Thomas Starr Sobel

Thomas Starr Sobel, 72, renowned booking agent, golfer, pool shark, passed away on July 21, 2023, following a long illness. He is preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Ruth Bayersdorfer Sobel. Tom, known for his love of retelling stories and long conversations, is survived by his wife, Susan Parnes Sobel, with whom he was about to celebrate their 48th anniversary; their daughter, Lisa Sobel-Berlow, her husband, Benji, and their daughter, Flora; his sister, Susan Sobel Gorsen; and his brother, William "Chip" Sobel, and his wife, Martha-Jane.

Tom's talent and management agency, TSM Artists, originated in 1978 when he and two friends working the college campus music circuit came consistently across great talent attached to performers' names they didn't recognize. Tom quickly realized how much easier the logistics were for comedians than musical acts traveling from town to town.

After prodding a successful bar and nightclub owner to open Shirley's Comedy Club in 1982, Louisville's first full-time comedy club, TSM soon became one of the largest providers of work for comedians during the comedy boom of the 1980s and '90s. At its height, Tom's office booked comedians for 22 full-time clubs and 35 "one-niters" in bars, restaurants, and colleges throughout the United States weekly. His ability to spot raw talent and nurture young acts kickstarted the careers of some of the most prominent names in the entertainment industry. He is credited with bringing standup comedy to the masses.

Mac King, magician and comedian, shares, "For decades, starting in the early 1980s, every comedian of note worked for Tom. His Comedy Caravan tours were legendary. Being driven by him to one-nighters in his AMC Pacer was an experience that became mythic."

After Shirley's closed, Tom opened his own Louisville club in 1987, The Funny Farm, soon renamed The Comedy Caravan, in The Highlands, all the while maintaining a booking agency that would ultimately produce nearly 400,000 comedy shows. The Professional Comedians Association named The Comedy Caravan one of the four best comedy clubs in America 6 times.

Tom developed a reputation among comics as a mentor who would be fair and honest. "He was fastidious about details (making him a perfect agent), sought to make deals that would benefit all parties involved (making him a great businessman), and was a true gentleman who had wonderful stories about comedy (which made him a joy to be around). What made him a tremendous friend was his loyalty, his integrity, his generosity, his sense of fairness, and his unbridled optimism," says comedian Tim Cavanagh.

After selling the club in 2009, Tom continued to significantly impact the industry under the name Comedy Caravan Talent (CCT) and was declared one of the "30 Best Comedy Agents of the USA", with the site stating, "… there are two things you need to know about CCT. One, they've been booking comics for nearly three decades. Two, Tom Sobel is one of the few agents, in any entertainment field, whose word is as good as gold."

Tom was blessed to find meaningful work through his passions, including fundraising through laughter (named a "Hometown Hero" by Metro United Way in 1995) and promoting jug band music, especially the sounds of Louisville's Juggernaut Jug Band.

A Celebration of Life will be on August 20, 2023, at 2:00 pm at The Temple at 5101 US 42, Louisville, KY 40241. Friends and family are encouraged to honor Tom's life and share cherished memories at tribute.co/tom-sobel no later than August 1.

To continue Tom's legacy of generosity, the family kindly requests that contributions be made in his memory to Gilda's Club Kentuckiana (gck.org), Hosparus Health (hosparushealth.org), or the Musician's Emergency Resource Foundation (merfrocks.com).

Tom Sobel will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His impact on the comedy industry and his warm presence will be remembered forever. As Tom always said, "Just Keep Laffin!"