Report: Mitch Hedberg died of drug overdose

NEW YORK (AP) — Comedian Mitch Hedberg died accidentally in March of "multiple drug toxicity," including cocaine and heroin, Spin magazine reports, citing reports filed by the New Jersey medical examiner's office.

The medical examiner's findings were filed in May, according to an article in the January issue of Spin about the convergence of comedy and rock 'n' roll.

Hedberg, 37, died in a hotel room in Livingston, N.J., while on a club tour performing standup. The comedian, who was born with a heart defect, was initially believed to have died from heart failure.

He had struggled with drugs and alcohol, and took a hiatus from performing for several months after a May 2003 arrest in Austin, Texas, for felony possession of heroin.

In the Spin article, Maureen Taran, a comedy manager who knew Hedberg, is quoted as saying that life on the road is difficult for a struggling comedian.

"It's a very lonely existence," Taran says. "If you aren't born with manic-depression, you will have it after being in this business."

A hit on The Late Show With David Letterman, on which he appeared 10 times, and The Howard Stern Show, Hedberg once was dubbed "the next Seinfeld" by Time magazine. But TV-series fame eluded him because his unique style of mumbled one-liners didn't lend itself to the sitcom format.

Born in St. Paul, Hedberg rose through the ranks at Minneapolis' Acme Comedy Co. and caught his big break through a Comedy Central special. He had a role in the film Almost Famous— smoking fake pot with Peter Frampton — and appeared on Fox's hit series That '70s Show.

Hedberg had two popular comedy CDs, Strategic Grill Locations and Mitch All Together.


www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-12-27-hedberg-death_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA

Never heard of him.  

Who?

next time he will be more carefull

It doesn't surprise me, the entertainment business is swimming in money and drugs.

Sounds like the samething that claim the life of John Belushi.  Everything is a "happy go lucky"  illusion until of couse you have  a crash landing.

I saw his act on comedy central. Very funny and different. Im not surprised he died of an overdose though.

Mitch Hedberg was a very funny guy.  He had long hair that would cover his face while he did his act.  His routine was one short funny observation after another.

How sad that he killed himself with drugs.

i bet i'd recognize him if i saw him...

man, a heart condition but still doing coke and heroin...swift move!

Quoted: Never heard of him.

Me either.

A little late on this. He died back in March 05.

Whatever.

I saw him a few times on late night. He was pretty funny in a "Steve Wright" kinda way.

Wonder when these dopes are going to realize that smack/coke is not the hot setup...

Quoted: Who?

+1   ?

Quoted: Mitch Hedberg was a very funny guy.  He had long hair that would cover his face while he did his act.  His routine was one short funny observation after another. How sad that he killed himself with drugs.

Yep

Quoted: A little late on this. He died back in March 05.

Uh, yep.  From the first line in the article: "Comedian Mitch Hedberg died accidentally in March"

However, the reports at the time of his death suggested his heart problems were to blame.  This article correctly reports the cause of death as cocaine and heroin.  

That sucks...he was hilarious.

Too bad.  I thought he was pretty good.

Quoted: How sad that he killed himself with drugs.

Agreed,  and he was a fellow Minnesotan who recognized Savoy's as some of the best pizza.

Born with a heart defect and used cocaine, cause of death should be listed as suicide.

He was good when he was on the Stern show. Another wasted life due to drugs.

I can't say I was surprised when I read about it a while back.

When you saw his act, you knew he wasn't quite.......straight and/or sober.

Who?

He was funny, key word being was.

Another dead junky...why is this news?  I don't care if he was funny or not...he still died because of poor decisions he made.  Another dead junky.

Opps, my bad. But the article says "accidentally"? How do you "accidentally" die from cocaine and heroin?

"Oh shit, that wasnt Dr Pepper, that was cocaine and heroin!"

Who?

i thought we knew this all along?

check the archive for 'Mitch Hedberg' from last March

There were a lot of "Who?" posted in that thread too.




plus this just in: Generalissimo Fransico Franco is STILL DEAD

Yep, dead junkies rank right up there with, oh, I dont know... dead garden voles.

You cannot be alive and not know heroin is deadly.

Good way to squander a life there Mitch ol' fella.

Friggen' oxygen thief.

I hear stories like this and I think of my brother or of Rodents' friend dying of cancer and think, some people just dont seem to deserve to breathe.

Dram out

and appeared on Fox's hit series That '70s Show

Hedberg (as fry cook with an attitude): "I did not lose a leg in Viet Nam to put up with your crap..."

Hyde: "You didn't lose a leg in Viet Nam."

Hedberg (rolling eyes, with exasperated look): "I did NOT lose a leg in Viet Nam to put up with your crap!"

Too bad, he was a pretty funny!

I don't care if he was funny or not...he still died because of poor decisions he made

So do fat people who eat their way to massive heart attacks on greasy food, and peope who smoke for 20 years and develop lung cancer.  And your point is??

Hmm, does this mind set apply to John Candy, too?  

Quoted: Quoted: Never heard of him.   Me either.

+1

Quoted: Too bad, he was a pretty funny! I don't care if he was funny or not...he still died because of poor decisions he made So do fat people who eat their way to massive heart attacks on greasy food, and peope who smoke for 20 years and develop lung cancer.  And your point is?? Hmm, does this mind set apply to John Candy, too?

Jason,

Bite me...food is necessary to sustain life.  People chose to eat healthy or not, but they must eat.  Cigarrettes, heroine and other illegal/recreational drugs are not required to live.  You cannot compare the two.

John Candy was a hell of a talent and is sadly missed.