Comedy Jam
by admin on Jul.28, 2010, under Uncategorized
J. Anthony Brown & Friends
Township Auditorium Saturday, July 31
This Saturday, Columbia will have the distinct pleasure of welcoming home one of its more famous and successful native sons, J. Anthony Brown, as he brings his unique brand of stand-up comedy to the Township. The J. Anthony Brown & Friends Comedy Jam also features special friends Sheryl Underwood (who has performed on several comedy specials including those by Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence) and veteran comedian and Seinfeld chum George Wallace. Also scheduled to appear on the comedy roster: Huggy Lowdown, Sybil, Chris Paul, Myra J, Ms. Dupree, Annie Mcknight, and Ron G.
While its true J. Anthony has become synonymous as the co-host of the popular nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, he has also been the host of BET’s “Comic View†and has had the opportunity to hone his craft with multiple appearances on “Showtime at the Apollo,†“An Evening at the Improv,†and HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam.â€
Like his contemporaries Steve Harvey and Earthquake, J. Anthony has been able to successfully cross comedic boundaries and appeal to a much wider audience than most “urban†comedians. But, a successful stand-up career wasn’t always his primary goal.
Don’t be fooled by the pimp wear –Brown has always been a funny man with a fierce entrepreneurial spirit. He left Columbia in the 70’s to attend Morris College in Atlanta. However, upon falling $300 short on tuition, rather than pack up, J. Anthony did what he felt he had to do: he entered a local talent competition with the hopes of securing enough prize winnings to enter college. While he didn’t exactly knock the audience dead that night, the inextinguishable spark of standup comedy had been lit. He decided then to put aspirations of college aside in hopes of pursuing his newfound talent.
“The minute I started comedy, I knew I was gonna be funny,†he says. “I went on stage and bombed a lot until I got it. I’d go in a club and ask if they could stop the music and let me go on stage.â€
Fast forward four decades and you will find a J. Anthony Brown that knows absolutely no limits, comedic or otherwise. He has his Shiva-like hands in a dozen different ventures including (but not limited to) his own comedy club in LA (the J. Spot Comedy Club); his own restaurant (J Spot); the J. Spot Clothing Store that sells his own designs of shoes, jewelry and accessories; his own hot sauce; as well as being a noted sketch artist with works featured in Washington, D.C. With all of this, he still manages to volunteer in his spare time for the American Diabetes Association.
In light of all of his numerous responsibilities, Columbia is fortunate to have him slow down long enough to make us remember what started it all -laughter. “I’m a comedian. Standup is my loyalty.â€
talkback@columbiacitypaper.com
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July 28th, 2010 on 3:01 pm
[...] Comedy JamColumbia City Paper (blog)The J. Anthony Brown & Friends Comedy Jam also features special friends Sheryl Underwood (who has performed on several comedy specials including those by …J. Anthony Brown & Friends Perform SaturdayFree Timesall 2 news articles » [...]
July 28th, 2010 on 7:16 pm
[...] Comedy JamColumbia City Paper (blog)The J. Anthony Brown & Friends Comedy Jam also features special friends Sheryl Underwood (who has performed on several comedy specials including those by …J. Anthony Brown & Friends Perform SaturdayFree Timesall 2 news articles » [...]