Comic uses Southern roots for humor

Huckleberry makes parodies of popular songs

Cher. Madonna. Prince. Singers can use a single name, why not comedians? For a 38-year-old local comedian who only goes by one name, Huckleberry, his moniker is as important as his monologue.

Talk with him one on one and there's barely a hint he came from Mobile, Ala. But go see his stand-up routine and his Southern roots come through strong and clear.

"I got rid of my accent (years ago)," he said. "But all I have to do is talk on the phone with my mother for two minutes and it's back."

He appears every Sunday night at the Emergency Room Lounge, 3550 S. Decatur Blvd., formerly Tommy Rockers. He takes the stage at 10:30 p.m. and his routine uses one liners, self-deprecating humor and, especially, song parodies.

Like Weird Al Yankovic, Huckleberry changes popular songs and reworks the lyrics for a laugh. He accompanies himself on the guitar.

The Beatles' "Day Tripper" becomes "Day-shift Stripper," "Stairway to Heaven" becomes "I'm Buying a 7-Eleven" and John Lennon's "Imagine (There's no Heaven)" is changed to "Imagine There's no Bin Laden." To be in character, he wears overalls and a baseball cap.

"The first time I saw Huckleberry perform at the Cheyenne Saloon ... the first thing he said was 'Howdy to yer face,' " said Ric Nichols, a Spring Valley resident. "I immediately thought, 'What are we in for with this character?' "

After Huckleberry's performance, there's an open microphone and David Guzeman keeps things upbeat with song selections.

In his few years in stand-up comedy, Huckleberry played a list of local venues like New York City Bar & Grill, Club SRO, Comedy Stop at the Tropicana, Club Rio, Vood Doo Lounge and a charity event at Arizona Charlie's.

Huckleberry grew up in a poor but loving household. His mother used humor to keep him and his five sisters on the right path, injecting a strong sense of religion into the family structure. He described his father as "a typical Bubba, a redneck."

Quick with a comeback and displaying a keen whit, he got good grades in school but gained a reputation as the class clown. Former teachers warned new ones about him. His humor was not disrespectful or used to put others down.

"I'd rather make fun of myself than someone else," he said. "I'm an easy target. Besides, that way, nobody can get mad at you."

That's not to say Huckleberry wore a halo on his head. His most notable prank was when he and a buddy, Tim Flynn, put bubble bath in the school's swimming pool. The result: 2-feet thick suds. Hanging around with Flynn eventually earned him the nickname Huckleberry.

Looking forward to a career as a super famous rock star, the teenage Huckleberry learned to play guitar. He played in "big hair bands" whose real purpose was to meet girls.

He joined the Marine Corps for a three-year stint and was based in North Carolina and Okinawa, Japan. He went on to attend the University of Colorado and earned a degree in mechanical engineering, which led to a job in the aerospace industry. Now he's employed by UPS.

About three years ago, an advertisement for a comedic open mike at the now-defunct La Bombardier caught his eye. He signed up and went on at 3 a.m., the last to go on stage. Using his Southern accent, he talked about his upbringing and was well received.

Flushed with that modest success, he began perfecting his delivery, adding new material and going before audiences any chance he got. The first six months, he refused to cuss but found "people wanted to be shocked" so his monologue is liberally peppered with four-letter words.

Hecklers are no threat. After zinging back at them with a fast cut-down, he goes into a song to drown out their comments. He is, as he pointed out, the only person there with a microphone.

He has jokes on every topic from being a redneck to family to sex to religion to politics. The material he uses also depends on the comedian he is following onstage.

"The audience has high expectations if you follow somebody who was great," he said. "I'd rather follow somebody who stinks. If you have any type of material, you can bring back an audience. Then you look good."

A high point in his new career was opening for Paula Poundstone when she appeared at his college.

He is putting together a jug band -- a washtub bass, spoon player and mouth harp -- to join him on stage.

Huckleberry is also a single dad to 10-year-old Aiko, who attends Bendorf Elementary School.


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