening to his “Strategic Grill Locations” CD on the road today. Mitch was a unique voice in the entertainment world, I wish it had been an April Fool. We’ll miss you, Mitch…-TC*Here is Google’s cached copy of the above article, in case the site asks you to register before viewing:http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:2c7iYa_ZQrgJ:www.startribune.com/stories/462/5323039.html+mitch+hedberg+death&hl=en
It’s April Fool’s day and just happened to tune int CC after work. Another “eager comedian” came on and I went about my business catching glimpses of Hedberg’s routine.”Jeez, why’s this guy mumbling” I thought, so I sat down to pay more attention. In sea of parroting wanabee standups this guy was truly a breath of fresh air, unique and on point. I truly looked forward to enjoying his success. When the the CC end-credits roled and paused a pic of Hedberg with the “1968-2005” caption underneath I thought “You’ve got to be s!@&%& me!”
TEst
I too just realized Mitch died when I watched the CC presentation. I never saw him live but he was always one of my very favorite stand ups. I’m stunned that his death has had an emotional effect on me.
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Attention: Person who is posting insensitive messagesPlease stop posting them. Mitch’s parents have lost their only son.Mitch’s wife has lost her husband.His sisters have lost their brother.And some of us have lost a friend.And a lot of us who didn’t know him have lost someone who we wished was our friend.Thanks, in advance, for stopping.Brian McKim & Traci SkeneSHECKYmagazine.com
This is my last post: anyone who does too many drugs makes that decision on their own. If they die from that decision it is of their own making. I feel bad for his girlfriend and his family, but when you die you die, you die, that is it, that must have been what his choice was; he should have thought more about his family before treating them in such a poor manner. Thanks.
I too saw the Comedy Central Presents and sat in a stunned silence at the end of the show. I was amazed at the incredible effect it has had on me. It’s like I’m walking in a daze.
I heard many things. Was it a heart attack, or did he overdose?
Dear “This is my last post,”We all make bad decisions, from driving too fast in the rain, to crossing the street without adequately judging the speed of an oncoming car, to having too many drinks, to smoking, to staying up too late, not getting enough sleep and getting the flu, to not getting a flu shot, to riding in a car with a friend who is simply a bad driver, to having unprotected sex, to mowing the lawn barefoot…And part of the problem with drugs is that they impair our judgement, so we don’t see that we’re making bigger and bigger mistakes.And nobody deserves to die, especially those whose judgement is clouded by chemicals.I don’t know what Mitch died of, but even if it resulted from drug abuse, that doesn’t mean he deserved it.Throw stones, if you’re without sin. But please do it elsewhere.-Shaun
Shaun, you said it perfectly!!Rest in Peace Mitch
True, drugs do impair judgement,but it is the person whose judgement is being impaired that made the decision in the first place before their judgement was impaired. People do make bad decisions, but they need to take responsibility for them and not cop out. Suicide is easy, life is hard; why not mourn those who make an attempt at life, rather than giving up?
Shaun! you said it! Rest in Peace Mitch!
And part of the problem with drugs is that they impair “our” judgement, so we don’t see that “we’re” making bigger and bigger mistakes.Exactly my point. Your mistakes are getting bigger and bigger.
Why not mourn everyone who dies, and not make artificial distinctions as to who is to blame for what percent of their own mortality? I’ve met people who say that we shouldn’t pay for providing health care to smokers since they ‘chose’ to be unhealthy. That’s nuts.Most people who die from drug overdoses (and note that I have no idea how Mitch died; this is a general comment in response to someone else’s) did not consciously opt to commit suicide.And those who choose suicide are not in their right mind.We should not say that someone who suffers from severe depression deserves to die because he or she ‘chose’ it.Nobody’s perfect. Let’s not blame the victim of a problem simply because the victim is not 100% blameless. We all have made decisions which could have resulted in our death. And we’re all lucky that they haven’t.I sign my name,Shaun Eli
Im stunned and saddened by the news of Mitch’s death. My heart goes out to his family and freinds for the loss of a great and funny man.
My friends and family always joked that I was Mitch’s “#one fan”. I was absolutely devastated on Thursday morning when I heard the news of his death. I haven’t cried like this since Kurt Cobain died. The difference is, Mitch was more real to me. I just saw him live for the second time a few months ago. It will take me a while to get over this. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you, Mitch. We all love you.
The paradoxical relationship that many of our favorite comedians fall into with drugs is a deadly catch 22 in that while the drugs are an inspiration behind so much of their comedy and personality, it is also the eventual cause of their demise. After realizing this, it may give you a different perspective on drug addiction and help you to empathize with the death of such a great man.
We all learn a lesson from Mitch about love.
I think Mitich was one of the best comics of our time. I just recently got into his comedy, thanks to XM radio, and for my birthday my wife got me both his CDs. My birhtday was Wednesday, March 30th. The night he passed away I was laughing my ass off to his jokes, many of which i was hearing for the first time, I pray that God will be with his family during these hard times.
Andy Kaufman didn’t do drugs, and he died at 33. God if real is vicious. Sure Heroin kills, but so does life.
evidence, Keith Richards
I used to waitress at a comedy club in New Brunswick, NJ which is where I first saw Mitch. Not only was he funny, but he was a really sweet guy. Since I’m only 25, I don’t remember Andy Kauffman, but I think that I’ve met the comparitive comic genius of my generation. And for all of you leaving nasty comments, grow up. OK, so maybe you didnt get him, but he was more talented than you and had the balls to go up in front of people and be genually funny without conforming to the main-stream opinion of what you may think is funny. He held to what he believed was truely good no matter what. So if you didn’t get him, let him rest in peace. You wont miss him. But let those of us who appreciated him mourne for someone we respected.I’ll miss you Mitch.
iv allways wonted to meat hem hes one of my favret comedians and one of my biggest idols whene i first herd that he was dead i thot it was a joke but when i sow the letter mithc’s parents posted i was deeply saden that i culdent see my favorit comedian poform live
I’m stunned and saddened by the news of Mitch Hedberg’s death. I regret that I never got to see him live. He was a comedians’ comedian. His act was so gentle and positive, yet so intensely funny… a complete pleasure to hear. He really left his mark, both professionally and as a human being, for those like me who knew him through his website. He will be missed.I miss him already.
Mitch’s next performance will be in Nirvana – if indeed there is such a place.Mitch and I spent our “worst Christmas ever” watching JFK and Bugsy at a theater in Bellevue, Washington — 1991. Our Christmas dinner ended up being 7-11 hot dogs. Uggh! I also witnessed a “bump” from a scheduled Letterman appearance when Pierce Brosnan went an extra segment — NY, Dec 1997. My prayers are for your wife, family, and your closest friends, Mitch. Keep them laughing on the other side.
This is really sad. < HREF="http://www.all-encompassingly.com/mitch-hedberg-1968-2005/" REL="nofollow">Mitch Hedberg<> inspired my friend and I to start a blog a couple years ago. He will be missed.
Mitch you have become one of my favorite comedians and i hope that where ever you are it has now become a funnier place to be. remember if that escalator to heaven breaks down they always become stairs. peace