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Mitch Hedberg grew to fame in the Seattle area, but he was born and raised here in St. Paul, graduating from Harding High School. He overcame some significant obstacles on his path to comedic success. For one, he was born with a serious heart defect, one that required extensive treatment throughout his youth. He also suffered from stage fright, a problem that took some creative solutions to overcome in his chosen profession.

This stage fright is partly responsible for the delivery style that helped make him so unique. He delivered his jokes in a very condensed fashion, often in a series of one-liners that jumped quickly from one topic to the next. His stage presence was both confident and reserved, giving him a very real presence that easily connected with audiences.

“I don’t have a girlfriend. I just know a girl who would be really mad if she heard me say that.”

Hedberg truly stood out with the content of his material. He avoided falling back on stereotypes and other forms of negative humor, opting instead for clever observations and wordplay taken out of people’s everyday experiences. He was never reluctant to criticize himself or the jokes that didn’t quite connect with audiences.

Hedberg’s style slowly caught on with audiences and his act gained national attention. He released two CDs, Strategic Grill Locations and Mitch All Together. The latter of the two was recorded at the Acme Comedy Club in Minneapolis. He also had a couple of Comedy Central specials and made numerous appearances on “The Late Show With David Letterman” and “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.”

“I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.”

In the midst of his rising stardom, Hedberg’s personal life was plagued by drug problems. He did not hide his addictions and often joked about his drug use. His drug problems grew worse and towards the end of his career he was slowly spiraling out of control, reportedly asking audience members for drugs and then using them on stage.

On March 29, 2005, Hedberg was found dead in a hotel room in New Jersey by his wife, fellow comedian, and touring partner, Lynn Shawcroft.

The news was first reported by Howard Stern on his morning talk show and later confirmed by the Pioneer Press. Initial reports were that he had died from heart problems, but later autopsy results found multiple drugs in high quantities in his system, and this became the official cause of death.

“Alcoholism is a disease, but it’s the only one you can get yelled at for having. ‘Damn it, Otto, you are an alcoholic.’ ‘Damn it, Otto, you have Lupus.’ One of those two doesn’t sound right.”

While his death came as a shock to many, his legacy in comedy is still being remembered today. On April 30 at 7 p.m., the Mitch Hedberg Tribute will be held at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis. The show is being put on by the Acme Comedy Company and RCM Entertainment in association with Hedberg family.

All proceeds will go to benefit charities that were selected by the Hedbergs: Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, Juvenile Diabetes International, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and the Mitch Hedberg Foundation established through the St. Paul Foundation.

According to Jon Richards of Acme Comedy Company, the Hedberg family came up with the idea and has been very involved in the planning process. All of the comedians involved knew Hedberg and were contacted by the family to participate in the event. The comedians have been volunteering their time to promote the event and generating a lot of buzz in the area.

“The comedians are really the stars of the show here,” said Richards. “We have two banners, one picture of Mitch...very simple, very classy, but in tune with the show.”

He also said that they are anticipating a sellout crowd, even with over 2600 tickets for sale at $35 each.

Much of this anticipated draw can be attributed to the name recognition of the comedians involved. Dave Attell of Insomniac Tour fame is the biggest name of the group. Hedberg’s widow, Lynn Shawcroft, will also be performing, along with Nick Swardson, Patton Oswalt, Mike Birbiglia, Minnesota native Dave Mordal, and Bonnie McFarlane. The list of comedians is subject to change, with new performers still being added.

The night is stacking up to be a fitting tribute to a man whose life was completely devoted to spreading laughter to so many people.

“I saw on HBO they were advertising this boxing match, they said “It’s a fight to the finish.” That’s a good place to end.”