Mitzi Shore, owner of The Comedy Store, dead at 87

Photo: The Comedy Store

Mitzi Shore, the founder and owner of The Comedy Store in Los Angeles has passed away at the age of 87. The iconic club owner died this morning from an “unknown neurological disorder” in Los Angeles, after suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for many years. Her son, comedian/actor Pauly Shore shared a few details on social media the last few days stating that she was in hospice care and that she was transitioning. Pauly brought his mother to the Store on Monday afternoon to say goodbye to a comedy club she created and ran daily until a few years back when her illness prevented her from doing so.

Today Pauly stated, “Mom/Mitzi passed Early in the morning at 4:42 am, she was 87 years old, my heart lays heavy.”

It’s nearly impossible to gauge the influence Mitzi Shore had on the comedy scene. She opened the club on the Sunset Strip in 1972 with her husband Sammy and comedy writer Rudy De Luca – just months before Johnny Carson moved The Tonight Show to Los Angeles. Mitzi would get complete control of the Store in 1974 after her divorce from Sammy and that’s when the club really began to flourish. Mitzi is responsible for helping the careers of literally thousands of comedians over the years. Names whose signatures are plastered all over the exterior of the club – the likes of Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, Freddy Prinze, Jim Carrey, Sam Kinison, Arsenio Hall, Andrew Dice Clay, Joe Rogan, Marc Maron, and Roseanne Barr worked out of The Comedy Store and were put on stage by Mitzi Shore.

Mitzi is survived by her 4 children as well as many of her comedy children whom she helped guide through this crazy thing called showbiz. If you head to Pauly Shore’s Twitter account, he’s currently RT countless comedians paying tribute to his mother.

The Comedy Store released the following statement today,

“It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we report the passing of Mitzi Shore. Mitzi was an extraordinary woman and leader who identified, cultivated and celebrated comedy’s best performers. She helped change the face of comedy and leaves behind an indelible mark and legacy in the entertainment industry and stand-up community. We will all miss her dearly. The Comedy Store will be closed today.”