I Must Say

My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend

By: Martin Short

Narrated by: Martin Short

Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this engagingly witty, wise, and heartfelt memoir, Martin Short tells the tale of how a showbiz-obsessed kid from Canada transformed himself into one of Hollywood’s favorite funnymen, known to his famous peers as the "comedian’s comedian".

Martin Short takes you on a rich, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking ride through his life and times, from his early years in Toronto as a member of the fabled improvisational troupe Second City to the all-American comic big time of Saturday Night Live and memorable roles in movies such as ¡Three Amigos! and Father of the Bride. He reveals how he created his most indelible comedic characters, among them the manic man-child Ed Grimley, the slimy corporate lawyer Nathan Thurm, and the bizarrely insensitive interviewer Jiminy Glick. Throughout, Short freely shares the spotlight with friends, colleagues, and collaborators, including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Gilda Radner, Mel Brooks, Nora Ephron, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Shaffer, and David Letterman.

But there is another side to Short's life that he has long kept private. He lost his eldest brother and both of his parents by the time he turned 20, and, more recently, he lost his wife of 30 years to cancer. In I Must Say, Short talks for the first time about the pain that these losses inflicted and the upbeat life philosophy that has kept him resilient and carried him through. In the grand tradition of comedy legends, Martin Short offers a show business memoir densely populated with boldface names and rife with re-tellable tales: a hugely entertaining yet surprisingly moving self-portrait that will keep you laughing - and crying - from the first page to the last.

Special Lyrics for "It's The Most Wonderful Show of the Year" and "Picture-Perfect Christmas In The Palisades" by Martin Short, Marc Shaiman, and Scott Wittman; Special Lyrics for “Marty Throws a Party Just to Sing" by Marc Shaiman.

©2014 Martin Short (P)2014 Harper Collins Publishers

This is what audio books were made for!

If you could sum up I Must Say in three words, what would they be?

"Read By Martin!"
Oh, give me a break, what a wonderful performance by Marty, and that's no lie. Can I call him Marty? I suppose if we were best friends, I could call him Marty. Oh and I suppose that would ever happen! This book made me completely mental, I was so sad when the book finished and there was nothing more to listen to, it was similar to a pain that may linger, I must say.

What did you like best about this story?

Read and Performed by Martin Short.

What does Martin Short bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's a total performance masterpiece. He does not merely narrate, he goes into his all sorts of different voices, there's even a couple of times where a piano is played. (but no triangles are played.)

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Skip the movie, buy the audio book, it's better!!

A high point for audiobooks...Bravo!

It's almost as if this was conceived as an audiobook first. His performance makes this more than just someone reading their book. This is the real Martin Short, as funny, candid and tender as someone can be when sharing their life and talent. Very highly recommended.

Short and Sweet

Martin Short is the consummate showman and this audio memoir is like being at a dinner party with him as he regales you with the story of his life.

I was most taken by his optimism and sunny disposition in the face of family tragedy. He is a man with a "Teflon interior," and at 64, shows no signs of stopping.

This audio book is well read, and performances by Jiminy Glick, Ed Grimley, and songs sung at Short's famous Christmas parties are icing on the cake.

I plan on keeping this audio book to check in with Smarty Marty whenever I'm feeling like a good swift kick in the comedy pants.

I always hoped he'd be like this.

If you could sum up I Must Say in three words, what would they be?

A Wonderful Life.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the whole thing so much I don't know how to answer this question.

What about Martin Short’s performance did you like?

It was him. It felt like he was talking to me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I didn't know his history beyond the work so it hit me when he began talking about Nancy in the past tense at a certain point in the book.

Any additional comments?

I wish he had only covered half his life so we could have another book.

I laughed, I cried, I wet my pants...Ty Marty

A true comic genius, a must read if you need to laugh, or if you are in the mist of coping with a loved one with cancer. Great perspective.

Humble, heartfelt and hilarious

I enjoyed the flow of the story. The hilarious highs and the humility and telling grace through the lows. I have already recommended it to like minded friends after having to pull over to the side of the road on TWO occasions, once for laughing myself to tears and the other, well tears. It's a love story masqueraded as a memoir.

Be patient & you won’t be sorry, I must say.

I love Martin Short, so I was excited about reading his autobiography, but an hour into it on Audible I was ready to stop. His book seemed to be just a vehicle for lot of name-dropping. I read some reviews and decided to keep going, and I’m SO glad I did. Ninety minutes in, Marty began telling his story of growing up in a large, loving family and finding ways to satisfy his craving for life on the stage at a remarkably young age. From that point on, this was a wonderfully touching book, full of optimism and love, with many, many laugh-out-loud moments, and I came to understand that he hadn’t been “name dropping” at all. Everyone who grew up watching SCTV and SNL, in particular, will thoroughly enjoy it!

wasnt funny at all

this book was not funny at all and I like Martn Short. Not a comedy.

Maybe my expectations were too high

I had high hopes going into this one. I mean, it's Martin Short reading his own biography. Aside from the occasional deep insights and funny story, this book is fairly dry. You walk away knowing about Martin Short's life, but don't walk away with the stories and humor that I was expecting from one of my favorite comedians. It pains me to rate it so low, but I would probably pass on this one if I hadn't already listened to it.

Legend might be a stretch

I have never thought that Martin Short was all that hysterically funny. I do like some of his work, so I thought I would give this book a try. While parts of it did make me laugh, if you want to read an insider's take on fame and Hollywood, from the viewpoint of a comedian, you have to listen to "How I slept my way to the Middle" by Kevin Pollack. THAT'S a funny book. What I will say about Martin Short, however, is that I gained a level of respect for the man after finishing his book. The personal tragedies he has overcome, along with his poignant retelling of those events, was really quite touching.