R.I.P. Joey Edmonds

Joey Edmonds had an impact on the comedy world twice, first as half of the duo Edmonds and Curley, then for future generations of stand-up comedians performing at colleges across America as agent/manager of Joey Edmonds Presents. Edmonds died over the weekend.

Born Joe Putzer, he grew up in Oshkosh, Wisc., and graduated from the UW-Oshkosh St. Luke’s School of Nursing in 1962.

As Joey Edmonds, he performed in a folk trio in the 1960s called the Tri-Adds.

But Edmonds found even greater success pairing up with Thom Curley for the comedy duo Edmonds and Curley. From the late 1960s through the 1970s, Edmonds and Curley made several TV appearances, from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to The Mike Douglas Show, The Dick Cavett Show and The David Frost Show. Edmonds and Curley also established themselves as the first comedy group to perform exclusively on college campuses.

After going solo in 1983, Edmonds began performing and leading seminars for folks to overcome their fears with a show called “Like Dr. Seuss For Adults.”

He also formed Joey Edmonds Presents, repping future generations of comedians for college gigs. His current roster this fall semester includes Paul Varghese, Myq Kaplan, Jenny Zigrino, Lafayette Wright and Josh Johnson.

Since 2011, he had been co-hosting Love & Fear Party with his son, Grant Edmonds.

Joey will be missed.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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