James P. Connolly
| James P. Connolly | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James P. Connolly |
| Born | San Mateo, California, United States |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, radio |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, alternative comedy |
| Subject(s) | Pop culture, personal life, hipster |
| Spouse | Michelle Connolly |
| Website | jamespconnolly.tv |
|
Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Operation Just Cause (Panama), Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm |
| Awards | Navy Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal |
James P. Connolly is an American comedian and tv/radio host known for his frequent guest appearances on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, former host of VH1's Movie Obsessions and the host of We Are The Mighty. In 2002, Connolly was named Grand Comedy Champion on Next Big Star on TV Talent show hosted by Ed McMahon.[1] He is one of the most played comedians on Sirius XM Comedy and a sought after host for Fortune 500 companies and global events.[2] Connolly's smart, playful style and smooth commanding voice often draw comparison to comedian Steve Martin.[3]
Early life
Connolly graduated Aragon High School in San Mateo, Calif., before attending Harvard University on a Marine Corps ROTC Scholarship.[4]
Military service
After college, Connolly was stationed at Camp Pendleton, rising to the rank of captain, and served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.[1] There, his commanding officer, commissioned Connolly to write jokes for an officer's roast, which Connolly credits as the start of his comedy career.[5]
Career
After a short stint as a karaoke DJ in San Diego, Connolly relocated to Los Angeles, Calif., where he began his comedy career at the World Famous Comedy Store in 1995 and worked as a Tour Guide at Universal Studios.[1] Connolly began his career with a hipster onstage persona before losing the white jacket and the hipster style for a more contemporary look.[6]
Connolly has appeared on Comedy Central and HBO.[7] He won Grand Comedy Champion on Ed McMahon's short-lived talent show and has made multiple trips overseas to entertain the troops. He is a go-to for Fortune 500 companies and travels the world for events and meetings. Connolly hosted VH1's "Movie Obsessions" and "Live From Here" on XM Radio for National Lampoon.[2] In October 2013, he recorded the SiriusXM Blue Collar Radio Comedy Concert at SirusXM's Nashville Studios.[8] Connolly also hosts the Annual Veterans Day Comedy Benefit Show to raise for Veterans in Film & Television.[9]
Awards
Connolly was named Grand Comedy Champion on Next Big Star on TV Talent show hosted by Ed McMahon.[1] He was awarded "Best of the Fest" at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival and twice at the Burbank Comedy Festival.[10] He was a finalist at the San Francisco International Comedy Competition (twice),[11] Comedy Central National Stand Up Comedy Competition and the Boston Comedy Festival (twice).
Personal life
James is married to Michelle and they have a son named Parker.
Discography
- Pure Polyester (2004)
- The Master Plan (2006)
- Best of Boston Comedy Festival
TV, film and radio
TV show appearances
- Comedy Central – "Make Me Laugh" (1997)
- Jerry Lewis Telethon (1997, 1998)
- Movie Obsessions (2002)
- Next Big Star, w/Host Ed McMahon (2001–2002)
- Latino Laugh Festival: The Show – Si Tv (2004)
- An American Thanksgiving with Bryant Gumbel (2006)
- Bob & Tom TV Show WGN (2008)
- Comics Unleashed (2015)
Film
- Boxing's Been Good to Me (2000)
- The Act (2004)
- Holding Lucid (2014)
Radio
- Bob and Tom Radio Show
- Live From Here
- The Dork Forest with Jackie Kashian
- The Mother Funny Show by Kira Soltanovich
- SiriusXM Blue Collar Radio Comedy Concert
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Columnist Lisa Ferguson: 'Duty' called Connolly back into service". LasVegasSun.com. January 21, 2005. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- 1 2 "Comedian James P. Connolly". funny-business.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ Andelman (November 18, 2009). "Comedian James P. Connolly sounds like Steve Martin–seriously!". Mr. Media Interviews. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ "For members of Comics on Duty, laughter is job No. 1". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ Connolly, James P. "Marine Lieutenant Desert Storm Veteran Returns to Gulf As a Stand-Up Comedian to Entertain Troops in Iraq Over the Holidays". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ "Comics For Hire Presents: James P. Connolly". www.comicsforhire.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ "James P. Connolly". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "016: Harvard, Marines &, 'Veteran Artist Program ' – Podcat". www.podcat.com. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
- ↑ "Cocktails and Camouflage: Veterans Do Stand-Up Comedy for Great Cause – Breitbart". Breitbart. November 5, 2014. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ "Best of The Fest 2015 – Burbank Comedy Festival". Burbank Comedy Festival. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Past Winners | San Francisco Comedy Competition". sanfranciscocomedycompetition.com. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
External links
- James P. Connolly at the Internet Movie Database.
- James P. Connolly official site