I heard that Mitch Hedberg died tonight

[Susang]

Sounds like he overdosed. Anybody else hear this? So far it's only comedy industry rumor, no official confirmation.

If it's true, it's very sad. :-(

[givemebackmycountry]

1. If he's the drummer from Crowded House - It's true.... n/t

[Susang]

2. Nope, he's a famous comedian

Known for his rather deadpan delivery.

[sasquatch]

5. No, Mitch Hedberg is a comidian

[Left Is Write]

51. His name was Paul Hester.

[Dookus]

3. nothing in the news yet

I have to say, I'd heard such great things about him. Saw him at the Improv last year, and .... meh.

Maybe it was an off night, but I thought he was pretty weak. Still, I hope he's OK.

[Susang]

6. He's supposedly been struggling with substance abuse issues

For awhile now. I don't think his style of comedy is improved with that amount of excess. From what I understand, he was in rehab for a few months last year.

[Dookus]

8. I don't doubt it

he seemed pretty messed up - sometimes incoherent. Didn't seem to have a routine memorized. Just a lot of long pauses, then a joke. Then a long pause while he tried to remember another one. It was pretty bad.

[Susang]

10. I'd heard his recent performances were like that

It's a shame. If you catch some of his older gigs on Comedy Central, he has energy and flow and his material is really fresh. Kind of like an edgier Jake Johannson or Stephen Wright.

[Dookus]

11. I'd like to see them...

because what I saw certainly didn't match his reputation.

[DulceDecorum]

15. Here are a few Mitch Hedberg quotes

He was/is really funny.

"The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how much I play, I'll never be as good a a wall. I played a wall once. They're relentless."

"I got my hair highlighted, because I felt some strands were more important that others."

"An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You would never seen an Escalator temporarily out of order sign, just Escaloaor temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."

"I went to the park and saw a kid flying a kite. The kid was really excited. I don't know why, that's what they're supposed to do. Now if he had a chair on the other end of that string, I would have been impressed."

"I opened a yogurt and underneath the lid it said "please try again" they were having a contest that I was unaware of. I thought maybe I had opened the yogurt wrong.Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me. Come on Mitch, don't give up! An inspirational message from your friends at Yoplait, fruit on the bottom, hope on top."

http://hometown.aol.com/valleygirl1983/mitch.html

[cheezus]

34. yep, the last one I saw about a year ago he was high as a kite

the first half hour he was up there was a total disaster. Then he started to get into a groove and it ended up being a pretty good show.

[Bat Boy]

12. I saw him in 2000 or so....

He was one of the tightest, fastest comics I've ever seen.

I have heard that recently he was starting to show some signs of wear.

[Dookus]

13. damn

I don't think anybody who saw the show I did would describe it that way.

[Bat Boy]

17. He was already having chemical problems...

My friend opened for him and said he was very strange.

And she hung around with some very strange people, so...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. nothing on google yet

I hope it's not true...he's great

[Susang]

7. It's all on the forums

Posted by people who supposedly know him or have worked with him. Who knows, could all be false. :shrug:

I'm kinda hoping it's his sick idea of an April Fool's joke.

[Bat Boy]

9. He has had problems in the past...

But he's also had this rumor float around about him in the past as well.

My bullshit meter is starting to rise a bit.

[SmileyBoy]

14. WHAT??? Oh my God, that SUCKS!!!

:cry::cry::cry:

[Bombtrack]

16. MOTHERFUCKER, Please don't let it be true

He is so fucking talented. Probably top 5 funniest at the moment.

Everyone search different messageboards. Specifically comedy oriented stuff.

[Susang]

29. Here's one of the forums I first read it on

Stephen Lynch was Hedberg's touring partner until recently.

http://stephenlynch.proboards20.com/index.cgi?board=relatedcomedy&action=display&num=1112252432

Another stand-up comedy forum:

http://p089.ezboard.com/faspecialthingthetenaciousdfanboardfrm2.showMessageRange?topicID=2504.topic&start=1&stop=20

[Susang]

30. Shecky Magazine confirms it

http://www.sheckymagazine.com/

[Bombtrack]

18. imdb link. Someone say's their comedian friend called them

and told them that he OD'd

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0373136/board/thread/17297946

[Bombtrack]

19. JoeyBoots (a Howard Stern regular) said on a messageboard I go to, that

he called Mitch and that Mitch is ok.

Boots would have no reason to lie and I can assure you it's the real Joey Boots.

[SoCalDem]

20. Too bad. He was very funny.. Dave Letterman used to have him on

:(

[Starbucks Anarchist]

21. I really hope not.

I have both of his CDs. He's freakin' hilarious.

Here's one of his jokes:
"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too."

[Bunny]

22. Oh gosh, I hope not.

He's funny. I hope this is an April Fool's joke or something.

[Bombtrack]

23. Fuck, Howard Stern confirmed it. He's gone

[SmileyBoy]

24. GOD DAMMIT!!!

:cry:

[Susang]

28. Seriously?

Fuck me! I was really hoping that it was all a big hoax like the airport story.

Damn. :-(

[Beware the Beast Man]

25. NOOO!!!!

Mrs. Beast and I loved that guy...total stoner observational humor. He will be missed :cry:

[Mrs_Beastman]

44. .

:cry:

I regret not seeing him at Case Western last month now

[YellowRubberDuckie]

26. I didn't see anything about it on his website...

I'm surprised. It's sad that he's passed.
Duckie

[elperromagico]

41. His website now won't even load.

Probably a result of so many people trying to get info from his website.

[dolo amber]

27. That. Sucks.

:cry:

[Fenris]

31. FUCK!

:cry:

Mitch had to be one of the most original comedians out there.

Goddammit, why couldn't it have been Ralphie May?

[flamingyouth]

32. I'm sorry to hear this

I never saw him live but only on Comedy Central. A really funny guy. :(

[johnnie]

33. What a drag

He was a talented comedian.

[Susang]

35. Comedy Central confirms it

It isn't a rumor, I guess he really did die last night. :-(

http://www.comedycentral.com/standup/central/detail.jhtml?p=/comedians/h/mitch_hedberg.xml

[jswordy]

40. They confirm it by hawking his DVD? OH JAY-SUS!

[Cush]

36. nooooooooooo

[redqueen]

37. .

:cry:

[GreenPartyVoter]

38. Blah. I miss him already.

[mark414]

39. any reputable links yet?

i can't find anything at any news page...

[GreenPartyVoter]

42. Comedy central and John Sneed have both confirmed it

[WilliamPitt]

43. I feel like an ass for asking...

...but I've never heard of this man. Help?

[johnnie]

45. He has been a few Comedy Central shows

He has appeared in some movies also.
He had almost a Steven Wright thing about him, but in my opinion was better at it.
From what it looks like, he had a bit of a problem with some kind of drugs. When I first saw him, I immediately thought he was on junk. If you Google his name you can find a bit about him.
He really was a great comedian in my opinion, and it's sad to see him go this way.

[mark414]

46. an eccentric, confusing, drug addled comedian

in other words, a genius

not much for long elaborate jokes or stories...great one liners and the occasional paragraph long punch line

one of the best out there, along with steven wright...definitely check him out, he's got a couple albums out

http://hometown.aol.com/valleygirl1983/mitch.html

http://www.mitchhedberg.net

[Marnieworld]

47. go here

http://www.mitchhedberg.net/

He was so funny in a very unique way. Observations but told with a very specific delivery. I just heard him on Howard Stern a few weeks ago and he was great.

[Susang]

60. Hedberg was one of the most popular touring comics of the last 5 years

He has a rabid cult following and did several Comedy Central specials as well as packing comedy clubs and smaller auditorium theaters. In 2003, he was arrested for drug possession and forced to go to rehab. His career has pretty much been in a downward spiral ever since.

Heroin sucks.

[Dookus]

48. here's a mainstream media report

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/11278099.htm


Comedian Mitch Hedberg dead at 37

BY MATT PEIKEN

Pioneer Press


Even family and close friends had a hard time understanding Mitch Hedberg, a St. Paul native who ran away from home and, despite living a scattershot life, became a runaway success as a standup comic.

Hedberg, whose space-case persona was as much part of his soul as it was his act, died early Wednesday morning in a New Jersey hotel room. He was 37. A medical examiner hasn't issued findings, but Hedberg's family is told he suffered a heart attack. His wife was with him.

After graduating St. Paul's Harding High School, Hedberg rose through the ranks at Minneapolis' Acme Comedy Co., and caught his big break through a Comedy Central special. He made several appearances on David Letterman's and Conan O'Brien's shows, made more Comedy Central appearances and produced two comedy CDs. His big dream, to have an HBO comedy special, was in the works.

[Mad_Dem_X]

49. OMG!!!! Nooooo!

I can't believe it! God DAMN it...he was so funny.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Lex]

50. bumping

for those who hadn't seen the story yet

[catzies]

52. Damn. That sucks. He was funny.

x( RIP, Mitch. Give my regards to Bill Hicks.

[dorktv]

53. This week sucks! So many people have died.

What is next? The pope?

[Gannon Man Date]

54. I'm sorry to hear that

May he rest in peace.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

55. One.

Funny.
Motherfucker.

[tinrobot]

56. Best kept secret in comedy. He will be missed.

For those who weren't in on the secret of Mitch Hedberg, here's a link to some of his jokes.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mitch_Hedberg

The best thing was that only Mitch could tell jokes like this and make them funny. Believe me, they were VERY FUNNY when Mitch told them.

Genius.

[Jax]

57. I keep hoping this isn't true

he always made me think and laugh.

pineapple lifesavers on top of the pack in my jeans pocket will never the the same.

Thanks Mitch.


Jax

[Kevin Spidel]

58. IT IS TRUE :(

http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-45,GGLD:en&q=%22Mitch+Hedberg%22

[ProfessorGAC]

59. Man, That Guy Was Great

I hope is an unfounded rumor. He went through so many incarnations over his career. But, every one of them had a touch of genius.
The Professor

[Susang]

61. No, it's definitely true

Too many people Michael and I know who work in comedy have personally confirmed it. :-(

[ProfessorGAC]

62. That's A Shame

Thanks for the confirmation. I think thanks is ok. Right?
The Professor

[Susang]

63. I think so

Never been in the situation of confirming a death rumor before. :shrug:

[Merrick]

64. I saw him about 6 months ago in Brea, CA

And he was awesome. He had a sheet of notes, but I wouldn't say he was slow, and he might of got "off topic" a bit occasionally, but it seemed extemporaneous and was funny - and it all seemed to fit his scatterbrained stoner style anyway. He was one of my all time favorites - up near the top with Bill Hicks. I'm starting to think my admiration of comics is a curse.

Hedberg: "I wrote a letter to my dad - I wrote, "I really enjoy being here," but I accidentally wrote rarely instead of really. But I still wanted to use it so i crossed it out and wrote, "I rarely drive steamboats, dad - there's a lot of shit you don't know about me. Quit trying to act like I'm a steamboat operator." This letter took a harsh turn right away..."