The brilliant stand-up comic Mitch Hedberg was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on February 24, 1968. After starting his comedy career in Florida and then moving to Seattle, he got a big break by appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1996.
Hedberg went on to make people laugh onstage and to work on television and film. His unique pattern of speech and comedic style, partly created because he suffered from stage fright, makes him one of the most identifiable comedians. He was also simply brilliant.
This video appears to show Hedberg’s first appearance on Letterman. He was on television with David Letterman ten times in his career, but this video clearly is an early performance (and some on YouTube note it is that first appearance).
Previously, we had posted Hedberg’s first appearance on Letterman in 1996, but that video appears to no longer be available. So, instead, here is his 1998 appearance on the show.
Unfortunately, Hedberg died at the young age of 37 in a New Jersey hotel room on March 30, 2005. The medical examiner listed cocaine and heroin as the cause.
Fortunately, though, his work is still finding new fans and making us laugh today. He is missed.
“I write jokes for a living, man. See I sit in my hotel at night, I think of something that’s funny and then I go get a pen and I write it down. Or if the pen’s too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of ain’t funny.” — Mitch Hedberg
We are very sad to hear that Mary Tyler Moore passed away today. The iconic multi-cam television shows The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show made her a regular feature in many households. Many have seen her in reruns, and she was a constant presence to those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Dick Van Dyke Show ran on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966. The writing, characters, and acting make it a clever and funny show. But one of the many wonderful things was that the loving relationship between Laura Petrie (Moore’s character) and Rob Petrie (Van Dyke’s character) seemed so real.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which ran on CBS from 1970 to 1977, is often listed as one of the greatest television shows of all time (as is The Dick Van Dyke Show). TV viewers and critics often cite Moore’s portrayal of a single working woman for breaking new ground on television.
One of the most memorable episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show addressed the topic of death. But it also was Moore at her funniest in the episode “Chuckles Bites the Dust,” written by David Lloyd. In the episode, Mary and her co-workers at TV station WJM learn about the death of the clown Chuckles. They prepare to go to his funeral, with hilarious results.
Like the best episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Chuckles Bites the Dust” is both funny and touching. And Mary Tyler Moore is fabulous in it.
Moore was born on born on Dec. 29, 1936, in Brooklyn Heights, passing away at the age of 80. It has been forty years since The Mary Tyler Moore Show went off the air. But people around the world still love Moore’s work. Rest in peace.
Did you know the house used for exterior shots where Mary Richards lived (2104 Kenwood Pkwy, Minneapolis) is for sale? What is your favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show? Leave your two cents in the comments.
The changing attitudes toward marijuana, with states legalizing medical marijuana or legalizing it outright, reminded me of a 45 rpm record I had as a kid. I had never seen or smelled pot at that time, but I just liked a funny song called “Wildwood Weed.”
Jim Stafford recorded the song, which is really more talking than singing. If you had a TV in the 1970s, you probably know who Jim Stafford is. Like Paul Williams (and to some extent John Denver), he was one of those singer-performers who for a period seemed to be on every television show before suddenly seeming to disappear.
Stafford was a country-singer-comedian who often appeared on The Tonight Show. He had his own summer variety TV show in 1975 called, appropriately, The Jim Stafford Show. You might also remember him as a co-host of Those Amazing Animals from 1980 to 1981. Or you might recall his appearances on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ‘Revival Show.’
But before all of that, I knew Stafford from a 45 rpm record playing in my bedroom where he sang a story about “Wildwood Weed.” Below Stafford performs “Wildwood Weed” while hosting Nashville Now. But first he explains how the song was controversial at the time.
“Wildwood Weed” went to number seven on the U.S. charts in 1974. One of his other songs that I recall from that same year was “My Girl Bill,” which is a little more serious than “Wildwood Weed.”
Stafford was one of the most likable people on television in those days, and he always seemed to be smiling. So I was glad to hear that he is still performing even if the shows are not on national TV. Since 1990, he has performed at The Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri.
What is your favorite memory of Jim Stafford? Leave your two cents in the comments. Photo via public domain.
In the third episode of season seven of The Walking Dead, “The Cell,” the producers gifted us with an earworm of a song, “Easy Street.” In the episode, Negan’s The Saviours are holding Daryl Dixon as prisoner. As Dwight (Austin Amelio) works to break Daryl, he plays the song repeatedly as part of a torture tactic.
“Easy Street” is performed by The Collapsable Hearts Club, and it was written by Jim Bianco. Bianco explained to The Independent that he was happy to hear his song used on the show, even if it were being used to torture someone. “I think the show used it brilliantly,” he explained, “Framing such an upbeat song as a torture advice is a work of genius by the music supervisor.” We’re on easy street, And it feels so sweet; ‘Cause the world is ’bout a treat, When you’re on easy street.
Bianco wrote the song while driving in his car and thinking about those “rare moments” when you are “holding the winning card.” Below is a video of 10 hours of the song.
There is not much about The Collapsable Hearts Club on the Internet, but the lead singer is Petra Haden, who has done a substantial amount of other musical work. Bianco is also part of the group, singing backup. And Brad Gordon plays the horns.
Currently, Daryl, played by Norman Reedus, is no longer the only person with the song stuck in his head. After the episode, “Easy Street” appeared on the UK Singles Chart, and it also has climbed to #1 on the US Spotify viral charts. What do you think of “Easy Street”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On October 22, 1903, Tom Horn was hanged in Wyoming, one day short of his forty-third birthday. Historians generally do not dispute that Horn had killed a number of men. But most believe Horn was innocent of the killing for which he was hanged. Many are familiar with Horn’s later life through one of Steve McQueen’s final films.
Tom Horn’s Life
Horn was born on November 21, 1860 at a family farm in Scotland County, Missouri. Young Tom had a troubled early life, growing up in a large family with an abusive father. In one of his early fights, he was beat up by two boys who then killed his dog.
At the age of sixteen, Horn moved West. There, he worked a number of different jobs, including acting as a scout for the Army. Horn acted as an interpreter when Geronimo surrendered to the Army. After the Apache Wars, Horn bought his own ranch. But cattle thieves overran his ranch, again causing him to wander.
Horn found other work, such as as a prospector, a ranch hand, a deputy sheriff in Arizona, and an agent for the Pinkerton Detective agency. But it was his work for cattle companies that eventually led to his demise.
During the Johnson County War in Wyoming, Horn worked for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. Reportedly, Horn killed a number of men in this role. He then worked in Colorado for the Swan Land and Cattle Company, where he again killed more men who were suspected of rustling.
Horn then served in the Army in Cuba during the Spanish American War. Eventually, though, he ended up back West working for cattle owners, this time working for cattle baron John C. Coble in Wyoming.
The Murder and Trial
On July 18, 1901, the body of a 14-year-old son of sheep ranchers was found murdered. Authorities began investigating the killing of the young Willie Nickell, soon focusing on Tom Horn.
The government put Horn on trial in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The trial featured as a key piece of evidence a statement Horn made. He had claimed, apparently while still drunk, that if he did the killing, it was the “best shot that I ever made and the dirtiest trick that I ever done.”
On October 24, 1902, the jury found Horn guilty of the murder. A few days later, the court sentenced him to death by hanging.
During the appeal, Horn wrote his autobiography while in jail, focusing on his early life: Life of Tom Horn, Government Scout and Interpreter. Eventually, the Wyoming Supreme Court turned down the appeal.
The governor refused to stop the hanging. And Horn was hanged in Cheyenne by means of a “Julian Gallows” that used water as a means of releasing the trap door.
Many historians believe Horn was innocent of the killing of Willie Nickell, while noting that he did do a number of other killings. Still, his case is a reminder of how innocent people may be convicted of capital crimes. Still today, we discover innocent people on death rows across America.
Tom Horn on TV and Film
Tom Horn’s story has resonated in popular culture. The 1954 television series Stories of the Century, took an unflattering look at Tom Horn and his crimes.
The episode portrays Horn as someone who worked for the law but “then for some reason turned criminal.” In the episode, actor Louis Jean Heydt portays Horn.
Steve McQueen provided the most famous portrayal of Horn in the 1980 movie Tom Horn. The film was based on Horn’s writings, and McQueen gives a largely sympathetic portrayal of Horn, while not shying away from his violence.
McQueen was notorious for clashing with his directors, and Tom Horn went through several directors before TV director William Wiard came on board to finish the film. McQueen also requested several rewrites of the script, which included work by the great Western writer Thomas McGuane. Tom Horn — which was released on March 28, 1980 — was the next-to-last film released that starred McQueen. During the filming of the movie, McQueen had trouble breathing, and he was later diagnosed with a form of lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma. On August 1 of that year, his final film, The Hunter, was released. McQueen died on November 1, 1980 at the age of 50.
The movie Tom Horn received mixed reviews and did a disappointing $12 million at the box office. At the time, Variety claimed that McQueen appeared to be walking through the lead role. But actor James Coburn claimed Tom Horn was McQueen’s best film. Currently, it has a 68% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie seems to have aged well over time, as has Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate, which was released the same year. Empire calls Tom Horn an “underrated, gloomy Western.”
In subsequent years, viewers were more tolerant of Westerns that focused on something besides action. In 2014, True West explained that the movie and McQueen’s acting in the film were ahead of their time: “Audiences were used to action-packed Westerns with gunfights and brawls. McQueen offered them something different—a meditation of the West and a character study of one of America’s best-known figures of the era.”
Below is the trailer for Tom Horn. Check it out.
Photo via public domain. What did you think of the movie “Tom Horn”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
The changing attitudes toward marijuana, with states legalizing medical marijuana or legalizing it outright, reminded me of a 45 rpm record I had as a kid. I had never seen or smelled pot at that time, but I just liked a funny song called “Wildwood Weed.”
In the third episode of season seven of 
” is performed by The Collapsable Hearts Club, and it was written by Jim Bianco. Bianco 
McQueen was notorious for clashing with his directors, and Tom Horn went through several directors before TV director 
