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Randy Hodgins and Steve McLellan’s lifelong love of comedy was kindled when they met more than 40 years ago in graduate school in Seattle. While managing family and professional work responsibilities, they hosted a one hour comedy radio program on Saturday mornings for 10 years on a small radio station in Olympia, WA and also co-authored two books on northwest popular culture – Seattle on Film (1995) and Wet and Wired (2000). Stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic with hundreds of comedy albums, cassettes and CD’s gathering dust on their shelves, they launched Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy in May 2020, a weekly mini-program featuring a different comedy icon, with biographical bits and a nice slice of the comedy that made them famous. From standup stars, to stellar sketch teams, to novelty music maestros -- they are all part of our Legends.
Episodes
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Great googly moogly -- it's Mojo Nixon, master of mirthful psychobilly music and this week's Legend of Comedy. Whether as a roots rocker singing "Elvis is Everywhere," as an MTV star in its glory days, or in his current incarnation as a Sirius XM DJ, Mojo has always specialized in comedy that rocks. As always, find extended cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
Stan Laurel was born in England and Oliver Hardy in Georgia. Thank goodness they both found their way to Hollywood where they became Laurel and Hardy, one of the best-loved film duos of all time. In over 100 movies and short subjects they developed characters that are iconic -- the sweet, bumbling, and easily frustrated Stan and the more forceful but still comically hapless Ollie. As always find extended cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thank you for sharing our shows!
Tuesday Sep 14, 2021
Tuesday Sep 14, 2021
Meet Andrea Martin whose legendary career began in Toronto's fertile 1970s comedy scene, moved on to be a mainstay of the cast of SCTV, then segued to being a Tony-award winning Broadway actress. As her great character Edith Prickley would say: "Mama's Cookin' Now!" As always find additional cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows!
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
Meet Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara -- "Stiller and Meara" -- in this miniprogram. From their debut with Chicago's Compass Players (the predecessor to the Second City) back in 1961, Stiller and Meara racked up several hit albums, countless appearances on tv talk and variety shows, fine individual roles on top sitcoms, and late career reunion projects. And they did it while staying happily married for over 60 years -- not too shabby! As always, find extended cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Meet Rich Little, "The Man of A Thousand Voices" in this miniprogram. As a young man Rich would sneak a tape recorder into movie theaters so he could learn to impersonate movie stars. Good move -- Rich's gift for mimicry would see him become a star of tv variety and talks shows, and a top draw in Vegas and in theatres around the world. As always, find full clips in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows!
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Meet Henny Youngman, the undisputed "King of the One Liners", who turned the simplest comic style into a career spanning 70 years. From early days writing punchlines for comic postcards to decades as a fixture in clubs and on television talk and variety shows, Henny's style was timeless -- and fast! (He could fit 50 jokes into an eight-minute set.) Plus, Henny coined one of the most recognizable catch phrases in comedy history. As always, find complete cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows!
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Michael Flanders and Donald Swann were masters of playful musical comedy, blending Swann's melodies with Flanders' lyrics and monologues into witty revues that won appreciative audiences around the world. Less caustic than Tom Lehrer and more modern than Gilbert and Sullivan, Flanders and Swann wrote songs that were a gentle poke rather than a cudgel -- and they sure had a thing for songs about odd animals (Gnu, anyone?). As always, find extended cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Meet Totie Fields, a ubiquitous presence on 1960s and 70s variety, game, and talk shows -- as well as a Vegas headliner for over 20 years. A veteran of the Borscht Belt, Totie's warm and personal style connected with a wide swath of the public and her long struggle with illness -- while continuing to perform -- only endeared her even more to her fans. As always, find extra clips in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows!
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Meet Father Guido Sarducci, the comic creation of Don Novello, in this miniprogram. A chance find of a monsignor's outfit at a San Francisco Goodwill Store back in 1973 was the start of a legendary 50-year career playing Father Sarducci, a slyly hip correspondent for the Vatican. Find extended cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Meet Redd Foxx, king of "Party Records" and star of "Sanford and Son" in this miniprogram. From humble beginnings telling dirty jokes to audiences in South Central LA, Redd took a flyer and recorded a comedy album. He was concerned recording his act might dilute ticket sales. Not to worry -- soon Redd was selling raunchy records by the truckload and entertaining sellout crowds in Las Vegas. His role as Fred Sanford brought Redd to a wider audience, but he never strayed far from his brand of in-your-face standup. As always, find extra cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows!