Comedic pioneer Mitch Hedberg passes away at age 37.
The first time I ever heard Mitch Hedberg, he was talking about how he "wished he could play Little League right now because he'd kick some f**cking ass." I continued to listen and he was convinced that "if carrots got you drunk, then surely rabbits would be f**cked up." Mitch had a unique style of comedy that you either got or it just flew right over your head. Mitch was a regular on Comedy Central and David Letterman and will be missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to hear his routines.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - devon
here's another site
27 - Eric Olsen
thanks Jeff, very sad, it's true, starting to pop up all over - our guys were just ahead of the curve
28 - Rie
Unfortunately, too many reliable sources are coming forward. Friends, etc. His wife, Lynn, and manager, Joel Pace, have confirmed, as have many comedians on the aspecialthing.com boards, under Mr. Comedy. Wikipedia is already listing it, as is Shecky.com. Apparently, the webmaster of his site is in LA and is not a close friend, so I guess they didn't have the info when they updated this morning. I'm not really a fan, but know friends of his, and I feel deep sorrow for all involved. I know my friends would ask, "Why are you crying for someone you didn't know?" I know people who loved him, cared about him...and it's a tragedy, and an immense loss...
29 - chris
confirmed by the minneapolis pineer press.
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.
30 - Katie
I am skeptical also but other news sites are popping up and confirming his death. They seem credible but I know he is a joker.
Article here found off yahoo.com
31 - Pete
I had tickets to the show at the improv. I called and they confirmed Mitch had passed away.....
32 - Eric Olsen
hey Jeff, great job, might be super to update with additional info, etc. This is very big news and you and Tom were there first.
33 - Temple Stark
super?
34 - Brian McKim
We had it up and confirmed at 9:35 EST.
There are comments up there now.
We expect a statement from a publicist and will upload it when it becomes available.
Unfortunately, it is not a hoax.
35 - Eric Olsen
"super" in a purely self-involved sense. I've had a VERY tough week
36 - Zombo
Truly a great loss. I always enjoyed Mitch's take on life...he will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.
37 - Tom Johnson
Jeff and I must have been posting this news at the same time. I checked hoping to see someone had spread the unfortunate news, but nothing had appeared at the time. No harm done - in fact, it's nice to see so many people responding with kind thoughts. Mitch was a brilliant comedian, if apparently and unfortunately a slave to something that must have quickly gotten out of control. I'm sad that my only time seeing Mitch live was such a poor representation of his skills.
38 - Chris
I thought it was fake myself, but its true. it sucks. saw mitch twice he was cool as hell and the funniest stand up i ever seen. sad hes gone.
39 - shannon
Mitch is one of my all time favorites. I am heartbroken
40 - shannon
His sites down now too
41 - Rick
Hmmm.. I wonder why his webpage says the account was suspended?
42 - jmgz
you were at the borgata show too?
its been a piss-poor month for my heros... hunter thompson, robert creeley, now mitch...
i cant wait to get to hell to finally meet these guys.
43 - Shane
I recently saw Mitch in concert. There wasnt a time in my life where i laughed so hard. Im not saying that just because im sad. I am saying that because it is true. The first time I saw Mitch on Comedy Central i fell in love with his humor. Mitch will truely be missed. R.I.P Mitch.
44 - Ty
Ditto. I've never been this bummed out about a celebrity dying either. MH was by far the funniest stand-up comedian I've ever heard. Deep sympathies go out to family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know him.
45 - Lono
Rick,
His site is probably suspended because of his bandwidth getting nuked by thousands of folks looking for details.
46 - Jeff Bakalar
"you were at the borgata show too?
its been a piss-poor month for my heros... hunter thompson, robert creeley, now mitch...
i cant wait to get to hell to finally meet these guys."
It's such a shame to see these people go. Unfortunately we cannot rule out drug use as a contributing factor to Mitch's death.
What upsets me the most is not being able know what he would have come up with next.
47 - jenna king
first, i just have to say that i have been extremely upset since 8am this morning when my boyfriend told me the tragic news he had heard on howard stern. it was strangely ironic considering that last night i had discussed seeing mitch this weekend at the baltimore improv with the author of this article. i googled mitch's name all morning and when nothing came up, i was optimistic that it was a horrible rumor. however, after numerous articles have finally started surfacing through the internet, my saddness has been confirmed. mitch hedberg was one of my favorite comedians, and i had the honor of seeing him and stephen lynch perform at the borgata with a bunch of friends, jeff included. i really admired how he made you feel like you were actually having a stoned conversation with one of your friends, talking about the comedic irony of everyday life. it is too bad that mitch's popularity never reached the height it could have, but i think that's what made his fans so unique and devoted to him. jeff, i would like to end my lengthy comment by thanking you for introducing mitch to me during that long car ride back to school a couple of years ago..."i think pringles original plan was to make tennis balls..." that line will always put a smile on my face.
*r.i.p. mitch hedberg*
jeff i still can't believe you are the author of this article, and i initially had no idea! good job buddy :)
48 - caverat311
Just another brick in the wall, here, but damn, I must say.. "Mitch will be missed" is simply an understatement. Many people I know and consider best friends share a common bond for the likes of 1 Mitch Hedberg, where the random delivery of the word "Alright" is sufficient enough to generate smiles across the room and even gather a few chuckles. That simple. That effective. That Mitch. RIP.
49 - scott c.
My girlfriend and I were scheduled to see mitch in richmond on friday... only 2 days after he died. I cannot beleive that this happened. I know it's not a joke because fake deaths aren't really that funny. I've never seen anyone pull it off anyways.
Anyways, Mitch was a great inspiration to us. His comedy was smooth like good medicine. No political junk, no complaining, just him talking about nothing in particular, with an easy bass walk in the background. What he did was good for people's health. It was brilliant. I am so sorry this happened. God Bless you and your family Mitch, and thank you for what you've done.
50 - Maria
I too have been depressed all day. My car broke down this morning on my way to court (of course not for drugs... not a mitch hedberg fan - ever!) so I was already having a bad day when my friend heard it on the radio. She didn't know whether to tell me or not. I cried... I'm reassured to see so many people here express "I've never felt this way over a celebrity death" because I've been saying it all day long... but I think it's because Mitch Hedberg wasn't really a 'celebrity' in the Brad Pitt sense of the word. Mitch seemed like one of our friends.. I introduced him to all my friends who subsequently did the same, until we had our own mini-mitch-cult. He's been my favorite comedian from the first time I heard "I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to too." and will always be my favorite.
PS This is what part of the alphabet would look like if q and r were eliminated.
51 - Mitchell Eisner
its really sad, Mitch Hedberg was the funniest stand up comedian I've ever seen. He will be truly missed.
It's really sad and I wish it werent true.
MITCH HEDBARG WILL BE MISSED!!!
52 - Judith
I have been crying all afternoon. All morning I was hoping it was a misunderstanding...or a joke. Why him? Why someone so brilliant and original and very truly FUNNY?!?! Its so random and senseless and stupid. Who is safe?!?! Thank you Mitch for making us think. I hope to see you again someday. Goodbye.
53 - Attaboy
You were and are great Mitch.
your honesty and accesability and brilliance wont ever go away.
54 - Davin
So sad, he would have made so many more people happy. RIP Mitch.
55 - Steve
If there is one thing I can count on in my life, it's that once we're plastered my friend is going to pull out a Mitch DVD or CD no matter where we're partying.
I still can't believe I never got tickets to any of the shows he's done out here- probably because I'm usually too busy getting drunk and watching his standup.
56 - Grizzle
Entertainers strive to achieve a certain connection with their fans. I'm sure doing so makes their job much easier. I'd say few entertainers fully get that connection, but Mitch Hedberg did. That must be why it feels like a friend has died, not just another celebrity.
R.I.P. Mitch Hedberg 1968-2005
- "If you are flammable and have legs, then you are never blocking a fire exit. You can write that down and put a dash in front of it, and put my name at the bottom."
Mitch Hedberg
57 - Randy A.
This is definatley the saddest news I've heard in a great while. I have never been really affected by the death of famous people. I imagine that will change as more stars of my generation start passing away. But I felt a real connection with Mitch. He talked about things that all of us have thought about at least once or twice, stoned or otherwise. He was a normal man's comedian. He didn't use fancy language and he didn't try to make a bunch of 'smart jokes'. He talked directly to everyone who listened. He was a comedic genious who's talent went unrecognized by the right people. His humor will live on forever with his fans.
"Please try again. An inspirational message from Yoplait. Fruit on the bottom and hope on top."
58 - Lisa
Husband calls me and tells me Mitch died. I only know of one Mitch. Why? It saddens me. He was so talented. He was the only comedian who could make me laugh at EVERY joke. Mitch, rest in peace, alright?
Love ya!
59 - Ty
"As a comedian you have to start the show strong and you have to end the show strong, those are the two key elements. You can't be like pancakes - all exciting at first, but by the end you're sick of 'em."
You definitely weren't a pancake, Mitch. R.I.P.
60 - Dan
Off the Record...it wasn't a heart attack.
61 - cosmic grappler
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of entertainers who could catch that last bus out of town and I wouldn't feel much of anything, maye a little twinge of sympathy for their families. But Mitch Hedberg had something that, as another poster said, made a connection.
Goddam, this is sad.
62 - Eric
Being a manager at a comedy club in ND, one in which Mitch was a frequent guest of, I had the honor of getting to know Mitch and his wife Lynn. Above being a great comic, he was a great person. His personality was electric both on and off the stage, and his heart was one of gold. My heart and prayers go out to him, his wife, and his family. Mitch, you will be missed by all, but the laughter you brought us all will live forever in our hearts. Thank you for all the good times.
63 - Jeff Masterson
I did my first paid road trip with Mitch. We split featured so that was 15 minutes each. We drove from Seattle to Eugene and we had to share the same motel room. We did alot of open mikes together up in Seattle. Mitch and his buddy Chard Hogan, me and my buddy Kermit Holiday. No matter how the audience reacted I always told Mitch he was great and I never knew what to say to Chard. One time I was emceeing at the comedy underground and Mitch told me not to get the audience to clap for him because he was mad, that was an awkward moment. Well, too bad he didn't die on the stage, he would have liked that. But at least people can wonder "is this an April fools joke?"
So Mitch, even your death was a joke, sort of, good timing my brother.
64 - Mike
Another young life taken by DRUGS
65 - Diana
Awwwww Mitch , I'm gonna miss you like crazy. I wish you had stuck around longer. You will never know how much all
the laughter and smiles you put on all of our faces meant. I'm gonna go put on a turtleneck and walk around with a backpack in your honor. That was one of my favorite bits. You were awesome.
66 - Chris D'
I remember the first time i saw Mitch's comedy central special and immediatly thinking this is the funniest human i ever seen. He instantly became my favorite comedian and one of my favorite people and i was privledged enough to see him perform a couple of times over the years. After the news I sat and listened to Strategic Grill Locations and Mitch All Together then watched his old Comedy Central specials. He was a comic genius and he will be missed. I guess we are all on this page for a reason, to mourn his death, celebrate his life, and talk about how we had the chance to see the funniest mother F-er of our time.
"I'd probably be living in Costa Rica, eating oranges on the beach, if I wasn't doing comedy," - MH
I hope your on that beach and the oranges are plentiful....Godspeed buddy.
67 - Zane
This is absolutely devastating. Mitch Hedberg was an amazing comedian who felt like your friend, and I'm positive he'll be more famous in a decade than he is today, living or dead. But I gotta admit I'm still skeptical. A New Jersey hotel room? Uncertain date? Right before April first? His website mentioning nothing but still listing future shows? And on one story his publicist said something to the effect of "call back next week." If this is a joke, it's definitely boosted him in search engines, but is cruel as hell.
68 - Johnny Drako
Few were closer with Mitch than Randy Kagan, who Mitch has been touring with "at the time". Randy is the "go to" guy for a true understanding of who Mitch was.
69 - Becky
I just saw Mitch in Feb. he was amazing, and we will all miss him so much he was one of if not THE most talented comedians.
I love you Mitch. My condolences to the rest of his fans and family.
70 - Sean
I'm gonna miss Mitch for mostly selfish reasons: There will be no more new comedy cd's or performances. What a fucking loss. I'm still in shock. He was my favorite.
...are you happy now? You fucking letter "X"!
71 - Courtney
Honestly, I wouldn't care if it were really a joke. My grandfather told me Thursday, but I didn't think he was serious. I've been a fan of Mitch for years; I saw him when he toured with Stephen Lynch. He was so nice. Just a happy guy. I've been making my friends sad by screaming about how I want to send his family some cinnamon incense.
I tried to go into Target, but I missed.
72 - Sean
That Target joke is a great one too. The first of his jokes that really had me on the floor busting my gut was: DuFresne, party of three?
I never got the chance to see him. :'(
73 - Ty
Yeah, there was something about him that was so human that set him apart from other stand-up comics and celebrities, not to mention his pure comic genius. Very self-effacing and vulnerable. It's truly a great loss.
Mitch, you will be missed "all-encompassingly"!
74 - Awareone
boy... if it does turn out to be a fake... they'd sure have fooled a lot of people... Not that I'd ever wish other wise... but I wish he was faking just to have pulled one over on everyone. Media included.
Mitch... I dunno where you are... but you rocked the fooking world. RIP or LIP I dunno... but you'll always be a cool mofo.
Jim Bruer said that Mitches toe was about to fall off from Heroin injections. Thats not good.
75 - Sean
On Comedy Central's website it sais that they will be showing his standup at 9pm, bet it will get the best ratings comedy centeral has ever seen. A kid told me in school and I thought it was an april fools joke. When it wasn't I was shocked for the rest of the day. I am glad I got to see him in Portland but wish I could see him again. I plan on buying all of his CD's, DVD's, and see if I can find some of his t-shirts. This sucks.
RIP MITCH
"On a traffic light green means go, yellow means slow down, and red means stop. But on a bananna it's the complete opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where the fuck did you get that bannana at?"