Stand Up Comedy

Jerry Clower – A Coon Huntin’ Story

When I was a teenager working at a tiny country radio station in Collierville, Tennessee – WMSO 1590! – we had precious few rules…and a bunch of scratchy 45s and LPs. I wanted nothing to do with this ‘ hick music’, which is how I thought of it then. (Now, country music is what I prefer to listen to. Stuff changes, ya’ know?)

There was this guy – Jerry Clower – who told a story about a “Coon Huntin’ Dog.” Unlike the music, I loved country comedy from the beginning. Growing up in the South, I heard

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John Pinette – 7 Tight Minutes

John Pinette has a quick New England rhythm. His stage presence is phenomenal. I love stand up, but even I hesitate to commit seven whole minutes to a clip! Not a problem with this guy. Enjoy… Read more

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Mitch Hedberg – Who Can Eat At A Time Like This?

The first time I saw Mitch Hedberg was totally by accident. I dialed by Comedy Central and did the old back up when I saw someone doing stand up. He was doing “The Dufresns”  bit. Saw him live with Lewis Black and Dave Attell a year or two later. Mitch was special.  That particular night, Read more

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Flip Wilson – Ugly Baby

Rare clip of Flip doing stand up in 1965. Johnny was just getting started. Flip was still a few years from getting his own show. This is a classic bit. Enjoy…    Read more

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Richard Pryor — That N Is Crazy

This is the entire 1976 album. All 30 minutes of it. No video. Hardcore language and stories. This, my friend, is better than a fine bottle of wine. Enjoy.

It was the first time I ever heard Richard Pryor. Bought the album. Never ever grew tired of him or it.

This album is a big part of who I am. The 70’s were my formative years and Richard Pryor was always somewhere near the center of    Read more

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TV’s Craig Ferguson On Comedy

There is a serious side to the business of comedy. There is also a serious side to the art of comedy. What gets lost a lot of times is the humanity in comedy.

The host of “The Late Late Show” is former stand up Craig Ferguson. As an aside, to my taste, he is a much funnier person than Jay or Dave or Conan and that is perfectly on display in this clip. If you don’t know much about Craig Ferguson, you will learn a lot about him in this clip. Not in a superficial way, either.There is a wonderful depth to Craig Ferguson Read more

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Jake Johannsen, About An Hour

Jake The Flummoxed. How else would you describe Jake’s act? I love this guy.

I remember back about the time this special was aired on HBO in 1990, I was attempting to describe his act to a friend. The only thing I could come up with Read more

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Pete Barbutti: Last Visit With Johnny

Pete Barbutti was one of Johnny Carson’s favorite stand-ups. This is video of Pete’s final appearance with Johnny on The Tonight Show. While it is not anything close to Pete’s best set, it is funny and it does represent the essence of Barbutti. My childhood friend — known to millions in Memphis and The Great Mid-South  as Read more

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Laughing

A long, long time ago I can still remember when I figured out that people liked people who made them laugh. Everyone likes to be accepted. And boy can that lead to some interesting discussions on Thursday Nights!

Having met more than one or two famous people as part of a previous life in the media, comedians have always      Read more

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