Robert Schimmel
Encyclopedia
Robert George "Bob" Schimmel (January 16, 1950 – September 3, 2010) was an American stand-up comedian whose material was often X-rated and controversial. He was perhaps best known for his comedy albums and his appearances on HBO and The Howard Stern Show. Schimmel is number 76 on the 2004 program Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups Of All Time.
, the son of Betty and Otto Schimmel, Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. He was voted class clown during high school and was in the United States Air Force
for one year during the Vietnam War
. A resident of Scottsdale, Arizona
, his career began when, at the urging of his sister, he performed at a comedy club
's open-mic night. A club owner in Los Angeles
offered to make him a regular, but when Schimmel moved there he found that the club had burned down.
Undaunted, and with some help from Rodney Dangerfield
, who invited him to perform on his HBO Young Comedians Special, Schimmel began making a name for himself. He wrote material for In Living Color
and for comedians such as Yakov Smirnoff
and Jimmie Walker
.
Schimmel married
his first wife, Vicki, in 1977, and they had four children together. Their son Derek died from cancer
at the age of 11. Schimmel later divorced and remarried, having two sons with his second wife, Melissa.
as his all-time comedy hero. Schimmel incorporated many aspects of his personal life into his act, even his cancer and the death of his son. In one signature bit, Schimmel joked about making obscene suggestions to a lady from the Make-a-Wish Foundation
. His act was described as raunchy and sexually explicit, which he claimed as the reason he never appeared on network television. He said his inappropriate comments on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and The Hollywood Squares got him disinvited, though he later returned to O'Brien's program. However, his edgy style made him a hit on The Howard Stern Show.
. In June 2000, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
. His treatments included chemotherapy
and required long stays in the hospital. Schimmel's cancer went into remission, resulting in his decision to return to his wife Vicki, from whom he had been separated. Schimmel reunited with his soon-to-be second wife, Melissa, to whom he had been previously introduced by his daughter, Jessica, which led to the conception of their child. Schimmel divorced Vicki and married Melissa shortly thereafter.
Schimmel was arrested in Calabasas, California
on May 2, 2009 as a result of an alleged confrontation between himself and his wife Melissa. The district attorney eventually declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence. On May 8, 2009, Melissa Schimmel filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
During an interview on The Howard Stern Show on January 28, 2010, Schimmel announced that he contracted cirrhosis
as a result of a hepatitis C
infection from a blood transfusion
that he received while in the Air Force. His cirrhosis had progressed to the point that he was working to be added to the waiting list for a donated liver.
. Schimmel was hospitalized in serious condition, while Aliyah was hospitalized in stable condition. Schimmel’s son Jacob, also in the car at the time, was not injured.
On September 3, 2010, Schimmel died of his injuries. He is interred at the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Book
Early life and career
Schimmel was born in the Bronx, New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Betty and Otto Schimmel, Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. He was voted class clown during high school and was in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
for one year during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. A resident of Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, his career began when, at the urging of his sister, he performed at a comedy club
Comedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
's open-mic night. A club owner in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
offered to make him a regular, but when Schimmel moved there he found that the club had burned down.
Undaunted, and with some help from Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
, who invited him to perform on his HBO Young Comedians Special, Schimmel began making a name for himself. He wrote material for In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
and for comedians such as Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Naumovich Pokhis , better known as Yakov Smirnoff, is a Ukrainian-born American comedian, painter and teacher. He was popular in the 1980s for comedy performances in which he used irony and word play to contrast life under the Communist regime in his native Soviet Union with life in the...
and Jimmie Walker
Jimmie Walker
James Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
.
Schimmel married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
his first wife, Vicki, in 1977, and they had four children together. Their son Derek died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 11. Schimmel later divorced and remarried, having two sons with his second wife, Melissa.
Comedic style
Schimmel cited Lenny BruceLenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
as his all-time comedy hero. Schimmel incorporated many aspects of his personal life into his act, even his cancer and the death of his son. In one signature bit, Schimmel joked about making obscene suggestions to a lady from the Make-a-Wish Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
. His act was described as raunchy and sexually explicit, which he claimed as the reason he never appeared on network television. He said his inappropriate comments on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and The Hollywood Squares got him disinvited, though he later returned to O'Brien's program. However, his edgy style made him a hit on The Howard Stern Show.
Personal life
In 1998, Schimmel suffered a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. In June 2000, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
. His treatments included chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and required long stays in the hospital. Schimmel's cancer went into remission, resulting in his decision to return to his wife Vicki, from whom he had been separated. Schimmel reunited with his soon-to-be second wife, Melissa, to whom he had been previously introduced by his daughter, Jessica, which led to the conception of their child. Schimmel divorced Vicki and married Melissa shortly thereafter.
Schimmel was arrested in Calabasas, California
Calabasas, California
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...
on May 2, 2009 as a result of an alleged confrontation between himself and his wife Melissa. The district attorney eventually declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence. On May 8, 2009, Melissa Schimmel filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
During an interview on The Howard Stern Show on January 28, 2010, Schimmel announced that he contracted cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
as a result of a hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
infection from a blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
that he received while in the Air Force. His cirrhosis had progressed to the point that he was working to be added to the waiting list for a donated liver.
Death
On August 26, 2010, Schimmel was a passenger in a car driven by his 19-year-old daughter, Aliyah, when the car flipped onto its side before coming to a stop in the shoulder of the Loop 101 freeway in ScottsdaleScottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
. Schimmel was hospitalized in serious condition, while Aliyah was hospitalized in stable condition. Schimmel’s son Jacob, also in the car at the time, was not injured.
On September 3, 2010, Schimmel died of his injuries. He is interred at the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Works
Albums- Comes Clean, Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, 1996. - If You Buy this CD, I Can Get this Car, Warner Bros. Records, 1998.
- Unprotected, Warner Bros. Records, 1999.
- Reserection, Warner Bros. Records, 2004.
- Life Since Then, Image Entertainment, 2009.
Book
- Cancer on Five Dollars a Day* (*chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life. Da Capo Press, 2008