You already know I’m a stand-up comedy nut. And I am a fan of Robert Schimmel who died this weekend from injuries he sustained in a car crash.
Schimmel had (and overcame) life-threatening cancer which is why he looks so different from photo to photo. His first marriage ended when he got busy with one of his daughter’s friends, whom he eventually married. He used the mess of his life as fodder for his comedy and he was honest about himself and his failings. To give you an idea of how dark his humour was, one of his books is titled “Cancer on Five Dollars a Day”. Schimmel was a regular on Howard Stern’s show and on Conan’s various programs. He had the respect of his peers as an original which is probably one of the highest bits of praise any professional can hope for. He was intelligent and an excellent story-teller. He was 60.