Comedian Jim Short Has Died

Stand-up comedian Jim Short has died. Short’s death was confirmed Sunday, Jan. 5 by California’s The Comedy & Magic Club on Instagram. Further details, including his cause of death, were not disclosed. Short was 58.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend comedian Jim Short,” the comedy club wrote alongside a gallery of images of the comedian. “His humor and warmth touched so many lives at the Comedy and Magic Club. He was a big part of our club for many many years. We’ll cherish the laughter he brought us and keep his spirit alive in our hearts. Rest in peace, Jim. You will be missed.”

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Born in Australia in 1967, Short relocated to Texas in 1979. As his comedy career kicked off, he appeared as a guest star on talk and comedy shows such as Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. In 2004, he won the San Francisco International Stand Up Competition and also performed at the Montreal International Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.

Short, who toured across the U.S., also hosted the Monsters of Talk podcast with fellow comedian Margaret Cho. The podcast launched in 2013 and saw Short and Cho discuss “music, comedy, and everything,” according to its website. It wrapped in 2015. A day after The Comedy & Magic Club announced Short’s passing, Cho led tributes to Short online.

“There’s not a lot of photos of us but you were probably the most important person in my life for a long time,” she wrote on Instagram. “We never got to resolve the thing, but I know you know I love you. This is us from one of the many @wilco shows we saw. Goodbye for now Jim. #RIP.”

Comedian Ryan Hamilton also paid tribute, writing, “I loved working with Jim and he was such a great friend to open for on the road with. We had great talks and I learned so much watching him work.” Commenting on Cho’s post, comedian Ian Aber wrote, “Oh no ! So sorry for your loss. Meeting you while you n Jim did your pod is a very special time for me and I could tell he really admired you.”