Dennis Blair Comic/Musician Opened for George Carlin & Dangerfield Show#169

Don't miss this amazing story, how a new comic/musician, Dennis Blair,  fell into amazing opportunities and ended up as the opening act for Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Joan Rivers,  and Jackie Mason....AND opened concerts for Paul Anka, Three Dog Night, and the Beach Boys! An incredible career, and all shared on this podcast. In addition, as always, some of his comedy-music is shared as well. Enjoy!

Hosted by: R. Scott Edwards

Transcript

Announcer: 0:04

This is another episode of stand up comedy, your host and emcee, celebrating 40 plus years on the fringe of show business, stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not so famous. Here's your host and MC, Scott and words.

Scott Edwards: 0:22

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us for another exciting episode, we have gotten into the deep annals of comedy success with the gentleman we're interviewing today, he is worked with some of the biggest names in comedy. He himself is a very successful and talented stand up comic, but much, much more than that he is a great musician, and has had a chance to work with some of the best in that industry. But instead of talking about him, let's talk with him. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the show. Dennis. Blair.

Dennis Blair: 1:00

Hey, what a crowd What a crowd.

Scott Edwards: 1:01

Yeah, little Rodney right there, right?

Dennis Blair: 1:05

Yeah. Hey, up there. I didn't know it was as popular. Okay.

Scott Edwards: 1:10

Well, Dennis, you've been in the industry almost as long as me maybe even a little longer, and have had a chance with to work with some of the biggest names, but to kind of introduce yourself to my audience, as a successful musician and a successful stand up comic. You've done TV, movies, all kinds of amazing fun things. But how did it all start? Were you a teenager? Were you already in college? Tell us how it started? Well, let's see. Well, I mean, I guess I guess the seeds were planted in high school because I started the Yasmina study period when I was younger. I was studying during high school and the teacher wasn't there. And I started doing downloads. You remember David fry the?

Dennis Blair: 1:53

Yeah. So I was like, obsessed with him. And I just started doing David Fry's impression of Hubert Humphrey. And it broke the class up, so I'm going, Wow, okay. I guess I'm funny. That was like the first. I had they did one thing in grammar school, I think, instances here and they always said, Okay, I guess I'm kind of funny. So anyway, so what are those guys that might have been dubbed the class clown? Or at least you discovered that you could make people laugh in an early age? Yeah, yeah. So you know, but my main thing was music. I was a I was a guitar player, singer. And I started writing songs when I was 12. For fun, wow. Yeah. And so but there was when I was in my 20s, doing the spark gig, you know, just doing you know, cover songs, James Taylor, Paul, Simon, you know, the Eagles and stuff like that. No one's listening. They just talking and I'm like, getting offended, because they're not listening to my art, you know. So I just got pissed off, I went upstairs and like, wrote this parody of the stayin alive was big at the time, and I wrote a parody called sing it too high. And I came back after my break and did a couple of regular songs. And then I launched into singing too high and people, like, stopped and they're going, I think he got the words wrong. I don't think it was the word. And, and I kept going, and they started saying, Oh, he Oh, it's, I get it. He's making fun of it. And they started laughing. And I said, I don't know, maybe I'm onto something. But then I started coming up with a couple more parodies. And then I came came up with some patterns between the patterns. So within a couple of months, I had a little 20 minute comedy act, you know, that I could kind of do and then I went to Dangerfield, someone named Tony. And I moved into Manhattan couple a year later, and someone told me there was a guy at Dangerfield, who, you know, they have an open mic night, on Sunday. And I went down to that and got on at 130 in the morning, after, after following jugglers and mines and all sorts of things. And luckily, the show went really well. And they they hired me to be the opening act of danger for the next week. That Oh, well.

Scott Edwards: 4:00

So just to recap for everybody, instead of going into comedy. As a comic, as a stand up comic, you really were a musician that found that you could capture the audience by doing comedy parodies. And then as you mentioned, the pattern between the songs you start writing some material start interacting with the audience. And, you know, almost you know, Shazam, you're a stand up comic. I think that's really a different way to have ended up in the career. I didn't explain to the audience you are a East Coast comic. This was in New York, what year would this be about?

Dennis Blair: 4:41

That was 19 to be at the very end of 1979 is when I did that little Dangerfield thing so

Scott Edwards: 4:47

literally right before the big calm you know, several well few years but I mean before the comedy boom, you were already stretching your legs in the comedy industry. And of course was being the opening act it Dangerfields gives you an opportunity to really work and meet some of the best in the business.

Dennis Blair: 5:09

Oh, yeah. And it was great because I didn't have to, you know, at that time, I don't have to do it now. But I'd have to stand on line to catch a rising star and get a number, you know, stand on line for two, three hours and hope you get on that night and, you know, do three minutes or something, you know, I got, I got a gig where I could do from the beginning, like 25 minutes of opening act stuff, you know, so I was able to grow pretty quickly, you know, just develop stuff. Fasting,

Scott Edwards: 5:34

As a comedy producer and I opened my club in 1980. I used to love comic musicians, because audiences do and you have to tell me if you agree or disagree, but there is something about music, that since birth, audiences are taught to respect and listen to music, and even if it sucks, we all kind of break into applause when it's done. And as a producer, I like comic musicians. Robert McGuire was one that comes to mind Mac and Jamie as a comedy team. A lot of music, Dana Carvey was huge in music, and that you're getting not only the comedy, but you're immediately getting that attention grabbing music. Is that how you? It sounds like that's what worked for you.

Dennis Blair: 6:25

Yeah, I mean, it was nothing I ever planned out. I just, I was just bored at that my clever. They weren't listening to me. And I just started doing a parody. And that seemed to work. So why not, you know, put the pedal to the metal and keep doing that kind of thing. But I knew that's all I could I couldn't just do that. Go from song to song. Here's another song I'm gonna ruin for you. And I just couldn't do it.

Scott Edwards: 6:46

That's a great

Dennis Blair: 6:48

I ruin people's memories. That's mine. That's my goal in life. You know, I used to like that song. But now I can't listen to it anymore. Because here's the old word, the new word. But I developed some just played with the audience and develop some stand up here and there that you know, that became a thing. Yeah, but the music was the the music is the thing that even today just get some going.

Scott Edwards: 7:09

Yeah, it really is a great attention grabber. But as an opening act emcee, you have to develop the skills to interact with an audience, kind of be light on your feet and be able to pivot and direct the interaction with an audience. I'm sure you learned some great comedy skills and those early days. Do you remember writing your first joke or remember what you were doing? Topic wise, or joke wise, in that time,

Dennis Blair: 7:36

I was I was doing a lot of the first bunch of patterns. Because it because I opened up with I usually opened up with singing too high. Then I just did some riffs on disco, because people hated disco back then. And I just did a certain stuff about like some of the disco singers but not actually doing a parry I was just like, you know, remembering, you know, like, the on the drum sounds. You know, a lot of even George Carlin told me, you know, your act is a lot of sound. Do you know, do the disco drum and how they're all the same? And you know, and that kind of stuff. And from that, you know, I don't remember what I wrote at that specific time. But I started doing, you know, take those on TV shows that were on commercials that were on and you know, I mean, the stuff that's kind of, I guess, could be considered a little bit hacky. But when I started, when I started out, that's what I was doing just to get their attention. And they'd been they would laugh, you know, they laughed about it, keep them in and mixing it with the song and always ended big with the fundamental, I think my ending at the time was the John Denver. Right. And that ends with two of his songs. So that was the big ending. While the workout, it just evolved that way.

Scott Edwards: 8:42

Yeah. And what's interesting, this, this could be a bad analogy, but it sounds like you're almost like a prop comic of music, where you're, you're pulling ideas in parodies from life, like TV, commercials, disco, and modern music, and really twisting on it. Like, you know, Bruce Baum would take some prop. And you know, we look at it, and it's a globe of the world. But in his hands, it was two or three jokes.

Dennis Blair: 9:12

Right? Exactly. Yeah. And yeah, so I guess that's kind of what I did, you know, just wanted to wound up doing that sort of thing. And little did I know how much difficult it has been difficulty was going to create for me to get on TV shows. But that's another story.

Scott Edwards: 9:25

Yeah, that's one of the drawbacks of doing parodies, of course, is that because of registration rights and all that you can't get on TV and rip off someone's song without paying him for it at least. But you've developed into a comic musician, you're already working at a great club. At what point did you decide or did you figure out that while I'm a comic, and I could work more than just this room, I could, too, or go out and make some money doing this?

Dennis Blair: 9:56

Well, again, this is the kind of thing that happens with us.And you couldn't have planned it. You know, I'm opening the first person I opened for that week and they said, Hey, you want to open for Jack and Jackie Mason? They said, they said you want to open for Jackie Mason next week? And I said, Yeah, that that that can be that can be arranged.

Scott Edwards: 10:15

That's incredible. For those that are too young to know Jackie Mason is like the Milton Berle or I mean, Bob Hope at the time, when it came to stand up comedy. He was amazing. Yeah, you might want to work with him. Yeah.

Dennis Blair: 10:31

Yeah. But yeah, back in my mind is going is this actually happening? Like, I just addition to this, this is like the I shouldn't shouldn't say Come back next week and try again. Anyway, so I overcame that the whole week. And he became a fan, you know, and, and at the end of that week, I was doing my first show of the night. And Rodney comes walking in to come off the truck, the standing there. And it was a good show. People were clapping and laughing. And he says to me, they obviously like what you do, what do you do? Because he hadn't. And I told him, I do parodies and stand up here. And there you go. So I'm gonna watch this. So he watched the second show. And he he became a big fan. So now it's like every week. I'm like, oh, Jackie Mason really likes me. And Rodney really likes me and what the hell's happening here. And then he just finished doing Caddyshack. And he suddenly became the hottest comic in America. And long story very short. He took me on tour with them, like 3000 seat theaters.

Scott Edwards: 11:30

How could I mean, that sounds incredibly fast, Dennis. Yeah, were you. I mean, how much time could you do?

Dennis Blair: 11:39

At that time, I could do about 30 to 30 minutes. So that was plenty for when you're opening up for somebody like Daingerfield. That's usually more than they want. They're looking for 15 to 30. But so what a great moment for you. I mean, I'm kind of surprised you survived it. That's such an overnight thing going from Hey, I'm going to be the opening act emcee for Jackie Mason, which is amazing by itself, too. It sounds like literally months later, touring with Rodney Dangerfield. I mean, that had to be scary. Oh, yeah, it was. It was scary. But I was young enough to be stupid enough to not be too scared. I mean, if I if I knew better, I would have been more scared than I was. But I just kind of like went with it. You know? Okay. Yeah, that's gonna be fun, you know. And the very first show I remember was the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and the lights go down, and people are injured. Like, yeah, he attracted beer, drinkin crowds and rowdy, blue collar comic. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So the lights go down the crowds going nuts already. And the announcer says, Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to our stage. Rodney Dangerfield, the opening act and they didn't hear the part.

Scott Edwards: 13:04

Horrible intro,

Dennis Blair: 13:06

horrible intro which I learned from very quickly to change. And I come strolling out and they go from going crazy for like, and then my opening line it's time was Hey, this looks like a disco crowd for the curse on the show, by the way. Oh, it's a podcast. You do whatever you need. Okay. Okay. So you'll get off with Ron having started you know, and I but luckily, my opener was a big song. And they realize, oh, oh, he hates it. didn't hate it, but he's always making fun of it. And then I got some within, you know, four or five minutes. And it went really well by the end.

Scott Edwards: 13:46

So that you intro Rodney or do they have the emcee? Do it we did you become like I had a chance to interview Tom Driessen and Driesen and Frank Sinatra got so close that he did most of Frank's intros.

Dennis Blair: 14:01

No, I think there was an intermission so you know I said

Scott Edwards: 14:06

yeah, like I wouldn't have recommended that and he sort of pre production you want to keep that comedy energy flowing.

Dennis Blair: 14:15

I couldn't be wrong with so long ago by thinking remember, like all Rodney shows, had an intuition.

Scott Edwards: 14:21

And he was like you said a huge celebrity almost overnight with Caddyshack so it wasn't like he needed a warm up it's just that normally in a comedy production point of view, you want to keep the energy keep everything flowing with as minimal a break as possible. But with a celebrity like Rodney Of course he immediately captured and probably didn't care that people were coming back from the restroom or the snack bar during is opening. But that would be just so amazing. Dennis What a lucky I'm gonna say this with all honesty. What a lucky man. You Are that that happened? Now? I want to say that it only happened magically because you obviously had some talent.

Dennis Blair: 15:11

Well, he liked you know, he, like I said, he became a fan and he liked my he thought I was funny on stage. And often we got along, you know, we developed a relationship. You know, I mean, I went through his household budget times, and we wrote together and stuff, but yeah, but from the beginning, he just for some reason we clicked, you know, and what I did did not interfere at all with his style of comedy, my little dopey songs and parodies and his one liners, you know,

Scott Edwards: 15:35

well, we should explain to the audience that there's nothing more energizing to an audience than comedy music. In other words, it's tough enough as a monologist to get the audience on that rhythm of comedy laughter, but music really helps. And I'm sure he found you a great opening act in the sense of getting the audience in the rhythm.

Dennis Blair: 16:01

Yeah, I think that like I said, it seemed to work on his show. And, and people always ask me how your comic opening for a comic? How does that work? Because the comedians and I have opened a whole bunch of comedians in other communities I opened for this, I just know, calm conflict in their style, because I'm a musical guy. So you know, I get that it gets the audience and uplifts the audience that gets in a good mood. So that's what they want. You know, that's what the headliner wants, and it gets their attention and get some laughing and stuff. Well, Dennis, that's a an amazing start to a career, any fun moments with Rodney that would be worthy of sharing. Sure, there was lots but is there anything that stand out? Well, my favorite old Times story is Roger Ebert. You know, the film reviewer was show in Chicago, and he enjoyed the whole show. And he invited both abroad, the enemy to dinner at the pump room was kind of a hell of a fancy place. So we go to eat dinner, and I'm sitting next to Roger, and he's on my left. And Rodney is at the end of the table on my right now, when Rodney ate, you know, his eyes glaze over, he was just there, just as an eating did not want a kid in case in too much conversation. It turned out. Yeah, so I turned out I'm doing most of the chatting with Roger Ebert. And, you know, we're getting to the point where he talks about movies. He's gone. Yeah, well, you know, the Stanislavski method, of course, was the preferred method for many actors, but I prefer the method you know, he's going on with like, these theories of acting and Rodney, listen to this, with his eyes glaze over when he finally puts down his drumstick. And he puts all this bullshit about acting man. Do you want to be mad? You act like a man. You want to be happy. Act like you're happy. So bullshit. Is the fucking gravy.

Scott Edwards: 17:44

Well, you know, that was one of the things I think people loved about Dangerfield is it was so plain spoken. Yeah, it wasn't you didn't have to be a genius to get his comedy. It was really the blue collar, you know, work about man's kind of approach to comedy in acting. I think that's genius. And how did Roger react?

Dennis Blair: 18:07

He just looked. He just looked at me like, Okay. I guess his theories, you know, but I remember much of that, but I really had a cycle myself. I had put a napkin in my mouth almost to stop from laughing because it was such a funny moment. You know, this renowned TV reviewer. It's, you know, it's like a Marx Brothers moment. You know, Groucho dipping the donut in the closet. You know, that's just so great to have experienced that Dennis. Yeah. Now, whenever I tell you, I'm sorry. Whenever I tell people the story, they go. Oh, Rob these lights back, man. Anyway.

Scott Edwards: 18:43

Well, it'll carry on. So now because of this relationship with Rodney, I know that he pulled you into working on the movie easy money. Were you writing or performing? Tell us a little bit about how this relationship with Daingerfield really helped you as your career.

Dennis Blair: 19:01

Right? Well, he at this time that Caddyshack had just come out. But it was just a success. He was still able to work at a club after it became huge. He couldn't work at the club because people couldn't get in, but still was hanging out in the dressing room and he says to me, so they call me the people that made the Caddyshack they call me they want to do a movie starring me. You know, I'm the star of it, you know? So. So then you come up with an idea for a movie. Let me do a comedy, what? Three months. I've gone from going opening for Jagmeet and the opening day of I we weren't doing the theaters yet. But to now all of a sudden, the hottest comic in America is asking me to come up with an idea for a movie for him. I ran. I ran four blocks to my apartment where I was living and it just paste and paste and paste. And I just came up with the idea for raising money, which was you know, the mother in law who hates and says we're going to give $10 million if we stopped smoking, drinking and gambling for one year. He liked the idea He gave us a to two writers PJ award. I'm sure you've heard of him. Let me know the guy who does essays and books and stuff like that he's passed. But and, and Rodney is mad at your husband Michael ends up. They were assigned to write the first draft. They write the first draft. I get a phone call from Radek going, I just read the script again. It's a piece of shit. Yeah, I want you to read it. I want you to tell me what you think. I think it's a piece of shit. I want you to tell me what you think. So we send the script over. I read it. It's a first draft. It's not perfect. That needs some work. But I say Rami, it's okay. It's not the greatest in the world. That's what I thought. That's the piece. I want you to write on the movie. I got Oh, me. Well, we have. So we could have to run. You know, our first writing session at Randy's department. The two writers come in and they're glaring at me because I have no idea. He told them. He went back and told them Dennis agrees with me. It's a piece of shit. I want them moving through you right under the bus. Right under the bus. So so I'm with these two riders, and I'm more friendly. Hey, how you doing? We're gonna run it just glaring at me like fuck you, you know, and I don't have no idea why. And I found out later Rodney told them that and we I said I never said that. But that was our first experience. But you know, we sat around the table for like, two years I've been writing this movie coming up with easy money. That happened.

Scott Edwards: 21:21

Wow. I mean, Dennis, your career meteoric rise is amazing. I've heard some like so called overnight success stories, but none that for comedy that have panned out this well, what an amazing opportunity. And you must have just been having a blast and making some money.

Dennis Blair: 21:42

Yeah, I mean, we did the theatres. And Ronnie was a decent, you know, he wasn't cheap on the pay scale. So I was doing fine and not not amazingly fine, but fine enough to be very happy. And then like the movie, I got, I got a little screwed on the paying of the movie because they saw that I wasn't Writers Guild or they had put me in Writers Guild. I don't know what the deal was. But, but I didn't care because I was on the set of movie almost everyday with Joe Pesci. And you know, all the amazing actors, you know, if they needed a line, they'd go to the writers, the writers were there, we give them a line. So it was just an amazing

Scott Edwards: 22:18

that's just crazy, Dennis, and in how thrilling for you and to happen so fast. Now you weren't a kid anymore, but still in your 20s this would be very scary for a lot of people. And I think it's admirable to you, that you were able to you were thrust into these unique situations. And as you said, you just kind of went with the flow. But there's some that that would not have survived as well as you did. So congratulations on that. Now, well, you're still doing music. And of course it's part of your comedy act. Where did you end up interacting with you know, you're you did some work with Paul Anka three dog night. The Beach Boys? How did that fit into your your musical life? Because you started off as a musician, you're thrust into comedy and comedy writing? That was the music kind of your mental balance?

Dennis Blair: 23:21

Well, if that's when things were going amazing, and like, you know, that whole period was brought me and the people that I opened for it was like, I kind of put the music on the backburner. You know, I mean, I didn't I didn't play the Colombini I didn't do those those guys, you know, as far as playing as a bad guy, you know, singer songwriter, kind of deal. I didn't do that anymore. I still kept writing music. I took some writing songs to here and then but I was really concentrated on becoming a better comic. So you know, as far as writing and performing that stuff, what I was focused on.

Scott Edwards: 23:46

So you did backburner the music and really focused on your comedy writing? Did you find that writing for the movie and for Rodney helped improve your own personal stand up comedy?

Dennis Blair: 23:59

Oh, yeah, I think yeah, absolutely. And, you know, all those things contributed, you know, writing for the movie and having to come up with funny jokes and funny situations, hopefully, and then and then like, going on the road with him, you know, and I still did the club occasion, you know, not very much anymore. But, you know, I still tried to do as much interacting with the audience as I could, because that's how I write a lot of stuff that I write on stage. I'm not really a stay at home kind of writing a comic I mean, I've done it you know, and I can do it but but mostly it's like, oh, I can come up with an idea on stage from either like a participation with the audience or just getting a something that comes to you on stage something about being on stage and performing just gone heightens the brain muscles or something. So if I come up with something good there, then I'll write it down and work on it. So that's, you know, the but I like I said, I kept writing I actually did an album and 9098 of original songs, so I didn't abandon it completely. But there was it was just basically 99% comedy all the time.

Scott Edwards: 25:00

well and for good reason. I mean, you're making a living, you're having some just absolutely amazing experiences, and getting a chance to work with some of the biggest celebrities and actors and people on the business. It's no surprise that it overwhelmed your life for a bit. How did the George Carlin connection come in? Because I know everybody knows that Carlin is one of the stand up comedy gods. He's different than you and they just a straight monologist. Note no gimmicks or music in his act. How do How did the relationship with George start?

Dennis Blair: 25:39

Well, to Rodney, let's just sit back a little bit through Ronnie, I got this great agent named Fred feet and he's you know, he started booking, you know, because people started knowing that, Oh, this guy is pretty funny. You're just a radical. So he started getting me bookings opening for different people. You know, that's how we got he got me. Well, he didn't get me Joan Rivers, but Tom Jones and yeah, I mean, Paul Anka, that's how I got Paul Anka,

Scott Edwards: 26:01

and we're opening for I'm sorry, I thought you did music with Paul and some of the bands you were comically opening for them.

Dennis Blair: 26:11

Yeah, no, this is an opening for people like that. I was all comedy, you know?

Scott Edwards: 26:16

Oh, that makes more sense. And, and again, comedy music is a great opener for a band because the people are there free music and you're not gonna but you're not going to step on the celebrity. Like, you know, three dog night are Paul Anka by doing a riff on disco. So Right.

Dennis Blair: 26:36

I had developed, I have developed a bunch of stand up by that time, too. So it was like more like half and half. So you know, I had both elements in it. Yeah, this guy. That kind of versatility though. Made you valuable. Dennis. I just wanted to say that. Okay, okay. Well, then anyway, but anyway, so leading to this agent calls me up one day and says, Hey, you want to open for George Carlin for three months? It's out of the blue? What's happening with my Life? And I go, let me think about it. No. I'm doing that. So you know, so I'm there a week later I'm in Omaha. I've never met George and pasting in my, my dressing room downstairs going I hope this works out because this and the door opens upstairs the theater door and I hear him just yelling sadness, where the fuck, I'm going down here. This opportunity comes just burst into my dressing room. Hi, I'm George Hill. Hi, I'm Dennis and he takes a whole bunch of my deli tray characters as I'm taking about 50 of these fuck you. So go ahead and just like he's like, look like you've known me for like 50 years or something like that. And we just bullshitting boasting it was okay. Well, I'm glad to have you and How's it go? And I, okay, that just happened. And I go out of state and I do the show. And thank God, it went well. And I come offstage and nobody's there, like George isn't watching. I don't know if he's where I'm going. This is a bad sign. And about two minutes later, I'm heading back to my dressing like you're clapping, coming from behind stage. And it's George, like, applauding me going, that went bucking. Great. We'll see you tomorrow. Okay, so, you know, we'd like to finish the three month tour. And,

Scott Edwards: 28:17

you know, interrupt and just say that, you know, to us in the industry, George column was one of those ground breakers. And in, as I alluded to kind of a stand up comedy God and getting the opportunity to open for him. And I think what's interesting that, and I'm saying this for the sake of my audience, Dennis, because I've worked with a lot of celebrities, is that when you're the fan, you are overwhelmed by the celebrity of somebody. But the celebrity isn't that person, they're just people. And George was approaching you like, Hey, I'm a comic, you're a comic, we're going to be working together. And that might seem unreal to a fan or to an audience member. But in the business, that's really mutual respect your peers. And even though even though he's Carlin, which is God, like, the fact that Dennis Blair is there with him, he's doesn't think of himself that way. He's just a comic. He's just a person. Yeah. And I want to explain to the people that that kind of start to the relationship so epitomizes dealing with celebrity

Dennis Blair: 29:32

Yeah, it's amazing how all these people you know, de Tomic especially are just like you know, you don't they put you at ease to me, you know, of course, before I met him that night it was like oh my god, what am I look what's gonna happen you know, and then like that incident to him, like opening door never met me going down is where the fuck are you? You know, it's like, what? You're not who you are.

Scott Edwards: 29:54

He didn't he didn't stroll in floating on a cloud or anything.

Dennis Blair: 29:58

Oh, no. And I think yeah, obviously he knows. He knew how great wedding gowns people come to see him every night. But yeah, to see the level, it's, you're, it's almost like you're not, but you're, it's almost like you're on the same level. When you're there, and you're on your part of the show, you know, the opening act, and not just some peasant to is allowed to open for me. I would disagree, I think you are on the same level. Yeah, he was a huge celebrity and no disrespect, probably way, way funnier in his way. But you are just as important part of the show is that you're both entertaining the audience, you both had a goal, your job was to entertain the audience in in that respect your equal peers. Because if you don't do well, if you don't entertain the audience, it really affects the beginning of no matter how good he is, it's going to affect the beginning of his set. So right, you know, the audience needs to understand that it's a that to the audience, you're both taking up time and you're entertaining. And you are maybe not equal and celebrity but you're equal and entertainment. And I think that George knew that. I think you learn that. And I think it's amazing that you got this opportunity. Now obviously those three months went well, because I believe over the next decade plus you continue to open for Mr. Carlin. Yeah, well, after the three months were over, he said, basically, we were like having dinner or something like that. Me and him and his manager. And he said, so you want to say that this takes? And I said, Yeah, I think I can fit this into my calendar. So happy to stay on. And you know, there was no it wasn't you want to stay for three more months. It was if you want to stay so however long that was going to be it turns out to be 18 years. So teen years, Dennis?

Scott Edwards: 31:57

Yeah, that is incredible. Most of us in the industry would beg and borrow anything to have 18 minutes with George Carlin, and to be able to open for him for 18 years. What a gift. And I bet you just learned so so much about celebrity and comedy in everything.

Dennis Blair: 32:21

Yeah, well, and writing too. I mean, you know, I mean, that first night I was you know, when he said hey, it's gonna go well, well, so I went to I went out to the audience, and I haven't seen his live show. I don't, I don't think ever I don't think I've ever seen him. You know, I have the albums and everything on TS marks on TV. And I'm like, feeling pretty good about okay, I did pretty well. I'm feeling pretty good about myself. And then he comes out and opens with you know, here's some people I can do without and could proceed to do a list of 10 bits about people he can't stand, you know, my favorite still being a dentist with blood in his hair. Well, yeah, after they're feeling small going, Okay, this is what a writer does. This is what I got. Because it's stuff I've never heard before. You know, I mean, albums TV, and never heard this, any of the stuff in that show was like, Oh, maybe I should start writing more. So that was a big? Well, no one's gonna take away from the fact that George Carlin was a comic genius. And obviously, he didn't use some pool of writers, it all came out of his brain in having 18 years to tour with them and be able to experience and learn from that. And I mean, just congrats. That is just such an amazing opportunity mean, I just think starting with Jackie Mason, and then working with Rodney and now with Carlin. I mean, you have to be one of the best trained comics ever. Yeah, it's a lot. It is a great training ground. And then before GA was Joan Rivers for two years, and, you know, Tom Jones for over a year, as I've been in the middle of and in the midst of all that, you know, I was getting booked to like, you know, night, one nighters or weekends with other celebrities. So I mean, I don't know how many you've worked with, but 150 is the number that around that I've come with over over that period. So glean from all of that.

Scott Edwards: 34:15

I'm sure it doesn't matter, but you win, Dennis.

Dennis Blair: 34:18

Well, I'm glad that was. That was the reason I came on this podcast. I wanted to win.

Scott Edwards: 34:25

No, I was very blessed that I got a chance to work with, I would say easily over 60 or 80 celebrities, but the key is they weren't celebrities when they work for me. Right? Oh, I was in the developmental stage. You know, I was working with Paula Poundstone Dana Carvey, Bob Saget to go on and on before they were famous. And the list of the famous me that came back, you know, Jerry Seinfeld and Robin Williams and a few others. I had a chance to share are the same air as them, but experience that you had in the opportunities that opened up to you. And I hope you realize, and I'm sure you do that a lot of it was your talent as a musician was really the basis for your success as a comic, and that the fact that you were doing because if you were straight monologist, maybe some of these relationships wouldn't have been so strong because there would might have been a little bit more competition or stepping on material. But the fact that you were a comic musician, really opened up this whole world of monologist that you could work for. I mean, I don't think you planned it, but it was genius.

Dennis Blair: 35:43

Yeah, I mean, I didn't plan I didn't, you know, I haven't planned anything for my entire life. I don't know what I'm going to eat in 10 minutes. So whatever. But yeah, I agree. I mean, the fact that I did music was was the reason I got to work with all these people who were huge stars, their comics, because they know that I wasn't going to interfere with anything style, a pilot file wise or, or content wise that they were doing, you know, so that worked out really well.

Scott Edwards: 36:13

And I want to also share with the audience that may not understand this aspect to show business. You're touring with George Carlin for 18 years, you're touring with Rodney Dangerfield, you mentioned Joan Rivers, but these gigs go on for, you know, maybe several months, but they don't encapsulate a whole year. So you still have time around those particular bookings to open up for Paul Anka, or the Beach Boys or three dog night, you're still able to do other work? What what, you know, you've had so many amazing interactions. Was there ever a time that you were a little overwhelmed with somebody you met or worked with?

Dennis Blair: 36:56

Oh, you mean just like, starstruck kind of deal?

Scott Edwards: 36:58

Yeah. We would people like us would never show it, but still inside, you're gonna feel it.

Dennis Blair: 37:06

You know, it's funny, I maybe because I started at such a high plane, but the level of people that I got to open for that, you know, I mean, Beach Boys, for instance. It was not like, I was a fan, but I will admit, I'm a much bigger fan of Beach Boys now that I've got delve into the music more. But at that time, I liked them. You know, they were, I liked them. But I wasn't like, Oh, my God, the beef was. And you know, in Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, we'd hang out, kind of in the dressing room. And, and Brian was kind of there but not her.

Scott Edwards: 37:43

I knew what that means.

Dennis Blair: 37:44

And they were just kind of weird in their own way, which was great. I thought that was great. And Carl was the nicest person and again, it was like, it was like, what you what we were just talking about? It's like you didn't get they didn't flaunt their celebrity. It was just like, oh, okay, we're working together. You know? I'll tell you. Okay, I'll tell you the guy that I did did for me. So I was opening the database. I was opening for Sarah Vaughn. And I'm about to go on and one of the waiters comes over he says, Don't be nervous, but Paul Newman's in the audience. Now. I've seen like, every fall November and I, you know, I mean, that's a movie star. Okay. I didn't get I haven't gotten to meet a lot of movie star. Thanks for telling me really nervous now.

Scott Edwards: 38:30

But I do think that was nice to him to raise your fear level.

Dennis Blair: 38:35

Yeah, put me right. And I think I threw up and then walked on the stage, I believe. Did the show. Luckily, again, the show was good. The crowd was good. Come off. I come up. I'm heading down to the dressing room. The same waiter comes running out to go down it slow down Paul Newman's running after you. I went, what? And then also out of the blue Paul Newman's there, and he's taking the hit. Hi, I'm Paul Newman. I go Hi, I'm Dennis Blair. And, and I lost. I mean, I went I went to another place.

Scott Edwards: 39:06

Yeah, that's That's hilarious. Like, Hi, I'm Paul Newman. Like the whole right doesn't know. And you're so funny. Well, I'm Dennis Blair, who he just

Dennis Blair: 39:17

but again, but again, he's he's not like doing a star thing. He's like, looking right, like, so that was great. How do you do that? Do you do you do the same jokes every night? Do you write all the time? Do you write it? He's like asking me these questions. Like I'm buddies, Barbara Walters. And I'm, I don't know why I'm calm. Because inside I'm freaking out. But I'm going well, both. You know, it's kind of like acting. You know, you just kind of get up there and you know, do the same jokes, but you try to you're playing a character and I'm like, fuck up when he's talking to you. And I'm trying to just hate grilling me for like a full two minutes. And people don't get an autograph. No, no, I don't do that. Anyway, Dennis. So we're gonna be here again. And then he goes, well, thanks. That was a great show. I go out Hey, thank you and he goes downstairs, I'm that was a moment where I went, Holy fuck that was. That's, that's pretty special.

Scott Edwards: 40:08

I mean, congratulations, Paul Newman. That's it and like you, I don't know if people realize, but actors, even the really famous good ones always wish they could do strong comedy, or a strong comic wishes they could be a good actor or a strong actor always wishes he could be a good musician, you know what I mean? There's always a little bit of artistic envy. You know, like you could be hit and Paul Newman, world famous, amazing actor with so much success that, you know, the world knows him. And yet he was envious of, you're able to get that audience in your hip pocket through your comedy and your music. And I think that that's an important point to share with everybody is that, when it comes is kind of like what we talked about earlier, when it comes down to entertaining an audience, whether you're a huge movie celebrity, or a huge comic celebrity, or just the guy with a guitar, you're able you're there appear for that moment, you're doing the same job, which is entertaining a group of strangers that have a paid expectation to be entertained. And I just, I would probably, if done what you did with Paul Newman bit still, I would be like six inches off the floor.

Dennis Blair: 41:38

I might have been I didn't check my feet at the time. But who knows, you know?

Scott Edwards: 41:41

Wow, I think that there a couple times that I might be able to relate as I had a chance to book and work with Graham Chapman from Monty Python and huge star. A huge fan of his and then Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong worked for me a couple of times. And most of the other guys that you know, people go ooh, and ah, over, you know, Ray Romano and all these others that I've named dropped, they they started at my club, so you know, they I was their boss. So it was a different relationship. When Graham Chapman or Robin Williams came to my club. They're they're already established celebrity, you know, and that's when I was a little in awe and really enjoyed those moments, but nothing compares to the life you've had. Now. You've you mentioned Joan Rivers, you open for her for a couple years.

Dennis Blair: 42:38

Again, one of those ad freak moments where I had been working with Rodney and I get a call from Jones manager going. This is Dennis Blair. This is Bill Samet. I'm John Rivers manager we hear you're pretty good. You want to open for Joan for 10 days. Now, the problem there was Ronnie hated Joan and I was now working pretty exclusively with Rodney at the time. And I said, I'll check. You know, I'd love to, but I'll check with Rodney because, you know, I'd want him to fire me because I'm working with Joan. Right. The long story. He felt he was stealing his job. She was stealing his jokes or something. But anyway, so I said, Yeah, Ronnie, the Joan Rivers, people called and they wanted me to open for but I kind of turned it down because I know you and he goes, No, man. You can't No, you can't turn that down. She She he co hosted tonight show every once in a while. Yes. You got to do it. I said, Are you sure? There's no I'm not gonna hold you back. Okay, so I signed a contract for the 10 day gig. Two days later, Ronnie could call you. I was thinking about it. I didn't want you to work with it.

Scott Edwards: 43:40

Did he really? Yes. Putting you in an awkward position? No. I said, Ronnie, I signed a contract. Well, I prefer that you don't you know. So I'm, like, going to fluctuate and I go, You know what? If he can, I gotta take a chance. You know, so I worked with her and he got pissed off, but he got over it a little bit until something else happened way down the line. That's another story then. So then they did 10 days and they kept hiring me after that. By that time. I think Rodney moved on. You know, Joan Rivers thing happened and another incident happened. Randy had a crazy side. And he would turn on people for reasons that were Yeah, people that don't aren't in the industry. You know, a lot of these celebrities. You see him on TV or on stage. And I'll give you a great analogy. Robin Williams is you know, genius on comic stage, machine gun style presentation of his entertainment. But he was backstage he was very shy. He was quiet. Very demeanour. Right. So there are stories about Rodney having this other side that you would see because you toured with him but most of the public wouldn't be aware of.

Dennis Blair: 44:50

Exactly, exactly. And yeah, he was kind of he was you know, very unhappy that wasn't a happy guy, you know, so. So you put that in the mix. But anyway, so So anyway, Joan Rivers laughter to you And one of the great things about that Dave was for some reason at that period, this is the mid 80s. He was using to opening act. He would use me and the incredible, Garry Shandling?

Scott Edwards: 45:12

Yeah. And so both of you were opening.

Dennis Blair: 45:16

Both of us were opening and she considered me the musical act and she wanted to make it more musical. So she wrote charts for two of my ending songs with a full orchestra. So I was I show with John Denver with a full orchestra behind that ratable to in the middle to break up between Gary's terminology Yeah, Gary first may 2, because then he'd come right as soon as I came on stage right out and the audience would then be ordered to play her

Scott Edwards: 45:45

in in a comedy production, I often use magicians or jugglers or variety acts in the middle to break the monologist. Just a quick side story, Dennis, you and I have a connection with Joan Rivers toured and open for her for two years, and I was actually sitting in the comedy club store on Sunset Boulevard. The Act onstage was Garry Shandling and I'm in my booth with like four women being stupid and drunk and having fun. I'd seen Gary's act 1000 times I wasn't really paying attention. And I was apparently being a little loud. All the sudden I hear this like booked the fuck. And I look over in the booth next to me, a very angry Joan Rivers is bending around the booth and she's going so you know, I got shushed by Joan Rivers.

Dennis Blair: 46:46

Wow, that's hilarious. That's so great. Now was this before he was touring with her? Or would you just wish you like auditioning him or something you think or you don't know.

Scott Edwards: 46:54

I don't know the timeline. But to give you a little history, I opened my club in August of 1980. And I first headliner was George Wallace. And the opening act had just flown out it was his first road gig. I paid him 150 bucks for seven days of work was Gary Shandling. Oh my god. Okay. Wow. So, you know, this was many years later, I'd seen Gary had worked for me for 30 times at that point. So I knew his act. And I was at the store, checking out comics and kind of trying to impress young ladies. And, Joan, I don't know if she was there as a fan or checking them out. But she was not happy with me.

Dennis Blair: 47:34

Right. That's that's such a great story. That's right. We expect the comic Right,

Scott Edwards: 47:39

right. Yeah, no, I was the bad guy in the story. I was. I was definitely you know, I was in the booth closest to the stage and I was had a couple drinks and was out again. But, you know, I sucked it up and when she shushed me, I shut up. Okay, boy, yeah. So, Dennis, you've had this amazing career. I know that it led to some TV and in some other work. I know you did some writing on easy money. And you did you ever get paid for having the idea? Was that just now? I got good at it. Yeah. And what about other experiences? Because you're interacting with all these celebrity? What was your opportunity to get a little bit of fame besides opening up for these guys?

Dennis Blair: 48:26

Well, Joan, did get me on The Tonight Show twice. I couldn't get on with Johnny, you know, Jim McCauley was the booker came to see you know, Ronnie, tell him to come see me at the Comedy Store. And I had a said that went well. And then I came off. He said, she said, Well loads bloody great, you're very funny. But we can't do parodies on television, you know? So. So which led to me developing some public domain songs, you know, that everybody knows, but they're not copyrighted. And then that that helped me and so, and John was always fighting to get me on. And then finally, they were they were just afraid of musical acts. But finally, she got me on. And I did too. And that was really another experience, which yes,

Scott Edwards: 49:09

did you did you get to feel a little bit of that celebrity mean, already, you're a celebrity compared to normal comics because of who you're opening up for. But being on The Tonight Show twice. And back in those days that tonight's show really had an impact? Not like the last decade or so. Where are you gonna do? You know, I know comics had done six or eight tonight shows and still nobody knows them. But right. That was days if you had a couple good sets on The Tonight Show you could be somebody.

Dennis Blair: 49:43

Yeah, yeah. So yeah, well, yeah, I mean, I didn't they didn't catapult me in to any sort of famous thing or anything. But you know, I didn't care. I mean, I was so happy with what I was doing already, you know, opening for people. It's great. One of the great things about you wish you know You got to get your own sitcom Are you ever wished you with the headline? You know what you open for somebody, you got 1000 1500 people in the audience. Most of the time they enjoy your show. And then you go to the hotel and you have to worry about ticket sales or how you know, that kind of stuff or your tickets falling off or pressure being the star, that's for sure. Yeah. Yeah. So I was thrilled, you know, I loved it sounds very similar.

Scott Edwards: 50:26

I've had a chance to interview Tom Driessen. And he was the same thing. He got lots of TV show and other opportunities when he was opening for Frank, and he goes, I'm opening for Frank Sinatra. Right, you know, yeah, there might be other shit out there. But who cares? Right?

Dennis Blair: 50:45

And fuck you got to do Letterman. Um, he was friends with Letterman. So we got to do that show all the time. So that's great. You know, I mean, he beats final household name, but people know who he is, you know. But the main thing is just to do it and keep going, you know, not worrying about that other ship.

Scott Edwards: 51:00

Dennis, you had such an amazing career from your early 20s all the way through, and you're still performing? What is it that gets you excited now? Or what's what's coming up for you in the next year or so?

Dennis Blair: 51:18

Well, I've been in Vegas for almost almost 10 years now. So I'd left personally open for oddly enough with more McDonald's. So that was about two years ago. But I don't have an agent anymore. It's booked myself. And that's fine. Um, you know, kind of slowing down a little bit, but the comedy cellar here in Vegas, they booked me a lot, you know, like, maybe six times a year, you know. So that's been great. Then I still do have these little one night a road gigs. And I have my favorite clubs, I have two or three clubs that I still do, that I really love doing. And now putting out I'm concentrating more on the music on songwriting. And again, it's not gonna get me anywhere. But I love doing it. I love that put albums on Spotify. And I really hope and I get I get like, over 30,000 streams. So that's something you know, that's amazing.

Scott Edwards: 52:04

Yeah. So people, you're still a huge success, Dennis. And I think that after your, you know, tripled decade worth of successful opening up for some of the biggest names in the industries, both music and comedy, you're probably not having to worry about you know, where your next meal is coming from. So it this age and with your financial security, it gives you that opportunity to do what you really enjoy. And like you said, if that's producing and writing music, or just working the few clubs that really mean something to you. I mean, in my mind, that's makes you a huge success. I

Dennis Blair: 52:40

can't complain, I really I really have no complaints. Yeah, it's been it's been fun. It's still fun, you know, it remains fun to do that and get on stage and perform and, and I gotta I'm producing shows here now too. I got I got I got a jazz show of my own coming up in January. And then I'm doing I'm getting very pretty big in tribute shows Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills and Nash and stuff. So I'm doing that too. I know that happens.

Scott Edwards: 53:05

Producing or performing or both both. But wow, that's a huge step.

Dennis Blair: 53:11

Yeah. And they fell out I mean, you know, if the over 55 community that come to the shows, but you know, they love the artists that I do, so they pack the pack houses.

Scott Edwards: 53:22

Well, that was no surprise what a huge success. You are Dennis, you're hitting all the right notes, as they would say. And being in Vegas and being able to bring together the shows that help you connect with your audience and give you a chance to have fun and make a couple of bucks is amazing. Why don't we so everybody out there. Keep an eye out for the name Dennis Blair, especially if you're in Vegas. Keep an eye out for some of those music. Appreciation shows. But what are some of the clubs you like to work?

Dennis Blair: 53:57

Well, the comedy cellar like I said, I love the Reno Laugh Factory. I do that once a year. I also love McCurdy is in Sarasota, Florida. You get to do much less who owns the place. He's a really funny comic. And he does. He comes out and does you know, 25 minutes and then like the rest of the night is yours. So I get to stretch and do my 55 minute or hour show. And I do that once a year. And there's another place that I'm looking into the next year of in Phoenix that I think I might like to do. So that's that's three, that's three or four right there. So those are the ones that I concentrate on.

Scott Edwards: 54:39

Well, we have fans all over the world and the people in near Sarasota and near Vegas and near Reno. Keep an eye out for Dennis Blair. You're not gonna want to miss his show. Dennis, it's been such an honor to get a chance to swap a couple stories in in here your amazing career line. I gotta tell you, I've had a chance to interview quite a few comics, especially the you know what we call the famous and not so famous. Your career has really been amazing. Congratulations, and thank you so much for sharing it.

Dennis Blair: 55:18

Oh, thanks. My pleasure. Thanks for having me on the podcast.

Scott Edwards: 55:22

It's been my joy. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this has been Dennis Blair, comic musician, outstanding career and we're so happy that he shared it with us. Stay tuned. We'll have another great show next week. Dennis, thanks again for coming on the show.

Dennis Blair: 55:41

You got it anytime. Thank

Scott Edwards: 55:42

you. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoy that special interview with comic musician Dennis Blair. In his amazing career, but as we end all of our special interviews, we have a little bit of stand up comedy for you by Dennis. So sit back and enjoy Dennis Blair live on stage

Dennis Blair: 56:22

what am I an idiot counselor first elder Dylan Hall and Johnny camp it's rolling around the band Bob Dylan's ex girlfriend was actually suing him because she claimed she helped him write his song with happy like, Honey, she disliked me Bob Dylan has been around for 900 years. I think by now should have the answer to at least one thing. How many days goes by a friend is seven sorry, who else do we have? James Taylor. Oh yeah. James Taylor's got that mellow thing happening. No matter what the song is James can make it sound horribly depressing zippity doo cbde Oh throw myself off a cliff today if you see me coming in out of my way Oh no. Oh, maybe tomorrow Oh yes. Or Thursday evening Oh, yes. And James Blunt My all time new favorite. I love that guy. He is fantastic. He's stupid sound. To them was boring. And so I said to myself, How can I improve this is what I should do.

Scott Edwards: 59:12

Where you can see why he was such a big hit with Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, and many, many more. That was Dennis Blair live on stage. Hey, stay tuned next Sunday another great show. Thanks for listening, please sure to tell your family and friends. Bye.

Announcer: 59:28

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