Budd Friedman dead at 90: Famous comedy club Improv owner passes away just days after 'feeling sick'

BUDD Friedman, founder of the famed Improv Club and who launched careers of the biggest names in comedy, has died at the age of 90. 

Multiple sources have exclusively told The U.S. Sun that Budd passed away after feeling ill earlier this week. 

The impresario was admitted to Cedar Sinai hospital in Los Angeles before he passed away, an insider said.  

"He had just celebrated his 90th birthday and they had a celebration with him at the Improv." 

In a statement to The U.S. Sun, Budd's rep confirmed the legend's passing on Saturday.

"The comedy world lost a giant today. He was not a stand-up comedian or sit-com star or movie legend.   But he gave birth to a generation of artists who defined American comedy and culture for decades."

The statement continued: "Budd gave opportunity and support to everyone who had the privilege of performing in front of that iconic brick wall.  The Improv stands committed to his vision.  His impact is immeasurable, and his legacy will be felt in comedy for generations to come."  

IMPROV'S BEGINNING

Budd, who was born in Connecticut, first opened the Improvisational Comedy Club in 1963 in Hells Kitchen, New York. 

The comedy world legend was known for launching the careers of the biggest names in the business including Robin Williams, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld, David Spade, Andy Kaufman and Rodney Dangerfield to name a few.  

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Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers, Bill Maher and Eddie Murphy all graced the stages at his New York and later his Los Angeles Improv Club, which opened in 1974. 

In his book, 'The Improv: An Oral History of the Comedy Club That Revolutionized Stand-Up,' he wrote about discovering comic icon Robin. 

“From the moment he walked in, it was obvious to me and everybody else that he was going to become a big star, perhaps even one of the biggest we’d ever seen, which, of course, turned out to be true beyond anything we could have ever imagined,” he wrote in the book, as reported by The Jewish Journal.  

Comedians flocked to his venues because he treated them well. 

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“I’ve always had the attitude that the comedians are already right, even when they are wrong,” he said in the book.  

After the LA Improv burned down and as he was about to throw in the towel, he struck a deal with A&E for a weekly show called An Evening at the Improv, which ran from 1982 to 1996 and which was the beginning of his comedy club empire. 

Today, Improv has over 20 venues around the country, including the rebuilt LA location.  

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Budd is survived by his wife Alix, and his daughter Zoe who has continued in her father's footsteps.  

Zoe is the co-founder of Comedy Gives Back, which uses comedy to raise money for charity. 

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