Doug Williams, Host
Doug Williams has served as host and executive producer of "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-up" for the past four seasons.
Born and raised in Montgomery Alabama, Doug quickly realized that he had an affinity for entertainment. After being put out of a local high school rap group because his rhymes were more humorous than serious, a friend suggested he give stand-up comedy a try. So in January 1990 Doug stepped on stage at a comedy club in Huntsville, Alabama for the first time and found his calling.
After graduating from Alabama State University in January of 1995, he decided to move to Los Angeles where he landed his first role in a major film The Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy only two months after his arrival. From there, his off-beat style of stand-up comedy has resonated with his audiences and made him a favorite on the comedy circuit.
Television credits include Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) "Club Comic View" where he completed a one hour stand-up comedy special; Comedy Central’s "Premium Blend VIII," "Vibe," "The Keenen Ivory Wayans show," "The Bernie Mac Show," and "Close to Home." He fulfilled a life-long dream when he performed on "It’s Showtime at the Apollo."
Doug has been seen as "Kevin" on the HBO’s comedy series "The Mind of the Married Man." In addition, he appeared in "The Cabbie" and has made numerous appearances on BET’s sketch comedy show "The Way We Do It." He can also be seen in the stand-up comedy movie, The Big Black Comedy Show with Mo’Nique which is currently out on DVD now.
Anguz Black
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Credits: "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-up" (Season 4)
Brooklyn Mike
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Credits: "Chappelle's Show," "The Jon Stewart Show," "Comedy Central," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "Comic View," "Def Comedy
Jam," "SNAPS," "Hard Rock Live," "Uptown Comedy Club," "The Comedy Factory" (produced in Holland)
Additional Information: Graduated from Shaw University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice
Buddy Lewis
Hometown: Gary, Indiana
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," Woo, Beverlyhood, House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute
Additional Information: Graduated from Howard University with a study emphasis in Microbiology. He is also a contributing staff writer to "Comedy: The Magazine." Upcoming films include Big Stan, Group Therapy, Black Dynamite, Robosapien: Rebooted
Chalant
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Credits: Double Take, Foolish, My Baby's Daddy, JAG, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "City Guys," and has toured with comedians
Eddie Griffin and Jay Anthony Brown.
Additional Information: Chalant also focuses on acting and producing. He is currently transitioning more into the production side of film and television.
Charles Walden
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "Apollo Comedy Hour," "Kevin Hart's One-Mic Stand"
Chris 'KID' Reid
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Credits: "Martin," "Sister, Sister," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "Your Big Break," "Real Time with Bill Maher," "Comics
Unleashed with Byron Allen," "Celebracadabra, " House Party and sequel films House Party 2 and House Party 3, Class Act, He Got
Game, The Temptations
Additional Information: Chris is an actor, comedian, and musician, best known as one-half of late-1980s/early-1990s hip hop musical duo "Kid 'n Play." The hip hop duo released three albums and starred in a series of popular House Party films. While in "Kid 'n Play," Chris was particularly noted for his extreme hi-top fade hairstyle.
Courtney Gee
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," Jamie Foxx Show
Additional Information: Attended Youngstown State University and Grambling State University with a study emphasis in Communication. Courtney Gee has been performing stand-up comedy for 18 years. He is currently writing a novel.
Darius Bradford
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Credits: "Comic View," "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy," "Rickey Smiley Morning Show," The Way We Do It
Deon Cole
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Nick Cannon Presents: Wild N' Out" and "Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz", "Comedy Central's
Laffapalooza," Barbershop and Barbershop 2
Additional Information: Attended Philander Smith College. Deon was a finalist in NBC's "Stand-Up for Diversity" showcase and he won BET's Robin Harris Award for most original comic.
Dick Gregory
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Credits: Film credits include One Bright Shining Moment, The Hot Chick, Children of the Struggle, Panther, Sweet Love, Bitter.
Gregory has authored and contributed to several books including his autobiography, "Code Name Zorro: The Murder of Martin Luther
King Jr. (1971)," and "Callus On My Soul: A Memoir (2003)." He has released several comedy albums including In Living Black and
White, Dick Gregory Talks Turkey, Dick Gregory Running for President, Caught in the Act, The Best of Dick Gregory
Additional Information: Dick Gregory is recognized as a comedy legend and Civil Rights activist. Gregory took part in the Civil Rights Movement and continues to use his celebrity status to draw attention to such issues as segregation and disfranchisement. He is noted as one of the comedians who helped break the racial barriers within American comedy. Gregory attended Southern Illinois University on a track scholarship and served in the United States Army, where he launched the start of his comedy career. He has been performing comedy at a national level since 1961.
He is married to his wife Lillian and has ten children.
Don 'D.C.' Curry
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "Comic View," Next Friday, Friday After Next, "The Steve Harvey Show"
Additional Information: Attended Bishop State College with a study emphasis in Accounting. D.C. got his start at an open mic night; the club ran out of comedians, he volunteered to perform and has been performing for 18 years. He won the coveted title of "Comedian of the Year" by winning the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition, of which he is now the perennial host and was a series regular on ABC's "Grace Under Fire." During the fall and winter of 2006, D.C. starred in the national touring stage play "Casino," and also starred in the Gospel musical "If You Won't Tell, I Won't Tell." D.C. is also a restaurant owner in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently in the process of launching a health awareness tour.
Esau McGraw
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "Jamie Foxx Presents: Big Black Comedy #1," Chicago Pulaski Jones; performed as "Sunny" in
the feature film Idlewild, starring Andre Benjamin and Antoine Patton of Outkast.
Gary Owen
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Credits: "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," "Comic View," Daddy Day Care, Little Man, Rebound, Held Up, College
Additional Information: Gary served in the U.S. Navy and was chosen for the prestigious Presidential Honor Guard. Gary later became a military police officer at the Naval Installations on Coronado Island in San Diego. During that time, he embarked on his true calling - stand-up comedy. One night while hanging with his service buddies, Owen worked up the nerve to perform at a nightclub. After only a year of doing stand-up, he was named "Funniest Serviceman in America." San Diego's African-American community embraced him, and he went on to win the "Funniest Black Comedian in San Diego" contest.
Guy Torry
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "Comedy Central," American History X, Life, Trippin', Ride, Runaway Jury, Don't Say a
Word, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Additional Information: Attended Southeast Missouri State. Guy has been performing stand-up comedy for 17 years and continues his acting career on television and the big screen.
Hope Flood
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "Comedy Central," Baby Boy
Additional Information: Hope is the Owner/CEO of the non-profit organization, A Nickel of Hope, Inc.
James Hannah
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "Cedric the Entertainer Presents," "My Wife and Kids," "The Steve Harvey Show," "P. Diddy
Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy," "Jamie Foxx's Laffapolooza," "Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen"
Additional Information: James has been performing stand-up comedy for over 20 years. He is currently a member of the Writers Guild of America and has written for television shows such as "The Steve Harvey Show," "My Wife & Kids," "Cedric The Entertainer Presents," "The Big House," "Chris Rock's "Never Scared," and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." James has rewritten two major film releases, Cooking 4 Luv and Spinderfella, which are both are currently in production.
Joe Clair
Hometown: Seat Pleasant, Maryland
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," host of "BET's Rap City," Train Ride, High Freakquency
Additional Information: Graduated from Morgan State University with a B.A. in Psychology
Jonathon Gates
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Credits: "Comic View"
Additional Information: Jonathon has been performing stand-up comedy for over 20 years. He coaches a semi-pro football team. He is involved in a philanthropic cause entitled, "Man-up Movement," which motivates men to take a stand against violence within the inner-city.
Kier Spates
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Credits: "Comic View," Tom Joyner's Fantastic Voyage, and had opened for comedians Nephew Tommy and Steve Harvey.
Additional Information: Attended Prairie View A&M University with a study emphasis in Mechanical Engineering
Lester Barrie
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam: More Allstars," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "Comic View,"
Additional Information: Attended University of Southern California with a study emphasis in Communication. Lester is a Pastor of a small Sunday morning Ministry. He also teaches 4th grade elementary school.
Mark Viera
Hometown: New York, New York
Credits: "30 Rock"
Michael Blackson aka African King of Comedy
Birthplace: Ghana, West Africa
Credits: "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy," "Comic View," "Showtime at the Apollo," Next Friday, Repos, Internet Dating
Nikki Carr
Hometown: New York, New York
Credits: "Comic View," various "BET's Top 25" commentary shows, "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-up" (Season 4)
Ray Lipowski
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Credits: "Comic View," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy," "White Boyz in the Hood," "The
Funny Spot"
Richard Vos
Hometown: Plainfield, New Jersey
Credits: "Def Comedy Jam," "Comedy Central," "The View," "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "American Dreams,"
"Opie and Anthony"
Rickey Smiley
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Credits: "Comic View," "The Way We Do It," guest presenter on the "2001 NAACP Image Awards," Friday After Next
Additional Information: Rickey Smiley has been working the comedy circuit for the past sixteen years and it has paid off. Rickey continues to establish his comedy career using "clean" comedy. He is devoted to church and in involved in charities such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Rickey can currently be heard every weekday on Dallas' 97.9 The Beat radio station.
Rob Stapleton
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Credits: "Comedy Central," "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy," "Def Comedy Jam"
Ronnie Jordan
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Credits: "Comic View," "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy"
Additional Information: Attended University of West Georgia with a study emphasis in Television and Radio Broadcasting. Ronnie has been performing stand-up comedy for eight years. In addition to comedy, he produces music beats and has enjoyed cooking since the age of five.
Special K
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in Decatur, Georgia
Credits: "Comic View," "Robert Townsend's, 'Partners in Crime," "Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes," "Rickey Smiley Morning Show,"
"Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-up" (Season 4)
Additional Information: Special K has been performing stand-up comedy for over 10 years. He is the author and self-publisher of the book entitled,"100 Problems, 100 Solutions - Solving Life's Problems Shouldn't Take All D*mn Day (2005)." He is currently the head comedy writer and has a feature role on the nationally syndicated "Rickey Smiley Morning Show." He is also the featured comedian on the nationally syndicated radio show, "Two Live Stews." He has been selected to play the lead role in an upcoming independent film entitled, Strip-Off.
Talent
Hometown: Mount Vernon, New York
Credits: "Comedy Central," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "SNAPS," "98.7 KISS FM Wakeup Club,"
Sunset Park, Brotherly Love, A Brother's Kiss, Fulgazi
TuRae Gordan
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Credits: "Soul Comedy Café," "Def Comedy Jam," "Comic View," "The Funny Spot," "Robert Townsend's, "Partners in Crime"
Additional Information: Attended Temple University. TuRae has been performing stand-up comedy for 15 years and involved as a community activist.