John Henton, known to TV viewers as a cast member of both Living Single and The Hughleys, had never thought about becoming a professional stand-up comic. One day, though, in the early 1980s, his co-workers at a Cleveland-area warehouse dared him to take the stage on amateur night at a local comedy club. “We would clown around, just telling jokes to make the day go by," he recalls. "I wrote some jokes down that Friday and went down to the (competition) that Sunday and I’ve been doing comedy ever since."
Moving to L.A., the going was tough, at first. "(I) realized I wasn’t as funny as I thought I was,” he laughs. “So I had to start all over again, just trying to make a name for myself. Took a couple of chump jobs, that way I could work (and) if I had a gig on the road I could just take off and still do that.” Within a few years stand-up was his full-time profession. However, it wasn't until an appearance on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson that things really took off for Henton.
He performs Thursday-Sunday at Funny Bone on the Levee. Tickets are $14-$16. Get showtimes, buy tickets and find venue details here.
