I'm Dying Up Here : Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era

In the mid-1970s, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Elayne Boosler, Tom Dreesen, and several hundred other shameless showoffs and incorrigible cutups from across the country migrated en masse to Los Angeles, the new home of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. There, in a late-night world of sex, drugs, dreams and laughter, they created an artistic community unlike any before or since. It was Comedy Camelot--but it couldn't last. William Knoedelseder was then a cub reporter covering the burgeoning local comedy scene for the Los Angeles Times. He was there when the comedians--not paid by the clubs where they performed--tried to change the system and incidentally tore apart their own close-knit community. Here he tells the story of that golden age, of the strike that ended it, and of how those days still resonate in the lives of those who were there.--From publisher description.;Prologue: A true comic -- Blood brothers -- The hippest room -- Mitzi's store -- Tom, Dave, and George -- All about Budd -- Six minutes, twenty-two laughs -- The boys' club -- Guns, drugs, and Westwood -- Comedy university -- Richard's baroness, Steve's movie -- The funniest year ever -- Roommates -- The New Year's resolution --- Drugs and theft -- Order, please -- Diary of a young comic -- The gauntlet -- Comedians for compensation -- Choosing up sides -- Fire! -- The vote -- All on the line -- Dave's big night --The union forever? -- Jay's big flop -- "My name is Steve Lubetkin" -- A standing ovation -- Epilogue: the prisoner of memory. Letterman, Leno, Robin Williams, Andy Kaufman, Richard Lewis, Garry Shandling, and many other soon-to-be-stars were once young, broke, and funny in 1970s L.A. They were also friends...until one event changed everything. I'm Dying Up Here chronicles the collective coming of age of the stand-up comedians who defined American humor during the past three decades. Born early in the Baby Boom, they grew up watching The Tonight Show, went to school during Vietnam and Watergate, migrated en masse to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, and created an artistic community unlike any before or since. They were arguably the funniest people of their generation, living in a late-night world of sex, drugs, dreams, and laughter. For one brief shining moment, stand-up comics were as revered as rock stars. It was Comedy Camelot but, of course, it couldn't last.In the late 1970s, William Knoedelseder was a cub reporter assigned to cover the burgeoning local comedy scene for the Los Angeles Times. He wrote the first major newspaper profiles of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, and others. He got to know many of them well. And so he covered the scene too when the comedians--who were not paid for performing at the career-making-or-breaking venue called the Comedy Store--tried to change an exploitative system and incidentally tore apart their own close-knit community.Now Knoedelseder has gone back to interview the major participants to tell the whole story of that golden age and of the strike that ended it. Full of revealing portraits of many of the best-known comedic talents of our age, I'm Dying Up Here is also a poignant tale of the price of success and the terrible cost of failure--professional and moral. Contents......Page 8 Photo Sections......Page 146 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Prologue: A True Comic......Page 12 Blood Brothers......Page 20 The Hippest Room......Page 30 Mitzi's Store......Page 42 Tom, Dave, and George......Page 56 All About Budd......Page 70 Six Minutes, Twenty-two Laughs......Page 76 The Boys' Club......Page 82 Guns, Drugs, and Westwood......Page 92 Comedy University......Page 98 Richard's Baroness, Steve's Movie......Page 104 The Funniest Year Ever......Page 112 Roommates......Page 122 The New Year's Resolution......Page 128 Drugs and Theft......Page 136 Order, Please......Page 158 Diary of a Young Comic......Page 164 The Gauntlet......Page 170 Comedians for Compensation......Page 176 Choosing Up Sides......Page 188 Fire!......Page 198 The Vote......Page 204 All on the Line......Page 212 Dave's Big Night......Page 226 The Union Forever?......Page 234 Jay's Big Flop......Page 246 "My Name Is Steve Lubetkin"......Page 254 A Standing Ovation......Page 268 Epilogue: The Prisoner of Memory......Page 276 B......Page 292 C......Page 293 D......Page 294 F......Page 295 K......Page 296 L......Page 297 M......Page 299 R......Page 300 S......Page 301 W......Page 302 Y......Page 303 In the mid-1970s, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Elayne Boosler, Tom Dreesen, and several hundred other shameless showoffs and incorrigible cutups from across the country migrated en masse to Los Angeles, the new home of Johnny Carsonâ€TMs Tonight Show. There, in a late-night world of sex, drugs, dreams and laughter, they created an artistic community unlike any before or since. It was Comedy Camelot—but it couldnâ€TMt last. William Knoedelseder was then a cub reporter covering the burgeoning local comedy scene for the Los Angeles Times. He wrote the first major newspaper profiles of several of the future stars. And he was there when the comedians—who were not paid by the clubs where they performed— tried to change the system and incidentally tore apart their own close-knit community. In Iâ€TMm Dying Up Here he tells the whole story of that golden age, of the strike that ended it, and of how those days still resonate in the lives of those who were there. As comedy clubs and cable TV began to boom, many would achieve stardom.... but success had its price. In the mid-1970s, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Elayne Boosler, Tom Dreesen, and several hundred other shameless showoffs and incorrigible cutups from all across the country migrated en masse to Los Angeles, the new home of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show . There, in a late-night world of sex, drugs, dreams and laughter, they created an artistic community unlike any before or since. It was Comedy Camelot — but it couldn't last. William Knoedelseder, then a cub reporter covering the scene for the Los Angeles Times , was there when the comedians — who were not paid for performing — tried to change the system and incidentally tore apart their own close-knit community. In I'm Dying Up Here he tells the whole story of that golden age, of the strike that ended it, and of how those days still resonate in the lives of those who were there. Annotation In the mid-1970s, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Elayne Boosler, Tom Dreesen, and several hundred other shameless showoffs and incorrigible cutups from all across the country migrated en masse to Los Angeles, the new home of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show . There, in a late-night world of sex, drugs, dreams and laughter, they created an artistic community unlike any before or since. It was Comedy Camelotbut it couldn't last. William Knoedelseder, then a cub reporter covering the scene for the Los Angeles Times , was there when the comedianswho were not paid for performingtried to change the system and incidentally tore apart their own close-knit community. In I'm Dying Up Here he tells the whole story of that golden age, of the strike that ended it, and of how those days still resonate in the lives of those who were there

Focusing on the funniest people of their generation, Knoedelseder explores Comedy Camelot—the burgeoning Los Angeles comedy scene of the 1970s—and such shining stars as Leno, Letterman, and Andy Kaufman. Unabridged. 5 CDs.

The New York Times - Ada Calhoun

…[an] illuminating book about the West Coast comedy boom of the mid-1970s, which [Knoedelseder] covered for The Los Angeles Times