Struggling in your comedy career? Words of Wisdom from Jon Stewart of the "Daily Show"

George Lindsey spent years on television developing his "Goober" character. George's latest contribution to the Arts is the George Lindsey Television and Film Festival held at UNA. George is an alumnus of and has an honorary Doctorate from UNA.

And now here's George Lindsey being interview by June Cline.
 

June Cline: Mr. Lindsey, can you tell speakers how to develop a character?

George Lindsey: Well, it doesn't work that way. The job comes first, then the character is developed as the confidence comes. I spent four years on "The Andy Griffith Show", three years on "Mayberry RFD", and 22 years on "Hee Ha". That's where I developed "Goober" as a character.

JC: Do you speak now?

Lindsey: I speak at banquets and fairs. I do a lot of fairs. They are the hardest. Lights and sound are how you control a crowd. And, you can't control a hungry baby or the Ferris wheel.

JC: How do you begin?

Lindsey: That's hard to say without seeing me. I write my own material. Its good to be funny when you are a comedian. It takes 10 million failures to find the right stuff. At first, I wasn't very funny, but I knew I could be. I just didn't have the tools yet. Most aren't willing to go through the failures it takes to become funny. Nobody can tell you how to be funny. You have to find out for yourself. It's like saying, "I think Ill be a doctor," but not going to medical school. You have to learn your craft. I worked with Joan Rivers at a coffeehouse. I knew I wasn't funny. I was learning how to be funny. There is no "answer" to it. I did dramatic work as well.

JC: Did that help you to become funny?

Lindsey: No. You have to develop a persona. Who am I? And who do they think I am? Jeff Foxworthy is a good example: "You Might Be a Redneck If." My stuff has to fit me. With your accent, June, you sound a little bit like Minnie Pearl. Comedy has to come out of honesty. Minnie Pearl believed she was from Grinders Switch. Somebody once said "Minnie, I see your cousin has the measles." She said, "No, were teaching him to use a fork!"
 

Remember this:

1. Comedy has to come out of the honesty of it.


2. Perform anywhere you can: churches, stages, clubs, fairs.


3. Don't be afraid to fail, because you will fail.


4. Be of good faith. Its just easier that way.

Cantu notes:

The above interview was edited and adapted from an essay originally published in Professional Speaker® the official member publication of the National Speakers Association.
http://www.nsaspeaker.org/index.shtml

June Cline CSP is a professional speaker, based in Kennesaw Ga, and is also chapter President of NSA-Georgia.
http://www.junecline.com
 

June also wants to give special thanks to Terry "Bubba" Bechtol, CSP, for the suggestion of and connections to Mr. George Lindsey! Lindsey can be found on the web at http://www2.una.edu/library/lindsey/

Cantu says, Beside his television work, Lindsey has long been involved with Special Olympics. When not performing in television, he respects his fans by appearing at events all over the country.

You might enjoy a 900 word biography of George Lindsey written by a student at University of North Alabama (UNA) for teachers to use teaching their students about Alabama history.
http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/georgelindsey/lifeofgeorge.htm

Struggling in your comedy career? Words of Wisdom from Jon Stewart of the "Daily Show"

If you're struggling in your career, consider the words of Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show" on the Comedy Central television network. Stewart once spoke about his tribulations as he tried to get established as a comedian. When asked whether he ever thought about quitting, Stewart said he thought about it every day for four years.

So what changed everything?

"The big break for me was deciding this was my life," Stewart said. Certainly, few careers are as competitive as those In the entertainment industry, but its easy for people in all sorts of jobs -- glamorous and unglamorous -- to overlook the one question they should be asking themselves at least once a year: Is this job worth all the hassle? For Stewart, it was.

He stopped thinking about quitting and focused more on succeeding. Which he did. (Quoted from a interview on "60 Minutes,")

Cantu notes:

Brian Tracy has had an major impact on my life and Tracy says, "We get what we focus on most of the time." If you want to make more money to feed your body and soul, I recommend "The Power of Clarity" cassette pack tape by Brian Tracy.

I got it last December. It's caused me to totally rethink our procedures and to revamp the approach to HumorMall.com . Cantu says, "If you believe in self improvement check it out!"

Take Stewart's & Tracy's advice and change your life - achieve your destiny.