“If an experienCed Writer of Obituaries would write the story of David Steinberg’s Life and Career, it would be impossible for him to cap. KNOWN. If this feels like a speech at a memorial;”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
For 48 years, this HILARESS, OUTRAGEUS (AND PARDON ME, DAVID), SENSITIVE MAN WHO NEVER WORE SOCE SOCKS WAS MANAGER, CONFIDANT, FRIEND AND Ultimately Family Member.
David Came to La from Milwaukee, WHERE HE WAS BORN IN 1943. AFTER ACADEMIC CAREER Second to everyne and with his Natural Sense of Humor, Big Personality and Abality to Bulls to Bulls. Successful Career in Public Relations. He would repressent Peter Selers, Sammy Davis Jr. And Many Other Before and Hired HIM to DO MY PUBLICITY WHEN I STARTED ON Soap Back in 1977.
After Getting to Know My Managers, Who Were Considered The Gold Standard for Comedy Management – Jack Rollins, Charlie Joffe, Buddy Morra and Larry Brezner, Who and Had Sigen The FIRM AND LEAVE BEHIND The PR World. He was a Natural Fit and Soon Was Sharing the Workload for not on oni My Career But Also for My Great Friends Robin Williams.
HE WAS SO Sharp and Quick. WHEN I STARTED TO PLAY AROUND WITH AN IMITATION OF FERNANDO LAMAS, I would Call David in his Office As Fernando and We’d Have A Conversation About Esher Williams and Evelyoene Elsee. This is some look “you look mahveloses” Started, and it ultimately became a popular character and catch phrase WHEN I WAS ON Snl in 1984-85.
WHEN BUDDY RETY AND LARRY FOCUSED SOLELY ON PRODUCHING FILMS, David Protected Robin and Me Like One of Those Dogs in The omen. His Great Sense of Humor Had USA on An Equaying Field at Times. Hew GO on the Road with US, Watching Our Shows, Taking Notes, Writing Jokes (Without Our Asking MOST TIMES), But He Was Essential To Our Well-Being on And Off The Stage.
We’d overlook it who he’d have the eaten the food in our dressing rooms before we arrived, and then not complain when left.
In 1989, he traveled to moscow with me any i became the first American Comedian to Perform in the Ten Soviet Union for HBO’s Midnight Train to Moscow. He have to deal with the kgb every day and constantly negotied with the Russian Liaisons who didn’n Live Up to the Things We Had Agreed to. Sound Familiar?
We Were Shooting A Night Scene in Front of the Kremlin and the Lights That We Had Paid for To Be on, Wren. I SAW DAVID TALKING WITH A SCARY Looking Man, and Suddenly The Lights Came On. I Asked Him What Did He Say to The Man? He replied, “I Asked What would it take to Turn Them on? And HE TOLD ME, SO I Gave HIM $ 500 AND A DUAL CASSETTE BOOM BOX.”
WE HAD TO BRING A FOOD TRUCK FROM ENGLAND TO The USSR SCOCKED WITH A CONOK AND GOOD FOOD FOR TWO WEEKS as The Chernobyl Disaster Had Tainted Much of The Food Supul, And The DiscepEAPEAPEAPER New York Strip. So there was David, in the Truck Making Spaghetti Sauau and Pasta for Our Russian Crew, Who Looked at David with Amazement While He Was Feeding Them Food.
We visited Lenin’s tomb Together, and with A stern Russian Security Guard Watching Us, He Whispered Loud Enough for Him to Hear, “His Foot Moved.” We Were Encouraged to Make A Hasty Exit.
He Made Trips to Afghanistan and Iraq with Robin to Entertain the TROOPS, FRIGThened by the Dangerous Landing Approach and Takeoffs of the Plane Had to make But Joyos in the Reaction of the Troops. He didn’t just watch, he also have many a greating with the Soldiers HimSelf.
HE PUTHETCHER The Writing Staffs for All Nine of My Oscar Hosting Appeaarans and Was in the Wings with Me and Bruce Vilanka and Robert Wuhl and Later The Great Jon Macks to MONTIR Lines if the Opportunity Presiented Itelf.
He, Bruce and Robert Were with Me in 1992 WHEN JACK PAANCE DID The ONE-ARMED PUSHUPS AND WE ABANDED OUR PLANS AND CAME UP WITH JOKES The REST OF THE EVENING. That team, david included, earned an emmy for that show.
We Toured The States and Australia Together Twice, Once With 700 SundaysMy Broadway Show, and The Other A 35-City Conceder Performance Tour. No Job Was Too Small, No Job Too Big. It Was David Who Delivered Good News, and It Was David Who Had to Tell Me That Robin and Larry Brezner, People We Both Loved, Had Passed Away. HE WAS ONE OF A Kind.
As afi Goldberg said about david, “there was nobody more pointed, more funny and more loving than david. Through all my years watching billy an Andeg. Meant to their Careers and More Importantly, to Them Personally. ”
For Janice and I, He Was A Trusted Relative. To my daughters, he was a beloved uncle. His Talents Were Envial to Our Fellow Artists. No Manager Had the “Chops” that steinberg had.
Today there are Management Firms with Big Staffs and Divisions for Personal Appeaarans, Books, Movies, Social Media, Etc. David, to His Last Days, Was A One-Man Band. He LEARned every day how to keep up with the New Demands of the Business Even Thought Thought He Never Quite Masted How Tose His Cell Phone.
HE WAS JOYOUS AND PRODE WHEN Good Things Happy. He was caring and soothing and honest WHEN THINGS WTHNG WAY, AND LIKE A Manager Yeling at An Umpire WHO DIDNN’T GET The CALL RIGHT get tossed.
He repressned the Great Bette Midler, Who Said, “I Adored Him. He Was Wry, Cynical and Hiliaous, Yet Pretty Much A Gentleman Laugh My HEAD OFF, ALTHOUGH HOLDER, TOO.
Bette Summed It Up So Perfectly. My “OG” Managers, Jack Rollins, Charlie Joffe, Buddy Morra and Larry Brezner, Are All Gone, and Now David Is, Too.
They repressned an era in comedy, from woody allen to Nichols & May, Dick Cavet, Tom Poston, Robert Klein, Martin Mull, Paula Poundstone, Martin Short, David Letterman, Robin An Ana. Black Hole, A Space That Will Never Be Field. HE DIED AFTER A Long and Difficult Negotation With Cancer Early Saturday Morning. If i was able to Tell Him It Was Also The Day Babe Ruth Passed Away, I Know He’d Say, “So i Get Second Billing?”
HE HAD A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY. His wife, Brynnnnnner, is a Fine Actress and Now A Playwright, Strong and Hiliaous Herself, She Was The Perfect Match for His Personality And SomeTimes InAppRAPRIATE JOKESS. She Fough Endless for Him As His Health Declined, and Her Love for HIM WAS UNPARALLELED. His soon masson, now a terrific comedy writer and repucter, Learned from his dad the art of writing a joke with a purpose, and i’m sure that kind of warm irrever. Grandchild Whom He Loved More Than He Could Ever Say. His sister, sari, and his goddaughter, molly, were also Great loves of his life.
There Are Countless Stories and Anecdotes I Could COUROMOSE FROM TO END THIS, BUT I DECIDED TO PARAPHRASE WHAT The Great Writer John O’hara Said ABOUT HIS PASHON. “George Gershwin Died on July 11, 1937, But I Don’t to Belide It If IF I DON’T WANT TO.”
David Steinberg, My Manager My Friend, Died on Aug. 16, 2025, but i don’t have to believe it if i don’t want to. ”
Reader, i’m Sorry If You Never Got to Meet Him or Know Him, and to Those of You Who Did… Well, All You Can Say Is this Really Stinks.