Sometimes, he would perform for food instead of money

Pages: 343

Price: Shs1,099,522

Availability: Amazon

Published: 2006

History, they say, is written by the winners. That could be why comedian Charlie Barnett seems to be written about in direct proportion to a life unfinished, he died in his prime. So you have probably never heard of him. Yet Barnett has a lot that would commend you to his comedy.

After watching Barnett, Dave Chappelle, the father of modern-day conversational comedy, cried as he lamented, “I’m never going to be as funny as that guy.”

Barnett later mentored Chappelle and Dave says, "kind of advanced me, skill-wise. Just exponentially. Charlie taught me how to be fearless working outside.”

Barnett was supposed to work at Saturday Night Live (SNL), an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show and cultural digest created by Lorne Michaels, but he could not read, so Eddie Murphy read the cue cards and won the role.

Barnett became very jealous of Eddie Murphy, the man hired in his stead for SNL. Also, the man whose meteoric rise Barnett felt should've been his, if tragedy did not strike so early. “I took an AIDS test — I got a 65,” Barnett once joked. Sadly, he actually died of AIDS.

For every Eddie Murphy, there is a Charlie Barnett, just like for every Ronaldinho Gaucho, there is an Augustine Jay-Jay Okotcha, regardless of what the history books say. However, with some bare-all books, we might witness a sea change in this regard.

In the book titled Black Comedians on Black Comedy: How African-Americans Taught Us to Laugh by African-American comic Darryl Littleton, everything is on the table.

In an interview with the author, a 26-year old Kevin Hart lays himself bare and possibly confirms what people say about him when they say his backstory does not always stack up with the truth.

Darryl: What was your worst experience doing stand-up?

Hart: I do not have any really. I know a lot of people probably have their horror stories, but my road was a little different than a lot of people’s. Because I am only 26, so my stories, you’ would probably listen to them and say, ‘Is that it?’ My horror story’s probably getting semi-booed at Caroline’s [a comedy club on Broadway in New York City].

I do not have anything that’s bad, man. My worst experience was getting booed, but that’s like every comic is booed sooner or later. But I don’t have any stories about getting stuck in the city, trapped or not getting paid or stuff like that. I just don’t have any.

Darryl: But you say you were booed at Caroline’s.

Hart: Yeah had a guy throw a lemon peel at my head. He was so pissed off at my comedy he decided to stand up and throw a lemon at me and tell me to shut up.

However, in Hart’s 2017 memoir, I Can't Make This Up, which debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Sellers List and remained on the Top 10 Nonfiction Hardcover Bestsellers List for 10 weeks straight, the comedian changes his story.

This was probably to polish his newfound image as an inspirational public image.

Chicken in the face

In his book, Hart relates how he was stuck multiple times. Sometimes he would perform for food instead of money and he was almost evicted. Then, his late mother paid his rent.

In the chapter “Life Lessons From the Grind” from Hart’s book, the fun-sized comedian seemingly revises his past, frequently. He remembers, for instance, how he told a joke so poorly that an audience member at a Male strip club called Sweet Cheeks in Atlanta City tossed a Buffalo-style chicken wing at him, which landed slap-bang on cheek.