How to go
Who: Don “DC” Curry
Where: Funny Bone Comedy Club, 88 Plum St., The Greene, Beavercreek
When: 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $20-$50
More info: (937) 429-LAFF (5233) or www.daytonfunnybone.com
Artist info: www.dondccurry.com
Don Curry, performing at The Funny Bone Comedy Club in Beavercreek Friday through Sunday, is a man of many talents. His primary vocation is stand-up comedian, but he is also in demand as an actor, voice-over artist and leader of his own R&B band.
Here’s some background on multifaceted performer also known as “DC.”
Origin story: Don Curry was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 7, 1961. He never planned on doing stand-up, but that changed one fateful night while attending an open-mike contest. There was a shortage of performers willing to test their microphone skills so the club invited audience members up, including Curry who was encouraged enough by his time on stage to give it another try.
Paying his dues: Curry honed his skills on the open mike circuit for several years before landing his first paid gig opening up for Paul Mooney in the late 1980s. Even though he only got paid $70 for a week of performances and ran up a bar tab of $50, Curry could finally call himself a professional comedian. He never looked back.
Top talent: In 1995, Curry was named Comedian of the Year by BET and took the top prize at the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition, which he now hosts each year. He went on to showcase his stand-up act on television programs such as "Comedy Central Presents," "Weekends at the DL," "Comics Unleashed," "Martin Laurence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up" and "Comic View."
Small-screen actor: Curry was a series regular on the sitcom "Grace Under Fire" in 1997 and 1998. He has done guest spots on "The Steve Harvey Show," "The Tracy Morgan Show" and "Everybody Hates Chris," and provided the voice for Mr. Ruckus in an episode of the animated series, "The Boondocks."
Feature films: Outside of stand-up, Curry is best known as crazy Uncle Leroy in the two "Friday" sequels, "Next Friday" (2000) and "Friday After Next" (2002). His other big-screen credits include the low budget crime thriller "Two Degrees" (2001) and the indie drama "Tears of a Clown" (2005), which were both written and directed by Tony Spires.
Political discourse: Curry was recently featured in comedian Michael Colyar's pro-Obama documentary, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House." The film also features appearances by Anthony Anderson, Allen Iverson, Leela James, Mike Epps and more than 30 other comedians, actors and pop-culture figures discussing the impact of President Obama's time in office.
About the Author