Jimmie JJ Walker will appear at the Headliners Comedy Club at The Clarion Hotel, 21 Front St., at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Rising from the streets of New York’s ghettos to television stardom, Walker personifies the great American success story.
His catch phrase “Dyn-o-mite!” became part of the modern vernacular.
Walker was born in New York’s South Bronx. He didn’t grow up with thoughts of performing as a potential occupation. His life in the Projects centered on the basketball courts and ignoring school.
He left high school before graduating and joined the work force, holding a number of odd jobs, including working as a vendor at Yankee Stadium.
He entered the federally funded SEEK program, short for Search for Education, Evaluation and Knowledge, which accepted students who needed an educational “half-way house” as they climbed the educational ladder. At age 19, Walker had some catching up to do with his grammar lessons, but his writing skills became stronger when he began writing for a class in Oral Interpretation—and along the way, he discovered he was funny. Upon completion of the SEEK program, Walker began to learn about the world of radio at the RCA Technical Institute.
He started as an engineer, which required a first-class license that was available only through hours of study and by passing a test. Within a year he had earned his first-class ticket to the future.
Walker walked into a small local radio station, WRVR, and was immediately hired as a part-time engineer at a salary of $100 a week. In 1967, he improved his “day job” by moving up to WMCA radio for $250 a week, but comedy was still something he wanted to try.
A friend introduced him to The Last Poets, a group dedicated to performing militant poetry. The group needed an opening act and after a successful audition, Walker opened for the Poets at the East Wind in Harlem on New Year’s Eve.
He did five minutes of standup and floored the crowd.
By 1969, Walker was on stage at the African Room in Manhattan along with a few other up-and-coming talents, including Bette Midler, David Brenner and Steve Landesberg.
In those early days, doing “The Tonight Show” was a direct line to stardom. Brenner made it first, followed by Landesberg, Midler and Freddie Prinze, but by 1972, Walker still hadn’t landed that “big break.”
Then Brenner, Landesberg and Midler, scheduled for the powerhouse “Jack Paar Show,” refused to appear unless Walker was also given a spot.
The Paar staff gave in and Walker’s first guest shot was successful. Dan Rowan, who had seen the show, flew Walker to Los Angeles to guest on a “Laugh In” special. That was followed by a second guest spot on “Jack Paar” and a contract with CBS to perform each week as the audience warm-up for the sitcom “Carlucci’s Department.” Spotted by the casting director for Norman Lear of “All in the Family” fame, Walker accepted a part in Lear’s new urban-styled comedy series, “Good Times.” The role of the broadly strutting, wisecracking J.J. Evans would launch his career higher.
But despite Walker success on the big and small screens, stand-up comedy remains his first love. Walker currently tours the country 35 to 45 weeks a year performing live, and guesting on game shows and late- night television.
Tickets are $25. Call 669-2660 for reservations.
