Mitch Hedberg

Comedian Mitch Hedberg was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesotta, but started his comedy career in Florida, not because it's a particularly humorous state but because it's warm. After honing his act in Florida, he moved to Seattle and started touring throughout the Pacific Northwest. Hedberg got his first television appearance on MTV's Comikaze by personally pitching his act to the talent coordinator. His big break came in 1996 when he appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, an appearance so successful that Letterman himself quoted his act later in the show. In 1997, he won the grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition and completed his own independent feature, Los Enchiladas! While headlining comedy clubs across the nation, Hedberg secured a development deal with Fox to create a sitcom and made an appearance in the film Almost Famous. In 2003, Comedy Central Records issued both Mitch All Together and Strategic Grill Locations, and sponsored a tour with Hedberg, Lewis Black, and Dave Attell. Hedberg was still a star on the rise when a heart attack due to "multiple drug toxicity" ended his ascent on March 30, 2005. He was 37. A collection of unreleased recordings titled Do You Believe in Gosh? appeared in 2008. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi