Catching Up With Comedians

Comic Willie Randolph joins host Rich Stein

Willie Randolph was fresh out of the air force and looking to go pre-med when he strolled into the Claremont, Ca. Laff Stop one night.  An Ohio native, his family had transplanted to San Bernadino, California and Willie had never planned to be a comic but his natural talents, charm and likability gained him quick amateur status and before long he became a dependable and sought after emcee, host and booker.  
I took no time at all for Willie to fall in love with the comedy life, night life and getting paid to tour the country with comics and friends and get paid well to do it.  He opened for Jay Leno early on at the Houston, Texas LAFF STOP and that credit served him well all the way up until he became a road headliner which wasn't too many years after he had started.
I know you will enjoy listening to Willie talk about his many appearances opening for big name singers and appearing on just about every cable comedy show that employed comics steadily through the eighties and nineties. Still the same nice, humble guy he  has always been, he discusses a few health hiccups and detours but life has brought him full circle back to Claremont with his wife and his son who is about the age now that Willie was when he started his journey.    Ladies and Gentleman, coming to the mic, it is my pleasure to introduce to you,   Willie Randolph....

Ron Coleman joins host Rich Stein

Ron Coleman started his comedy career in southern California around 1989. He found success quickly and before long he was a sought after opening and feature act on the road. Once he started working he was picked up by The Improv, Catch a Rising Star and other chain clubs and he was working week long engagements.  By the late nineties comedy had cooled off from the boom of the eighties. Ron married and moved to Las Vegas around the year 2000. Before long his family grew to four and he started his own trucking company called Ron Coleman Transport and he had a booming business working with the convention center business in and around Las Vegas. As time went on he missed his comedy days and decided to go back to it while maintaining his trucking business. Before long he had started getting enough comedy work just in Las Vegas that he and his wife decided it was time to cash in their chips, sell the trucking company and Ron returned full time to stand up comedy. Ron has been one of the best friends I ever made in comedy. He works hard and has always been a friend and support system to many up and comers and always a faithful friend from our original group which I was proud to belong to with Ron always as our "Sarge!" You couldn't meet a nicer and funnier guy who also is a fan of any comic who puts themself out there and takes that chance every night on stage.  Ladies and Gentleman:  Ron Coleman

Sam Fedele joins host Rich Stein

I first met Sam Fedele in the early nineties. I had been working the stand up circuit for at least five years but he came in with nothing but pure energy and enthusiasm. As it turns out Sam had grown up in New Jersey and after serving his country as a marine, he had married young, and started his own blueprint business.  He had grown dissatisfied with that job and with the encouragement of his wife Kim ( and a growing family of one daughter and one on the way) he jumped into stand up comedy and has never looked back for one second.  
Watching Sam perform is akin to watching a happy tiger prowling the stage as he is always in motion and is very physical sometimes leaping from the stage into the crowd or running across the stage to make a point or just have fun.
Sam started going on the road and worked the national circuit of comedy clubs.  As a former marine he eventually added the military tours to his comedy caravan working such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait and many others to entertain the troops. 
He has additionally become a much sought after comedian working the cruise ship circuit as well as opening for Celebrities such as Ray Romano, Brad Garrett and many others. He performed alongside Brad Garrett on a very funny week of Celebrity Family Feud and Sam will be performing at Brad Garretts Comedy Club at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at the end of July. I know you will enjoy the great spirit and fun chat I have with Sam about his great ride in stand up comedy.

Chance Langton joins host Rich Stein

Chance Langton was born and raised in Quincy Mass. Music and songwriting were his first loves and he had been writing songs and performing music as a pro when he was performing at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and one day happened to drive past the Comedy Store in the late seventies.  Doing 6-7 minutes was like a walk in the park for Chance so when he was passed by owner Mitzi Shore at his very first audition, he joined a very elite cadre of comics who were already regulars at what was the first generation of comics to turn professional after having made their bones at the very same club. Chance used his musical gifts as well as his sharp comedy material and timing to kind of switch careers. He returned to Boston, which had arguably the greatest pool of talent developing in any major city anywhere else in the country including Los Angeles and New York.  In our conversation Chance tells many stories of his journey both working with many of the greats and also what managers, agents and others did for him and how he might have done a few things differently if he had known then what he knows now.  All comics big and small have their struggles but Chance remains to this day one of not only the greatest to come out of Boston, but one of the greatest to come out of the comedy explosion of the 1980's.  I hope you enjoy listening to this great comic, musician and New Englander: Sir Chance of Langton...

Gene Hamm joins host Rich Stein

Like most Artistic youngsters, Gene never understood why his teachers always said that,
"You Can Only Do One Thing!"
Gene loved Drawing, Acting and Music, so one day he wrote them all on a piece of paper and threw them into the air and when they landed they opened up the portal for ANIMATION. 
Gene had some great mentors early on and along the way he has worked for and with everyone from Hanna Barbera, Disney, Walter Lantz, Tex Avery, Art Klokey to his own company... HAMMINATION!
In Addition to that, he taught ANIMATION for ten years passing along his artistry to the next generation of animators. Like many actors and creatives, he spent enough time at The Improv and The Comedy Store in LA, to eventually develop his own comedy routines and I for one can attest to seeing his act in Los Angeles in a theater not even six months ago and he is like a Gentle Giant morphing the one liners of Stephen Wright with the wacky style of Jonathan Winters. I know you will enjoy hearing the wisdom and wit of my guest, Gene Hamm.
 

Jaz Kaner joins host Rich Stein

Jaz Kaner was a guitar player working in clubs and bars in Hawaii and eventually even worked for Don Ho. After getting a few laughs while on stage he eventually moved to the San Francisco area to try out his musical variety / comedy act amongst the Robin Williams', Paula Poundstone's and other up and comers who made up that scene. Jaz worked for many years, in comedy clubs, colleges, and eventually cruise ships. He now makes his living as the founder and C.E.O. of BANZAI SURFING in Huntington Beach. They are a year round surfing school for children and people of all ages who enjoy the beach and want to just start out as a beginner or increase their skills at surfing. I know you will enjoy the multi talented and always funny Jaz Kaner as we ride the waves of laughter, together! SURF'S UP! 

Actor/ Comic Brad Slaight joins host Rich Stein

Brad Slaight was raised in Cedar Springs just outside of Grand Rapids Michigan. After completing two years as a high school teacher and just shy of tenure, he was asked by his older brother to join him for a life changing trip to California. He thought about it for five minutes before saying YES! 
All these years later and Brad has carved out quite a career as an actor, writer and comedian. One of those rare beings who has successfully avoided a day job because he uses many talents and trades to make his living.  The author of more than a dozen plays, he earns his royalties whenever these plays are performed on a stage. He has written for episodic television as well as acted in many shows such as Parks and Recreation and a two year turn on The Young and the Restless, where he played Izzy Adams, the Scoundrel!
As a comic he worked for years in a group called Moving Violations as well as part of a two man team with comic Buzz Belmondo. Brad continues to perform as a stand up comic as he is now in a position where he can choose the gigs he will enjoy doing.  He also has worn the hats of producer, director and editor so he sets a great example to both young and old in the business; Don't wait for the world to come to you, but rather produce the best stuff you can and get it out there for the world to see!

Comedienne KAT SIMMONS joins host Rich Stein

Kat Simmons is a 32 year veteran of the international comedy club circuit.  She has appeared on numerous comedy shows on television such as Comedy Tonight and Candid Camera. Her clean and conversational style have made her a regular top draw on the corporate circuit both as a keynote speaker and a person who can connect with a specific group and get big laughs. 
After moving from the Lake Tahoe area down to LA to break into stand up and learn her craft in 1987, she left LA in 1992 to return back to her home in Carson Valley, Nevada where she would start a family and continue to perform, produce and teach comedy all while raising her kids in the place where she has called home for most of her adult life.   She produced her own comedy show at the Carson Valley Inn Casino for fifteen years all the while teaching comedy workshops to people of all ages, to help others find their empowerment through humor.  Kat is also very passionate about animals, the environment and her entire community. I know you will enjoy hearing just some of Kat's stories and memories from her truly inspirational and unique comedy career!
 
 

Steve Mazan joins host Rich Stein

Comedian Steve Mazan has fit a lot of living into his 25 year career.  Hailing from The Hanover Park section of Chicago, and inspired by SNL, Richard Pryor and other greats he went after his dream to be a stand up comic. His career was moving along nicely when at age 34 he was given the scary diagnosis of stage four liver cancer. Being always the positive thinker he determined that he would get on David Letterman in the time he had left.  The great news is he made it onto David Letterman by 2009 and his Documentary, "DYING TO DO LETTERMAN" came out in 2011, and it was fantastic!  Along the way he discusses his loving wife, Denise, his circle of friends and comics who have helped him and I can vouch for how many comics and friends he has helped along the way. I know you will enjoy hearing the stories and the journey of my friend, Steve Mazan

Keith Ross Nelson joins host Rich Stein for stories and laughs

Comedian Keith Ross Nelson joins Rich to talk about his early years in track and field and trying out his comedy in college lecture classes. Keith discusses over thirty years of touring, including funny stories about legendary road warriors and his current work producing, acting and writing for series and comedy specials.