April 14, 1957 – March , 2007
I’ve known my fair share of stand up comics, and a few of them are fairly well adjusted individuals, but I have met some doozies. People you need to get away from. People so desperate for attention, just conversing with them is exhausting because you can actually see them frantically thinking of the next joke to tell, not even listening to anyone else. Exhausting.
I wasn’t familiar with Richard’s comedy, but he seemed pretty funny from what I’ve seen on Youtube. I’m not going to link anything, because they always pull ’em down, and it makes my website look shittier, but go and have a peek and judge for yourself. Seems like he had quite a successful career.
Richard lived way the hell up in the hills, on Crescent Heights. Views on that street are spectacular. Nice on his side too, but not AS nice. I’m not sure he had a pool, but there is one being built there now.
At 9:30 a.m. on the 10th of March, Richard and Amy were lying in bed together, discussing their plans for the day ahead, and what to have for breakfast. She went downstairs to make the meal, and about 5 minutes later she heard a “popping” sound from upstairs.
She ran upstairs and found Richard on the bathroom floor. He had put a .38 to the roof of his mouth and pulled the trigger, and was now lying in a pool of blood.
She called 911, and Richard was picked up “alive” and taken to Cedars Sinai where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, at 10:36.
What a difference an hour makes.
A week prior, Amy heard Richard talking to himself, and he said, “just squeeze the trigger.” He had a history of schizophrenia and suffered from insomnia, paranoia, clinical depression and high blood pressure. And he scored a girlfriend. Musta been a helluva guy. Medications found in his place include Ambien, Lexapro, Xanax, and Remeron.
He had checked into Cedars the previous December, complaining of suicidal depression. He mentioned he would like to “jump off a building.” He was admitted into a mental health center and eventually released.
He owned his home, so his executor petitioned his estate for the funds to keep the house going until his financial matters were settled. Apparently they are settled now, because the house is empty and being completely renovated.
UPDATE SEPT ’08:
Richard was eventually entombed. Death Hag Mary Ellen and her son, DIT (Death Hag in Training) Jack – found him and shot him a second time. Thanks, you two.
Richard’s family still maintain his official website.
You can acquire Jeni’s autopsy report and will at Celebrity Collectables.
Thanks Ted and Harry.
It’s so sad that the people who makes us laugh are, themselves, unhappy. This is much like what happened to Robin Williams. THE TEARS OF A CLOWN!
I worked for Hollywood Video for about 9 years and they used to fly us out to Las Vegas for a yearly store directors meeting. Richard was hired (among many celebrities we got meet), to hob knob with us I believe the year was 2000, and just have a good time. I was able to get his autograph and pic taken with him. Scott, if you want a copy of pic, i’ll send to ya. He was a funny guy and we all had a great time listening to him crack us up. Too bad it ended sadly for him. He could’ve been one of the bigger ones in Hollywood laugh circles.
I remember watching an interview with a comedian (whose name I can’t remember now) years ago who said that 90-95% of all comedians are neurotic wrecks and/or addicts and said that at comedy clubs they’ll sit and trade jokes then talk about which depression meds they’re on to see what works. The way he explained it was that they’re on the road 75% of the year having hundreds of people laugh at them then they come back to a hotel alone and it’s depressing to go from such a high to nothing.
This broke my heart when I learned of his death and especially how he died and what he had been going through. Hell of a funny guy and remains as one of my top 3 stand up comedians.
Poor guy. He was extremely funny, very entertaining to listen to…..