Meet Perry Kurtz | Comedian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Perry Kurtz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Perry, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in Philadelphia with my mother and father and my brother. Unfortunately, my father stopped taking his insulin when he was 10 years old for his diabetes, and developed a very abusive personality that uses smack me around, even broke my nose a few times. When I was 10 or 11 years old, my father was screaming at my younger brother, threatening to hit him because he left some of his toys on the floor. I stepped in between them and asked my father why he always had to hit us. He said, “Do I have to take off my belt?” At that point I said, “that would be great because your belt is smaller than your hands.” He laughed and walked out of the room. At that point something hit me that laughter can dispel anger. I began being very funny, and found that my sense humor was appreciated by almost everyone around, except for my dear father. I was very popular in school because my sense humor. But in 1973, friends told me of a talent contest going on at the Crazy Horse Saloon in Barrington New Jersey. I and my friends drove out there and I entered the contest. I basically got up and talked for about five or 6 minutes, got lots of laughs, and walked out with $250. That’s when I decided I should be a comedian. I started taking comedy class Philadelphia, and going up to New York a few times a week to work at the big comedy clubs. In 1979 I moved to San Francisco to pursue my dream. Since then, the only job I’ve had is making people laugh, and I was a male stripper for four years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a full-time, working comedian. I’ve never had a day job and have only made money making people laugh. It was not easy. It took thousands of practice sets in thousands of different comedy clubs. When I moved to San Francisco in 1979, my first paying job was managing, hosting, and dancing, at the only male strip show for women in San Francisco. I was working seven nights a week making the women laugh, while working on material. Not only was the money great, but the audience is made up of women from out of town. As I was a central figure at the club, my sex life was off the charts. Because I ran a major nightclub on Broadway, I was allowed to sit at the Celebrity Table in Enrico’s Restaurant on Broadway. That’s where club owners, and famous people would sit on the front patio and dine for very expensive food.

When AIDS got its official name in 1983, I decided I needed to leave Broadway in San Francisco and go out on the road. During the 80’s I averaged 45 weeks a year traveling throughout the United States, and occasionally Canada, at comedy clubs. Because of my vast experience with hundreds of hours hosting the Off-Broadway Strip Club in San Francisco, I had developed a lot of material, and found that writing new material was very easy for me. Because of that, by 1985 I was headlining some of the major clubs around the country, and by 1988 I was headlining almost everywhere.

Back in 1981, I had dinner with Bill Cosby, and met Rodney Dangerfield and Milton Berle while dining at Enrico’s. Rodney was flying me to New York four times a year to headline his club for $2200-$2800 a week with all expenses paid. Milton Berle became my mentor and began flying me down to Los Angeles to appear at the Friars club, known for the best celebrity roasts in history, 3 or 4 times a year. One time, I got offstage and waiting for me was Johnny Carson, a 60’s comedian named Joey Bishop, Phyliss Diller, the 1st female TV comedian, and Shecky Green, a VERY tall comedian known for his one liners. Johnny came right up to me, shook my hand and said, “Kid, you’re very funny, and likable. You’re made for comedy.” Joey Bishop quietly said, “Very good stuff”. Phyliss came up to me, said, “I LOVE you”, grabbed my face, and kissed me hard on the lips for 3 seconds. I know it was 3 seconds because I heard myself go, “one Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi”. As she pulled her lips off mine, her wig fell off. I said, “You dropped your hair.” She said she had plenty more at home. Shecky looked down at me and that I looked almost normal height while I was onstage. Suddenly, there was a tap on my back by a bald, fat guy, who took my hand between his hands, and, patted my face, and said, “Nice try.” Don Rickles. Johnny walked up to me and said, “If Rickles liked you, you have a good future ahead of you.”

In 1989, I moved to Los Angeles because my friend Milton Berle, had gotten me an audition at the Comedy Store. When I was told that I was a full-time regular and can make $1800 or more week in one building, I decided to move to Los Angeles when I moved to Los Angeles, I met my future wife on the computer dating site. We met and became inseparable. After dating for six months, I found out that she had three kids and did not know their fathers. So, one night over dinner, I put a wedding band on everyone’s finger, and said, “I’d like to ask all of you to marry me”. We got married at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, and moved to South Carolina, which is where my wife’s family was from, so I could work the road and make some good money. During that time, we traveled as a family and that was one of the best periods in my life. We moved back to Los Angeles shortly afterwards, and I began doing comedy for events and corporations, because I can be G rated.

In 2004, my daughter was born. At that point I realized I could not travel and began doing senior and convalescent shows. I slowly moved up in pay scale because my shows were all interactive and quietly motivational for the audience. I got them involved and talked to them about who they are, where they been, and what they’ve done. This opened up their brains and made them feel really good. Because my show was so inspirational, I was able to ask for more & more money. Then the pandemic hit, and they closed all their doors to outside visitors. They are just starting to open their doors.
During the pandemic, I’ve kept myself afloat by doing online comedy instruction, and party entertainment on Zoom.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was coming to visit, I would be readily available to pick them up at the airport. Then we would go down to the Pantry Restaurant in downtown for a delicious lunch or dinner. The next stop would be up in the hills behind the Hollywood sign so they could see one of the most breathtaking views on the West Coast. At night, I would take them to the Comedy Store, never knowing who they would see. Then I would take him to the Laugh Factory and some of the other comedy clubs in Los Angeles. The following day I would drive them around the city and let them see downtown Los Angeles, Bel Air and West Hollywood, and then the beach in Santa Monica. Then at night I would take them to the karaoke bars, where I freestyle rap about whatever is going on in the room AS it happens, and comedy clubs that I visit every single night. But I would make sure they were busy, and happy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wish I could say that there have been people along the line who helped me move up the company ladder. Unfortunately, there has not been anyone who has helped me other than other comics who worked with me on my act, and maybe give me contact information of clubs to get booked at. Anything I wanted, I’ve always had to do myself.

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