Posted on 03/31/2005 11:38:25 AM PST by Constitution Day
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.
Hedberg's one-liners, dished off in a spacy staccato, were based on absurdist, random observations. His long, dirty blond hair harkened to the image of a 1970s stoner, and his success occurred in light of, in spite of and even because of his quarter-century affair with drugs and alcohol.
"I'd probably be living in Costa Rica, eating oranges on the beach, if I wasn't doing comedy," he told the Pioneer Press last September.
"There's no two ways about — having a son in entertainment industry is challenging," his mother, Mary Hedberg, said Thursday.
She recalls being at work when her oldest daughter called in a panic to tell her Mitch had packed some brown paper bags and left home. Mary Hedberg couldn't get home in time to either see him off or talk him out of it.
"That was heartbreaking for us, but he kept in contact with us. He called as soon as the car broke down," she said. "You know, it was like putting him through college, even though he wasn't at college. But when he got his first break, we were just so thrilled for him, because we wanted him to know he was O.K., and to have that self-confidence that he could do what he wanted to do."
Louis Lee, owner of the Acme, said Hedberg not only became the Twin Cities' first breakout comedian of the 1990s but, along with Lewis Black, helped shape a national resurgence in standup comedy.
"It's very difficult for one-liner comedians to get an audience going, but when Mitch worked here, you could see the kids call out the punchline," Lee said. "Mitch made the whole comedy community realize how important good writing is. It's a huge loss."
Unlike many comics, Hedberg was demonstrably thankful to his fans. Not long ago, a group of college students in Florida, speaking with Hedberg backstage after a show, mentioned how hot their dorm room was. Hedberg surprised them the next morning by showing up to their dorm with a new air conditioner.
"Mitch presented a lot of challenges, but a lot of opportunities for traveling that we wouldn't have otherwise had, and he had a heart of gold," his mother said. "He was a brilliant comic and a wonderful person."
Dates haven't been set, but eventual visitation and services will be at Wulff Family Services, Woodlane Mortuary, in Woodbury.
OH NO!
That's horrible. He was very talented and funny, and the comedy was clean.
This has been a very sh**ty day.
Yes it has, my friend.
Never wear a turtleneck AND a backpack. It's like a midget is trying to tackle you all day long.
Me neither. And I still respect him more than any politician. We can assume he was more useful, too.
That's what I was thinking.
Just so I'm on the record for thinking that... if it is a joke, put me in the "I told ya" column.
Yeah, me too.
I always crack up when I think about him telling the joke about the Dufranes.
When you go a resturant on the weekends and it's busy so they start a waiting list. They say Dufrane, party of two, table ready for Dufrane, party of two , and if no one answers the'll say the name again, Dufrane, party of two. Bu then if no one answers, they'll move on to the next name. Bush party of three. Yeah, but what happened to the Dufranes, No one seems to care, who can eat at a time like this? People are missing. You people are selfish. The Dufranes are in someone's trunk right now,with duct tape over their mouths and they're hungry. That's a double whammy! We need help! Bush search aparty of three. You can eat once you find the Dufranes.
"My lucky number is four billion. That doesn't come in real handy when you're gambling. "Come on, four billion! F**k. Seven. Not even close. I need more dice."
He was in town last Friday. I wanted to see him, but both of his shows sold out.
WORKING FROM MEMORY:
"I was standing in the back of a crowded nightclub when the bouncer said I had to move because I was blocking a fire exit. I told him 'If there's a fire, I'll move.' Pretty much anyone who has legs and is flammable is gonna run from a fire."
LOL
This Sucks! I really liked him alot, He was just on Stern a couple of weeks ago I think.
My apartment is infested . . . . with koala bears. If I get up in middle of the night and turn on the light, they all go scurrying, and I say 'Hey little fellas, don't run. I want to cuddle.'
I think fettuccine Alfredo is macaroni and cheese for adults.
I wanna be a race car . . . passenger. I can ask the driver 'Hey dude, mind if I change the radio station?'
Never heard of him.
I'm not proud of my ignorance, but I haven't heard of him before this death notice. I feel cheated. I went to the Comedy Channel website and listened to some clips. The guy was brilliant. His type of humor was right up my alley.
So I'll say a sad goodbye. Mitch, I hardly knew ya.
Man that really sucks. I saw him live a couple years ago. I was practically rolling on the floor he was so funny.
Sad.
Bones
"Man, you really like Tide." ;o)
It sounded alot like the deadpan comedy of whats-his-name (Steve Anderson?), who used to appear on SNL.
"P.S. This is what part of the alphabet would look like if 'Q' and 'R' were eliminated."-Mitch Hedberg.
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