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Tom Dreesen Wiki Information
Tom Dreesen
(born September 11, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian.
Dreesen grew up in Harvey, Illinois, south of Chicago. His family was one of the few white families in a largely African American community. [1] While working as an insurance salesman in 1968, he met Tim Reid through a local Jaycee chapter, [2] and the two teamed up to form the first biracial stand-up comedy duo in the United States.
Though their material is now considered cutting-edge for its time, the pair struggled to make a living together and split up in the mid-1970s. However, each found individual success: while Reid landed a role on WKRP in Cincinnati
, Dreesen became a regular on The Tonight Show
[3] and toured with Frank Sinatra as the crooner's opening act. In 1989, Dreesen released a comedy album through Flying Fish Records called That White Boy's Crazy
. The album was recorded in front of an all-black audience in Harvey, Illinois.[
]
Dreesen continues to perform today. He is also involved in philanthropic endeavors and hosts an annual golf tournament called the Tom Dreesen Celebrity Classic. [4] In 2008, Dreesen, Reid, and former Chicago Sun-Times
sportswriter Ron Rapoport collaborated on the book Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White
. [5]
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TOM DREESEN TICKETS
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Notes
- Kathy O'Malley. "Crazy white boy; Tom Dreesen does comedy about blacks in black clubs". ''Chicago Tribune''. November 5, 1989. 5.
- Tim & Tom: A 'Black And White' Comedy Duo
- Michael Miner. "A Pioneering Flop". ''Chicago Reader''. September 4, 2008. Retrieved on September 17, 2008.
- Len Ziehm. "Dreesen keeps celebs coming back for more". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. August 13, 2007. 76.
- Mike Thomas. "Soul Brothers - Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen recall their racially charged comedy act". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. September 14, 2008. D8.
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