Onstage Death of Ian Cognito Has Comedy Fans Stunned

Comedian Ian Cognito’s sudden death onstage Thursday left his famous fans stunned. The award-winning British comedian was 60 years old.

According to The BBC, Cognito was performing at The Atic bar in Bicester, England when he sat down during his performance. At first, fans thought it was part of the act, as they were still laughing while he was sitting on the chair, laying back for at least five minutes.

However, an ambulance was called to the venue and the audience was asked to leave while paramedics tried to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cognito, whose real name was Paul Barbieri, was born in 1958 and rose through the British community scene in the late 1980s. His brash performance style earned him a reputation as the “most banned” comic in the U.K. He won the time out Award for stand-up comedy in 1999.

According to The Guardian, part of Cognito’s performances often included him banging a nail into a wall to hang his hat on it.

“This let’s you know two things about me,” he shouted at the audience. “Firstly, I really don’t give s—. Secondly, I’ve got a hammer.”

Cognito was beloved by his peers, a fact made clear by the outpouring of condolences from his fans on social media. However, he never earned mainstream success like his contemporaries.

“Veteran standup comedian Ian Cognito has died on stage – literally. The audience thought it was part of the act,” Jimmy Carr tweeted. “Died with his boots on. That’s commitment to comedy. I’ll never forget his kindness when I started out and how god damn funny he was.”

“RIP Ian Cognito. Always absolutely lovely to me. A proper comedy legend,” Jim Smallman tweeted.

“There has never been more apocryphal tales around a comedian than Ian Cognito . If half of them are true the shit he got up to during the heydays of the circuit is of legend. Wondering/hoping that at the wake someone will bang a nail into the wall and hang a coat on it. RIP,” wrote Tiffany Stevenson.

“Sad news about Ian Cognito always properly lovely to me.if someone has the link he did where he did a promo video for a club bailing water out of his barge please send it me,” Hayley Ellis wrote. “It’s hilarious.”

“Rest in peace, Ian Cognito. I did so many gigs with him when I lived in Cardiff. He was blistering,” Elis James added. “A huge, huge talent, who will be missed. I can honestly say I have never met anyone like him.”

Photo Credit: Twitter / @GleeClubBham