ARTIST INTERVIEWS
By Diane Alter
DAMON WILLIAMS
TW: What surprises you about your fans?
Damon: One thing that used to surprise me was when people have a very specific memory about something that happened that I totally forgot about. It’s really cool if I remember it too. Ha-ha. Sometimes I have no idea what they are talking about, “Man you remember in ‘97 when we took that picture? You had on that blue shirt.”
TW: What piece of advice do you live by?
Damon: My motto and life philosophy is also my catchphrase, “Laugh tonight. Be serious tomorrow.” In other words, laugh as much as possible!
TW: Any pre-gig routines?
Damon: TEQUILA. Ha-ha. Depending on the event, I may text myself a few bullet points of what I want to cover. I am not strict about sticking to a routine but sometimes I have certain bits I want to cover in a performance. No two shows of mine are identical.
TW: You are a frequent visitor to the island. What are your favorite MV spots?
Damon: I am a boater, so I love the pier. I also love the hidden “private beaches.” We used to do shows at Lola’s and The Lampost. I enjoy Oak Bluffs
DJ DOLLA BILL
TW: Given your dollar bill oniker, I must ask. What do you think about alternatives to the US dollar-ie cryptocurrency? –
DJ: I really don’t know much about crypto. I’m still trying to get my gold and silver stash together LOL.
TW: What is your most treasured possession?
DJ: My collection of album covers that are signed by the artists.
TW: Where do you go for a real escape?
DJ: A quiet room where I meditate.
TW: What are your three travel essentials?
DJ: Music, a book, and tequila (por favor).
TW: What one thing would people be surprised to know about you?
DJ: I wanted to be an actor.
TW: Is there a quote or saying that is very personal to you?
DJ: You’ve been approved. LOL
TW: What do you plan to do while on the Vineyard?
DJ: Work, and finally rent a scooter
TW: What’s your favorite music jam?
JJ W: “Don’t Be Afraid” by Aaron Hall and “Shonuff” by Tila.
TW: If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?
JJ W: I would be a lion and I would rule all the other animals.
TW: What was the last gift you gave someone?
A. I bought my assistant/manager some beaded bracelet’s back from Korea.
TW: What were you like in high school?
JJ W: I was a class clown. That is how I knew I wanted to be a comedian.
TW: What’s the last thing you watched on TV and why did you choose to watch it?
JJ W: ESPN, because I love sports!
TW: Any advice for your previous boss?
JJ W: Yeah. Now he can come work for me!
TW: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
JJ W: I was on my phone while I was looking for my phone!
TW: If you were going to make fun of something unique to MV, what would it be?
JJ W: That I don’t know anybody Black that has ever been in Martha’s Vineyard!!
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Drew: I was 9 and saw Eddie Murphy on SNL. I knew then that’s what I wanted to do for a living.
TW: What is your biggest fear?
Drew: Having to use the bathroom on stage.
TW: Do you have a favorite Mom saying, and what is one of your own?
Drew: Mom, “God will never give you more than you can handle.” Mine, “Don’t Get Comfortable.”
TW: When did you know you were funny?
Drew: It was in elementary school when I made the entire class laugh for the first time. The teacher said something, and I came right back. I don’t remember what I said, but the whole class laughed and that was a good feeling.
TW: Is comedy personal to you?
Drew: Yes—very. My comedy is my personal take on human behavior based on cultural differences and similarities. I like to shed light on how humans are more alike than they think.
TW: What is the first thing people notice about you?
Drew: My height-- I’m 6’4” and my smile (not necessarily in that order)
TW: What are you looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
Drew: Apart from meeting attendees of the MV Comedy Fest and enjoying downtime with Nicole (girlfriend), the lobster rolls and the ice cream.
: What age would you like to
Dominique: I’d like to remain the age just before I realized that I wanted to be a grown-up and out on my own. I find being grown is overrated. It would be so lovely if I were still young enough to have my parents care for all my responsibilities and needs. I would like to have not a care in the world for my whole life.
TW: What piece of advice do you live by?
Dominique: I hold on to the sweet words of my maternal grandmother, “Count it all as joy.” So in that, I tend to live by the saying: “roll with the punches.”
TW: Was there ever a time in your life when you lost hope?
Dominique: Absolutely! In the first 10 years of my comedy career, I usually lost hope once or twice a week!
TW: What venue would you like to perform at?
Dominique: Radio City Music Hall in New York City would be the ideal venue for me to perform in.
TW: Who makes you laugh the most?
Dominique: Those who aren’t trying to be funny... regular ‘ole everyday innately funny people. My mother is one of those people hands down!
TW: What are you looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
Dominique: Sightseeing. And going to the beach in Oak Bluffs and Chilmark! I really want to check out all the different beaches you have there.
TW: What guests would be at your dream dinner?
Marlon: My parents, Redd Fox, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor. My Dad was funnier than me, so all of them together would be insane!
TW: Who in the comedy field do you admire?
Marlon: I have so much love for many in the field, but no one makes me laugh like Deon Cole and Comedian Muhammed.
TW: What cities are listed in your weather app?
Marlon: Chicago, New York, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
TW: Do you have a favorite emoji?
MarIon: I love using the emojis that look like me...the avatar.
TW: Please finish, “I’ve often said that…”
Marlon: “Laughter is medicine,” “What would the slaves do??,” and “Now, what does this have to do with God??”
TW: What is one thing you think everyone should own?
Marlon: A massager!
TW: What are you looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
Marlon: I’m looking forward to making people laugh. I want people banging tables. I can’t wait to go to the midnight donut shop. I’m also looking forward to showing off the historic sites and relaxing between shows while catching up with my fellow funny comedian.
TW: What is the one thing you wished you had learned earlier in your career?
GW: Never step foot on stage before getting all your money
TW: What is the most extreme thing you have done to prep for a gig?
GW: Hot Naked Yoga
TW: What age would you like to be again and why?
GW: 3 yrs old because I lost a very important toy back then and would love to go back and retrieve it.
TW: What is the one gift you will never forget?
GW: My kids
TW: What is the best gift you have ever given?
GW: My resignation
TW: Who makes you laugh the most?
GW: God
TW: Please answer, I don’t get a chance to ...
GW: Drink milk, I’m lactose intolerant
TW: Do you have a favorite beverage?
GW: Red pop, and yeah, I’m fully aware red is a color and not a flavor
TW: What one phone call changed your life?
GW: I haven’t received it yet
TW: What are you looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
GW: Walking around with my Du-Rag and Timberlands on
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DREW THOMAS GEORGE WILLBORN
TW: What’s it like to be a comedian?
Sean: It’s the most awesome job ever to have a room full of people--100 or 1500-- waiting on your every word. You feel no pain. Getting paid to do what you love is unequal.
TW: In this hyper-sensitive landscape, how do/would you combat heckling?
Sean: Like I’ve always done. I won’t go after anyone, but if you step into my arena with the BS you gonna get this heat. We’ll deal with the consequences later.
TW: What venue would you like to perform at?
Sean: I’d love to perform at MSG (Madison Square Garden). But the best audience I’ve ever performed for was a Narcotics Anonymous convention--best crowds ever!
TW: What do you consider your biggest and/or best accomplishment?
Sean: Writing for and having a reoccurring role on CBS’s “The Neighborhood,” as Randle the Mailman
TW: What age would you like to be again?
Sean: 23 years old. I would’ve started my comedy career a couple of years earlier, so I could’ve been on the Original Def Comedy jam.
TW: What do you do in your downtime?
Sean: I’m an abstract artist. Also, I travel to new foreign countries
TW: Do you have a favorite indulgence?
Sean: Besides watching a good porno movie, I love shopping.
TW: Current TV/streaming obsession?
Sean: “Love is Blind” and “Ozark.”
TW: What is the first thing people notice about you?
Tu Rae: My beautiful smile from a 6’ 6” height
TW: What achievement are you most proud of?
Tu Rae: Being a great Dad…according to my children.
TW: Who is the one person you call in a crisis?
Tu Rae: it’s two people: Mom & Dad.
TW: What artists have the biggest impact on you?
Tu Rae: Stevie Wonder, Eddie Murphy, Sommore
TW: Please finish—Maybe one day…
Tu Rae: I’ll actually finish writing this book I’m supposed to write and that comedy-- well, stand-up comedy--will be respected as the true ART form it is.
TW: What is one thing people don’t know about being a comedian?
Tu Rae: We don’t all travel together.
TW: What one thing do you wish you had learned earlier in your career?
Tu Rae: The BUSINESS of this business.
TW: What one phone call changed your life?
Tu Rae: When Stacey McGee of the Serious Mix band called me to tell me about the comedy open mic in South Philly in 1992.
TW: What are you looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
Tu Rae: Actually, the fellowships and camaraderie are so much fun for me. It’s not often we get to chill and share company on a gig. men and women love to begin their day in the water)
TW: What is the one thing you hoped for early in your career?
Hope: That I’d be famous by now
TW: What is the most extreme thing you have done to prep for a gig?
Hope: Moved to another state to get more exposure
TW: What age would you like to be again and why, and which one would you not?
Hope: 21 to get out of my Momma’s house and 15 when I lost my virginity
TW: What is the one gift you will never forget?
Hope: The gift of life. I almost died last year of Covid
TW: Who makes you laugh the most?
Hope: Other comedians and my friends from grade school
TW: What was your first car and what do you drive today?
Hope: My first was a 67 Barracuda Plymouth. Today I cruise around in a Porsche Panamera S
TW: Who was your teenage crush?
Hope: Todd Bridges
TW: What have you recently binge-watched?
Hope: “Queen Charlotte”
TW: What would your last meal include?
Hope: Cake
TW: What are you most looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
Hope: performing with my fellow comedians, seeing The Vineyard for the first time, enjoying the scenery.
ple notice about you? : My quick wit!
TW: What are you passionate about?
Leon: Black people in general. Man, we are so gifted and powerful!
TW: What one thing are you lost without?
Leon: My wife Nicole. She’s the planner and producer of my life… lol
TW: What achievement are you most proud of?
Leon: Winning a Chicago Emmy for “Ghost Kitchens,” a news vignette that talked about the expansion of ghost kitchens.
TW: Who is the one person you call in a crisis?
Leon: Depends. My dad when he was alive, but mostly my wife! She’s the go-to. But if it’s a bar fight or any other altercation, it’s my cousin Dave. He likes bar fights. lol
TW: What artists had the biggest impact on you?
Leon: Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Prince, James Brown, both MJ’s (Jordan and Jackson), and Allen Iverson,
TW: Please finish—Maybe one day…
Leon: I’ll be able to just DJ at my own Tiki Bar in Bora Bora, cause I love me some sun and fun!
TW: What are you looking forward to doing while on Martha’s Vineyard?
Leon: THE PRIME SEAFOOD AND OF COURSE KICKING ASS ON STAGE…
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SEAN LARKINS TU RAE HOPE FLOOD LEON ROGERS
DAVID A. ARNOLD: AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING
By Patricia Andrews-Keenan
ture was relatable, family-focused humor with Black folk attitude. When he told us to remember that one day our kids will have the power to put us in a nursing home, you can’t help but nod in agreement as you belly laughed at the set-up. The Cleveland native’s inspirations included Red Foxx, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby, and like Cosby, Arnold was especially adept at mining his family for inspiration. He was also honest in sharing his successes and his foibles; and generous in allowing us to meet the complex family he lovingly skewered in his stand-up.
For over 25 years, he wore many hats - comedian, actor, writer, producer, and showrunner. He was the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the Will Packer Media buddy comedy series “That Girl Lay Lay,” which debuted on Nickelodeon in 2021 and was picked up for a second season in 2022. He produced “Fuller House” on Netflix and the BET+ series “Bigger.”
Yet stand-up was his first love. He moved to Los Angeles where he worked his way up the comedy scene performing at a variety of clubs and venues, later securing a spot on BET’s “Comic View.”
Among his numerous credits are Jamie Foxx Presents Laffapalooza (Comedy Central), The Tom Joyner Show, Baisden After Dark, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, The Mo’Nique Show (BET), Entourage (HBO), and Def Comedy Jam. His Netflix comedy specials include “Fat Ballerina” (2019) and “It Ain’t for the Weak!” (2022), both produced by Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Production.
His consistent themes were family and fatherhood and the associated joys, trials and tribulations, for which the comedian had no shortage of material. That included his wife Julie L. Harkness, daughters Anna-Grace and Ashlyn, mother, father, step-parents and grandfather. He says his dad and grandfather were the “funniest people he ever met”. The autobiographical “It Ain’t for the Weak” explores them hilariously through the stand up, and then personally through interviews he does with each of his family members.
And he doesn’t spare himself either, speaking about everything from his less than stellar grade point average to past drug use. The comedian, who was 25 years sober, was teaching us by example that we can come out the other side of anything whole and thriving.
On the Art of Fatherhood Podcast, he shared his thoughts on becoming a dad saying, “When I look at all the things I’ve messed up in my life, I ask myself, am I qualified to shape another life.” But being that uncertain, and forever searching parent not only helped him grow as a person but catapulted him to new career heights. His videos for social media, on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, showcasing his life with Julie, Anna-Grace, and Ashlyn won him a legion of new fans leading to his wildly successful Netflix specials. Of that serendipity, he said, “I’m really proud of how all of that came to be and of the storyteller that I’ve become.”
The outpouring of love for him after his death on September 7, 2022, from what was likely an undiagnosed hereditary condition, still resonates online. Kim Fields hosted an IG Live to discuss the loss of the comedian she said was like a brother to her for over a decade. “The world flipped upside down for us after we lost David,” she shared.
Fellow comedian Cocoa Brown offers, “David A. Arnold was a trifecta not only an amazing comedian, but also an amazing writer and a visionary as he was able to take everything that happened in his life and put it into words and his stand-up.
Of their relationship, Julie, speaking with Kym Whitley and Sherri Shephard on their podcast Two Funny Mamas, said “I got to be in love, I got to explore a marriage for 20 years, and not everybody gets to do that.”
David A. Arnold was an overnight sensation more than 25 years in the making and it is our loss that we don’t get to see what comes next. He allowed us to laugh at our families because he laughed at his. All we can say is ‘gone too soon’.
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