Raunchy stand-up Robert Schimmel began his career while visiting his sister in Los Angeles; without his knowledge she submitted his name for a local comedy club's open-mike night, and after getting over the shock of being called onstage he improvised a routine which so impressed the club's owner that he invited Schimmel to perform there anytime he wished. He immediately sold his Scottsdale, Arizona home and relocated his family to L.A., only to learn that the club had burned down in the interim; it took Schimmel five years for his next big break, catching the eye of Rodney Dangerfield and winning an invitation to appear on his upcoming HBO special. Schimmel later landed a regular gig on the Fox comedy showcase The Sunday Comics, where he performed stand-up and made a series of short films called "The Schimmel Papers; " he also landed his own Showtime special, Hardcore in the Big Apple. Guilty as Charged followed, as did appearances on countless late-night talk shows. His debut LP Robert Schimmel Comes Clean was issued in 1997; If You Buy This CD, I Can Get This Car appeared a year later, followed in 1999 by Unprotected. ~ Jason Ankeny