It is with a very heavy heart that Joel says goodbye to his mentor, friend and “Comedy Dad”, Bill Hildebrandt who passed recently. Joel tries to avoid crying (and fails!) by inviting some of Bill’s good friends, comedians Derek Richards and Kevin Kramis on the show. Joel and Derek talk Bill’s time playing in Vegas, the history of “The Mug” and its accompanying bit, and why Bill was the curmudgeon comedian we all loved. Kevin joins to talk about Bill as a comedy teacher, working with Soupy Sales, why Bill made the “hands bit” work (in an emergency!), and Joel reminisces about doing comedy in a Home Depot, and tells how Bill was almost Upchuck the Clown. It’s a bittersweet show, but hopefully a loving tribute to great friend and great comedian. Details of the official memorial for Bill can be found on Facebook by clicking here.
A few of the pics Joel took of Bill Hildebrandt at The Comedy Castle for his new headshots