Letterman's class act

As was mentioned here – and on every other comedy blog – this week, David Letterman had Mary Hicks, the mother of Bill Hicks, as a guest on Friday’s show. They also played his full set that was pulled from broadcast in 1993.

The amount of pure class that Dave showed cannot go unnoticed. Dave’s a great storyteller when given the opportunity, and can be eloquently heartfelt when so inclined. Perhaps it’s because of his curmudgeonly persona, but when he offered a heartfelt apology for making that decision in ’93, it was hard not to be moved.

“I had no real reason. I don’t know why, and I’m sorry that I did. It was a mistake,” he said.

It was an historic interview. Though only a fraction of viewers appreciated that fact going into it, you can be sure a whole lot know it now.

It should hit the Late Show website next week sometime, but for now, enjoy these YouTube clips before they get yanked by CBS. (History is destined to repeat itself, I suppose.)

About the Author

Sharilyn Johnson is the author of the book Bears & Balls: The Colbert Report A-Z. Called "one of the city’s most discriminating comedy critics” by NOW Magazine, Sharilyn has been covering comedy for longer than she cares to admit. She served as the comedy reporter for Winnipeg's Uptown Magazine for five years, and was the host of the radio show Laugh Tracks for three seasons. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, the Winnipeg Free Press, The Apiary, and on CBC Radio's national comedy programs LOL and Definitely Not the Opera.