#35 Horace H.B. Sanders Star Search Champion

Announcer 0:00

Looking to sound like you know what's going on in the world pop culture, social strategy, comedy and other funny stuff. Well join the club and settle in for the Jeff Dwoskin show. It's not the podcast we deserve. But the podcast we all need with your host, Jeff Dwoskin.

Jeff Dwoskin 0:16

Oh my, Thank you, Robert, for that amazing introduction. You get us going each and every week. Hello, everybody, and welcome to Episode 35 of the Jeff Dwoskin show. I'm Jeff Dwoskin. And it is officially 2021 2020 is behind us. We are only looking to the future. And we have an amazing guest for you today to kick off 2021. My friend, comedian actor, Horace Sanders, winner of Star Search. We're going to be talking in just a little bit you're going to love it. He's one of the funniest people in the world. And I hope you had an amazing New Year's Eve. I hope everyone celebrated and had a good time. Maybe you caught the Twilight Zone marathon and it made you think hey, what's it Jeff's last guest one of the stars of the episode The Fugitive on the Twilight Zone john I'm in Yes, he was. And plus he started many of the great shows from the 50s and 60s so if you haven't checked out Episode 34 it's amazing and waiting for you One of the things I did with my family over the break we watch Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max, we had the girls watch the original Wonder Woman because they hadn't seen it. And then we all sit down as a family to watch Wonder Woman 1984 Oh my God who's calling now I changed the number. Hello?

Caller #3 1:42

Hello Jeffrey.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:44

Hello. Where are you calling from?

Caller #3 1:48

We have to talk about the new Wonder Woman Jeffrey. One my designs not the star of the show.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:56

Well yeah, love the costumes.

Caller #3 1:58

Did you love Chris Pine in the movie film darling

Jeff Dwoskin 2:01

gotta say love the parachute pants. Did

Caller #3 2:03

it take you back to your breakdancing days, Jeffrey.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:08

Yes, but I now renounce my wish to be the greatest breakdancer of all time. I was actually more focused on God. Good.

Caller #3 2:15

Did you add her to your top three Jeffrey? Is she not are not attainable enough for your wife's comfort.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:25

Actually, she's in both our top threes.

Caller #3 2:28

She should be dahling. She was the star of the film very nicely did

Jeff Dwoskin 2:33

some might argue Gao was the star of the show. Not the outfits,

Caller #3 2:37

but my designs deserved top billing we both know that

Jeff Dwoskin 2:45

So what's next for you?

Caller #3 2:46

I'm designing the new batsuit Idris Elba I think Robert Pattinson is the new Batman. Well, I'm sure this explains things. But he will look far better than Georgie with the nipples. Got to go. bye bye. i enjoy our visits.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:05

All right, well, okay, that was interesting. Well, I hope you guys got a chance to see Wonder Woman if you did let me know your thoughts. No spoilers here. I'm not gonna tell you what I thought just gonna let you know. I in joyed not paying for it. Okay, so anyhow, I hope you had an amazing holiday break. I hope you had an amazing New Year's Eve.

I do want to thank a couple podcasts that had me on and want you to check them out. You can hear my interviews on their podcast positively Midwest, within the head of Fredd and earth station one had me in the geek seat with the Shane Black Christmas episode. So check out those podcasts that were kind enough to have me as a guest.

Also, don't forget to check out crossing the streams. It's the live show I do every Wednesday at 9:30pm. Eastern based on a couple of older popular episodes of this podcast bunch of us get together and we talk about shows that are fun to stream clever, huh? crossing the streams stream shows. Uh huh. And then we talk about shows you should be watching. And it's all interactive. If you're watching live, you can ask questions chime in on the shows all that kind of good stuff. Last week, we had a great guest Tina Marie Trimpert. She's of the psyche-delic podcast and runs the indie pods united group, check her out and check out her podcast. Very cool.

Also, I want to remind everyone to subscribe to the Jeff Dwoskin show on your favorite podcast app, whether it be Apple podcasts, humbly Google, Google podcasts, amazon music, wherever it is, please subscribe, tell all your friends. That's how we grow the show. I love having you all back week after week. So spread the love no way to say Happy New Year and more than with the gift of the Jeff Dwoskin show. also go to Jeff is funny, calm. That's our website. And we have all the episodes there that you can listen to also sign up for our mailing list and then I'll send you emails and stuff. So you never miss anything and then also a lot of people asked so I signed up for buy me a coffee buy me a coffee calm slash Jeff Dwoskin show you want to make a little donation say hey, I love the show here's a coffee on me go to buy me a coffee dot com slash Jeff Dwoskin show so fancy.

I'm in on all the fancy stuff. Speaking of fancy stuff, our sponsor this week 2021 calendars. That's right now you can pretend like 2020 never happened with your 2021 calendar, the new 2021 calendars come with all 12 months. That's right, Imagine being able to look forward to 12 whole months. And here's the best part, the 2021 calendars come with a match or a magnifying glass so you can completely destroy all your 2020 calendars by 2020 behind you with a 2021 calendar. All right, well, I'm gonna get one of those. Yeah, cuz I love knowing what day it is. And that's fun. So everyone, check that out, support the sponsor, get a 2021 calendar and let's make it the best year ever.

Speaking of best year ever, it's time for the first social media tip of 2021. That's right, we're gonna talk about clubhouse today clubhouse is a new app that you should check out. Now you have to get an invitation to join. But here's the thing, you should still download the app and reserve your app name your username for clubhouse, you're allowed to reserve the name while you're waiting for an invitation. I'm sure one day they'll open up the app because they're still in beta mode. But once you get the invitation, it's really cool. It's all audio. And it's basically you go in and people do basically like mini webinars or they pick a topic and they talk about marketing tips or how to be a better podcaster or movies they saw, you know anything, and then you can interact with them. And you can speak and it's really cool. It's actually really cool. So it can be a little addictive. I've spent a little too much time on it. But I definitely recommend it at least reserve your name download it's called clubhouse. Also check out the humbly app. Just a reminder, they're pretty cool, too. they donate money every time you listen to a podcast episode. You can also follow the Jeff Dwoskin show and listen to it on the humbly app. So check that out, check out clubhouse, and that's the social media tip.

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, now sit back and get ready to enjoy my conversation with Horace H.B. Sanders. Oh, right. Welcome to the show. comedian, actor, writer, Horace HP Sanders, one of my old old comedy friends. I'm so excited that he is here. It's been a while since we've actually seen each other. This guy is super famous everyone. super famous Star Search winner. Winner. We'll get to that. We'll talk about that. That's one of my favorite stories ever. But What's up,

dude, how you doing?

Horace H.B. Sanders 7:46

What's up? Jeff?

Unknown Speaker 7:47

Dwoskin. Ray, you want those? You want those people? You gotta say the phone a high caliber. It just goes together. We can't just say Jeff, you can't just say Dwoskin. Now, were you ever in the military at all? No, I wouldn't want to just be like to ask Jeff to ask

Horace H.B. Sanders 8:03

my guy.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:04

What's up, dude?

How are you? Good, man.

Horace H.B. Sanders 8:07

Glad to be here. This is awesome. This is the new rave, the new rage podcast. So Kevin says news may happen for a minute.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:15

It's been heaven. There is this is one of 800,000 podcast. So I know you had a lot to choose from. And I appreciate you choosing the Jeff Dwoskin show. Let me just set the stage for everyone about how funny Horace HP Sanders is. There was one time where the mark Ridley's comedy castle. I'm there to actually see another comedian whose name I will not mention, out of respect. Okay. Horace goes up to do a guest set. A guest set for those who don't know is when a comedian just kind of shows up the club. He's pretty fancy the club knows him. And they just put him on the show. They just put him on the show. So Horace walks into the comedy castle. They're like horses doing 10 minutes horse gets up there does 10 minutes. When I tell you it was the funniest to this day. It had to been over a decade ago, if not longer. It was the funniest 10 minutes in the whole time because I being a comedian myself, I'm thinking, oh my god. If I was the headliner, I would be crying right now. There is no way in heaven and earth that anyone can stop this moment in time that Horace just pulled out name pulled out you do it all the time, but like just just you execute it was the most flawless perfect 10 minutes I remember I've ever seen and you're just like by which is like the worst thing for a headliner to come out good. Just like I remember did this did I guys sometimes like I just I just think about that night and it was just Anyway, it was Horace is one of the funniest people ever.

Horace H.B. Sanders 9:49

Man, I'm so humbled by that, like really? I didn't know that. I didn't know you felt that way about it. I do. Remember that night. I really just wanted to work on some material. And I think I wasn't booked in town that weekend. And that's cool. I always want to get to that point where you could do a guess it. You remember that you remember signing up to do open mic. You had to wait and hope to get on getting to the point where you could do a guess it because people will come in all the time. Hey, we're gonna let him do 510 minutes.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:13

I thought I thought it was a big shout out to me like the amount in my comedy career when I could show up to an open mic that I hadn't called ahead now like oh, Jeff's here. Let's get Jeff on. Let's get Yeah, that I got that I made it then. That was like the greatest thing ever.

Horace H.B. Sanders 10:30

Yeah, you don't have to call you don't have to hope you can actually tell people. I'm gonna go I'm doing time. Yeah. Cuz back in the day, you have to say what come I'm not sure if I'm gonna get up. I might they tell me come and just wait and see. I have people come a few times. And like, that's a good workout. Yeah, that night. That was pretty awesome.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:45

Oh, yeah, that was it was one of the best sets I've ever seen ever. Just to give some people some background. So Horace is his comedy royalty, Arsenio Hall. This is a quote. This is a quote from Arsenio Hall. Right. Horace is like Sara Lee. There isn't anyone that doesn't like him. It's just Oh, great. I find that online I was just like, Oh, man. So of course was in this movie called be funny.

Horace H.B. Sanders 11:11

So originally, I was kind of a B roll. When they first kind of said we want to interview a few people. Some feedback and you i was i was gonna be background kind of stuff. You know. Cut cut cut. Dennis. Dennis Pietro. Yeah, him and a Canterbury Sean Denver. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, guys. So we started doing interviews and it went from, we need about 15 minutes. Literally, we recorded about four tapes. So we did about four hours of interview. Oh, wow. And they just kept saying, Oh, it's so good. I was like, Really? But I was like, Oh, yes. Really? Yes, a bit. But really. And then they ended up following me to Toronto, an hour at Yuk Yuks in Toronto and ended up doing that was my first comedy special release. So it just turned into a big blessing. It went from a small little piece to me being a major part. It was four main comedians feature j Chris, Mike green. Mike was the star.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:04

So Jay, Chris, and I drove to Chicago together to audition for Star Search. We didn't win like you did.

Horace H.B. Sanders 12:12

But in the winter, right?

Jeff Dwoskin 12:14

Yeah, we literally drove No, no wasn't the winner wasn't a winner it we drove there. got out of the car, did our 90 seconds each got back in the car and drove home. Driving to Chicago from you. from Detroit for everyone listening is about for between four and five hours.

Horace H.B. Sanders 12:36

I did the same thing. Me and Frank G. We drove Chicago. But ours was in a winner we did in February drove Chicago. It was a friend of ours in a car who's from Chicago. So it's dead winter, you know, in Chicago is worse than Detroit's winters. We get there waiting outside the hotel for a while we had to wait in line outside and get us that did our 90 seconds. And when I finished I went first in my group of all comedians, and the camera guy and was like, yeah, that was a nice trip. And he got a car and came back. And I knew as I'm gonna get picked from it, that's the funny thing. I didn't get picked there. I did the Seattle comedy competition Later that year, in the fall, and on industry night that judges from ABC, CBS and NBC. Now I was a new guy in town, and I was already clean, they tell you to be cleaner, so I don't have to change anything. I won that night. And they were like, wow, this guy is really funny. Like, they went back talking about me. And then I did another showcase in LA where I really wanted to showcase I opened for Sinbad in Los Angeles. And he had vice presidents of the network's coming for a show. He was pitching about themselves. And he told me he gave me a little elbow. He's like, hey, it's a big people out there. Don't be funny. And I was like, Okay, I did my time. So they were like, man, who was that guy? We came to see Sinbad. He's hilarious. And so when they talk to the casting directors, they were like, yeah, we said, I'm in Seattle. It's like, Oh, we got to have them. So they're the ones that gave me the offer for Star Search. The guy that audition? Did auditions in Chicago told me said man, you almost got me fired when they found out that I saw you in Chicago and didn't pick the same guy almost got fired for passing on me. That's the weirdest thing. He said that he said you went to Austin, between the two of you. I don't know I have a career.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:17

I remember thinking to myself, because I think Jake Chris and I read meant to like stay there. And but we decided let's just go home and I remember but I remember I remember thinking to myself, because this is how crazy you are when you're in comedy and like everything you do is about comedy and all you never wish someone had gone. Hey, Jeff, let's drive five hours to Chicago. I got something is going to take 90 seconds. Perego 360 seconds if you combine both che Chris and I because we there was literally no waiting time involved. There was no one else there at the time. And then we're just gonna, you know, turn around and come home. Like

all right.

Horace H.B. Sanders 14:53

You really have to break it down for people so it is like literally 90 seconds. That's not exaggerating. They have the timer is no order. Since you're not in front of audience now was yours in the hotel room to think so? Yeah. Yeah, it's just a hotel room and only other people were comedians. It was like 12 comedians at a time in the room with us.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:10

And usually you're talking into a mic that isn't projecting. You're just talking into a mic like you're being

Horace H.B. Sanders 15:16

plugged right into the camera. Yeah. When the old school is with the court, and the worst people to perform in front of, unless they love you, and they yo people is other comedians, especially other comedians auditioning because they not gonna laugh enough. I they were like, Who wants to go first? I was like, let me jump on the dagger.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:32

Come on, give it to him. It was fine. I was glad I it was like one of those things as a comedian. Well, I auditioned for Star Search. And then there was another thing that I did. You weren't there. But you're part of the story. We went to Chicago. And were auditioning for this. I'm trying to remember this, right? We are auditioning for this, like comedy TV. So I got to perform in front of like Gary Marshall and Tim Kerensky. From you know, Saturday live and like we were in line or in line. And this is before, this is before cell phones before everything. And I know people had cell phones, but not everyone had a cell phone because we're going back definitely what? No FaceTime in or nothing like that. Nothing like that. So maybe if you had a cell phone, it was like a flip phone or something like that. And then all of a sudden, I hear somebody saying Jeff Dwoskin shot, maybe she's saying my name wrong. And it's like, Jeff Dwoskin. And like, the first thing that goes through my head is Oh my god, somebody died, somebody died. I am literally it's hard to like say I'm in the middle of nowhere when I'm just in the middle of Chicago, like in the context of today, but basically in the middle of nowhere. Nobody should have been able to find me and then this random person is saying Jeff Dwoskin Jeff Dwoskin is a woman

Horace H.B. Sanders 16:48

it is a big lie. A big lot of people y'all out that in a lie right?

Jeff Dwoskin 16:52

Big line outside, right? So I immediately have panic attack like somebody did for someone to have gone to this length to find me. Somebody had been dead. Somebody had him in debt. But now it turns out this person knows Horace HP Sanders, and you're on the phone with I think Jeff Dwoskin there's something you must have known I was there and she's Jefffffffff

Horace H.B. Sanders 17:17

Who's this black girl calling my name?

Yeah, I remember you were going to the audition. I couldn't go I was talking to her and going over some some tips with her like gamelan. Oh Jeff is there like I said, just call his name. Just

Jeff Dwoskin 17:34

to this day is one of the most nerve wracking moments of my life and then she's like, Oh, yeah, and then it's like one of those things where you're like, you're so nervous something bad happen and then you're just so relieved. That it was just like, Oh, this nice little moment

Horace H.B. Sanders 17:47

for Larry. Oh, Gary Marshall, the creator of the Rhonda Shirley right

Jeff Dwoskin 17:53

yeah Laverne and Shirley and like all those shows back then happy days he did all those back then he was a big shot. I don't think that ever went anywhere though. That TV station said TV show didn't go anywhere. Nothing. Nothing. That's why the first time that's ever happened, right?

Horace H.B. Sanders 18:08

It was a comedian

Jeff Dwoskin 18:09

you know? I've never I've never wasted my time as it can be Yeah. Okay. Wait, so I want to I want to get back to you I get enough about me.

Unknown Speaker 18:23

Like that's that's my son's talk show me my my middle son. I'll talk so much enough about you. Let's talk about me.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:32

Okay, so this this is the famous so Horace one Star Search. Okay, but here's the here's the greatest thing that you don't find I had to dig back because I want to make sure my memory was correct on this. So Horace is on Star Search right crushes the first round crushes the semi finals to get into the finals. He gets like a perfect score. unheard of unheard of. Right? And then you got like the other guy, Robert Rothstein, Joe up to do okay, whatever.

Horace H.B. Sanders 19:01

Like that, because now all

Jeff Dwoskin 19:02

we all we got is comedy or it's that's all we got. So Robert Rothstein is, it's the live show, Robert Rothstein does his set Horace is about to go and what happens? bombs fall in Baghdad, we go to war, boom, the show cuts off. We're now at war with Iraq.

Horace H.B. Sanders 19:27

I remember for the show, because the show was live. So we have to do our run throughs they're really big on time because everything has to sink, right? Like you got to do your time The clock is counting down everything. So we're going through our dress rehearsal, and he said we do know that the President is in talks, you know, something could happen. We could get preempted if we do, we're gonna cut away and go to the president because he may make an announcement of war with President Bush, George W. So it's like okay, they said if it happens during the dancers will cut away we'll come back we'll reset you. You'll start again, that happens during the singers will cut away we'll come back we'll reset You will start your song over. And then I was like, what about the comedians is like, I will happen with you guys. And then of course, I'm in the wings. And they're like, next up, ladies and gentlemen is like, Oh, we got preempted. It is the thing that made me cool throughout it was my oldest brother was in the army, then he'd been in maybe over 10 years, he was being deployed. So when they made the announcement, my first thoughts was that he was going my parents were there. So my first thoughts was, make sure my brother is safe. So I really I was able to put ourselves on the back burner, so I wasn't worried about it. I was like, well, I you know, check on my parents and make sure my brother's Okay, who would have thought that would happen port and port Rothstein had already done it set. So it was like, ah, we're gonna come back. And that's the worst thing that we do. He waited like two weeks, and he had said that we were all like, Is he gonna? Are you gonna do the same set again? Are you gonna change it? You know, because they saw it on you. And as a comic, I felt for him. I was like, Man, that's kind of hard. You want to do a new set, so people see something fresh. But that's your set you've been working on?

Jeff Dwoskin 21:03

How many tears were shed when they handed you the $100,000? For how many?

Horace H.B. Sanders 21:11

I cared no problems real cool, man. I gotta say, I didn't know I was at that point. It was I had to tiger. It was like, I'm getting this and I have to wait longer. It was like, Oh, yeah, you got it was the second half of Rocky,

Jeff Dwoskin 21:24

you know what I mean? I didn't lose. I'm about to hit this. I'm getting this title that came last you get to be on a show and like a development deal or something like that? What happened with that? Because I know, I know, those kind of maybe sometimes don't.

Horace H.B. Sanders 21:36

Yeah, it didn't. I came in at the end of the development deal. things. You know, that was the big thing we wanted. Coming up to that was development deals a comedian, you go do a festival, you do the Aspen festival, or you do Montreal, you want to get a development deal that's holding money, you know, anywhere from 200 grand up to sometimes you could get half a million million. So it was like that's a big part. I want a development deal. I didn't get that. A couple of other people got appearances. I didn't get to appear on CBS. But I had that changed in my contract too. And I will tell you people out there if you're listening, you're in the entertainment business. I don't care how small or new you are, or have experience have an attorney. You don't can't afford an attorney have an attorney friend to look over things. Because if I hadn't changed my contract, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have got the things I got. So I'm glad I had that had a great attorney. So what I did get to do was I met with all of the casting agent, the heads of casting for all those CBS shows, like individually. And that's funny because I went in an audition for a couple shows. And if you don't know anybody or you're not referred, it's a whole different audition process. come in and say your name slate. Okay. Thank you. Thanks for coming out to LA to do this. That wasn't even 90 seconds. Jeff got 90 seconds in Chicago. But then when I had that meeting with them, man, they're giving you food, refreshments, they're talking to you. Like, what about the audition? Oh, we'll get to that in a minute. Don't worry. We're kicking it. We're talking me with all the people. So that was very helpful, educational, I really should have moved right away. That's what I should have done. Right after Star Search, that probably would have been the more advantageous thing in the midst of that, right that way, because going back and forth, especially at that time was more difficult. That was it. So I didn't get my own show. But still time

Jeff Dwoskin 23:14

sometimes even another show even on Comedy Central bt Detroit. 187 even made he made the rounds. I went

Horace H.B. Sanders 23:22

fishing on Detroit 187. Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 23:24

I remember that. I remember. So you've worked. You worked with Bernie Mac, and you worked with Aretha Franklin.

Horace H.B. Sanders 23:30

I got to open for Aretha twice. That was really an honor. And then also got to co host our celebration of life after she passed. That was he

Jeff Dwoskin 23:38

that was a pretty big deal. Any coral reef histories a moment to share? I did

Horace H.B. Sanders 23:43

I regret I didn't go to her house for Christmas. She would do this big Christmas dinners and cook and she's amazing. Cook didn't get invited. Once but I didn't make it. But yeah, just working with my mom. My mom was impressed about that. And my dad so impressing them. My dad was not easy to impress about celebrities like no, that's not a big deal. So they were impressed when I opened for her and they got to see that. And that was pretty special.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:04

And it's pretty cool. follow up question. What were you doing that was more important than dinner at Aretha Franklin.

Horace H.B. Sanders 24:21

I didn't get it. I think I actually was out of town work for legitimate I was working. But I think it back I should have I could have rescheduled that gig wherever it was that I'm sure I could have rescheduled that. That's that's still not my biggest regret, though of not going to an event I got a chance to I don't want to jump ahead of you. But I got a chance to tour with somebody became my mentor Sinbad easily the best, the most impactful comedic relationship I had and it goes past comedy. He's a mentor to me and Big Brother so I'm on the road with him the whole story in and of itself I got to that that was um, I used to dream about doing working with him even funnier, in person, hilarious every night, different sets, different shows. And so I'm doing all these dates and then a couple I don't do because I got Call to do you know, I'm opening for him but I'm headlining on my own. So I'm like, I got a couple of days. I'm gonna do some at the money's pretty good. So he's like, okay, so I'll refer somebody else to open forum. So he goes this day, and I get the story afterwards. It's like, yeah, after the show Sinbad. It's like, Hey, man, you want to kick it with me? We're gonna go back to the hotel. He's like working hang with you. Go see some people. So they get in a car. It's a long limo ride, you know? So he falls asleep. He says he starts waking up these big old gates open, you know, and she's lights everywhere. They're like along the driveway. And then they're purple lights, and they just keep getting more and more perfect gets there to get out and walk through the doors open as long hallway and you see his little finger in the distance like that. You just close it. And of course, it's print. So the wiki and I didn't go. I couldn't have a print. They hung with him all night. They're good friends. Oh, my goodness, man. I was like, really?

Jeff Dwoskin 25:56

follow up question. How much money did you make? In lieu of having a lifelong friendship with Prince?

Horace H.B. Sanders 26:07

He would have loved me. I'm a good guy. I'm really cool. We got along.

Unknown Speaker 26:11

Oh, yeah, he would have he would have allowed you still give me the business about that too. Like you had to go on work. Good to get or give any stories about working with Bernie Mac thing about Bernie, I got to see him first. I call these get your life together moment. As a comedian. Now you can do this in any profession. But definitely, as a comedian, I've had these moments where I say, you need to get your life together, where you think you're pretty funny. You know, when you first start, you do pretty well. You're like, I'm good. I'm funny. You see other people I can do what they do. Or you see other people on television. And you haven't gone through that experience yet. of the whole fear of television of what happens to your body and your mind when you get in front of those cameras. Some comedians I would see live and see them destroy the room. And I would look at my set and I was you need to get your life together. What are you doing? Like what are you writing? Throw all those jokes away. So Barney up in Michigan State University bought tickets drove up there. I went to Michigan. So we you know, we cousins right there. My cousins. So I go over there. And I'm like, Okay, let me see this show. I'm doing comedy. Now. I've been doing comedy, maybe, maybe a year and a half. So I think I'm pretty funny. I won a couple competitions, maybe $200 $400. So I'm feeling pretty good. I watch him do 90 minutes and just a story. I was like, you need to get your life together. So then when I finally got to work with him in Chicago, it's pretty amazing. He's just as funny. He's just just as intense in person with this. And one of the things about him. My friend Ron Baker, Jr. likes to work with him all the time. He has all these stories, how he could go from the airy crowd one night, which holds 4000 people in the same night he could leave they're gonna stand ovation, catch the train and go to a bachelor party, or a birthday party or wedding celebration for 89 people and perform and they might be like, Who are you? But he was all about doing that comedy, doing that compact performance as much as he could until he blew up saw that that love for comedy man. That's that's what I learned from watching him.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:08

Here's one of the best. Any other stories that pop out any other near misses.

Horace H.B. Sanders 28:12

And they're gone now to like, it's like, oh,

Jeff Dwoskin 28:15

well, that's why I asked about them just because it was it was just interesting, because they're icons that have left us that you were graced with their presence. So I was wanting to hear about that.

Horace H.B. Sanders 28:25

So one thing about comedy, it's been really cool. It's not just convenience we get to work with I've had a chance to work with a lot of different celebrities and artists, music singers, rappers, hip hop artists, actors. I guess this has been pretty awesome to think back about it.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:39

I think I almost got to open for Rick Springfield once but I didn't. So I think

Horace H.B. Sanders 28:45

how did that happen?

Jeff Dwoskin 28:46

And I think it was like one of those, you know, like, it was a tie knob or something. I was just like, I don't know where I was. I probably just wasn't available, but you missed the call. I may say hi. That was the only time I think everyone else I've ever opened for was either improv or stand up comedian. I think the only big name I've ever worked with that passed away was Patrice O'Neal. I always think the stars that I didn't actually know who he was when I worked with him. Because I think I would have been so intimidated had I actually known who he was. I hadn't started listening to LBC and Anthony yet and he was regular so it once I started listening to after I was like and I knew who he was but well from working with him too. I was like, Oh my god, I would have been so intimidated because because he was so good and just like this force and he was exactly that way and it was just like it was crazy. Crazy.

Horace H.B. Sanders 29:33

Oh and I worked with a platypus man.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:35

Oh Richard Jeni Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 29:38

yeah, Richard. I got the open for him. He was he was really into himself like he was he was kind of a recluse. But he was so nice to me. Like he didn't like a bunch of other people. But he was so nice to me and the host I think

Jeff Dwoskin 29:48

I saw him live twice. He was great. I remember someone telling me because he would work it that he would do the comedy castle. I think he would even work on Sunday. I don't know anyway, but the was the point of the story was he there like he did 90 minutes every night and never did the same 90 minutes.

Unknown Speaker 30:07

He sweated stuff out he didn't care when he was on stage, you were getting a full show. He left everything on the stage. But yeah, it was a pleasure working with him. And I was glad that he did open up and gave me some good advice. And like I said, as long as we were in the green room, it was just the three of us. And even more, me and him. I didn't I tried to be really respectful to people and give them their space I find out they will open up more if you are respectful, just give them their space because so many people want something from him. But he has some good gyms for me even gave me some tags for a couple of my jokes. It is the best one comedian like people do that. I had some of my best tags other people gave other comedians gave me they just see they see it. I always considered that a gift. Did

Jeff Dwoskin 30:46

you did you? Or do you have an issue as a comedian? Taking a tag from someone else?

Unknown Speaker 30:50

Okay, what like that, I love to do it too. I'll give you notes. I could just meet you if I think something is good for you. I'm gonna pass it to you. If you don't wanna take it that's on you. But I love that I love to help to write to create that's part of the joy of doing it is that camaraderie that fraternity we have?

Jeff Dwoskin 31:04

No I agree with you. We had some people some comedians were like, No, no, if I didn't write it, I'm not gonna do it. And I in my my always take on that was. I didn't write it. You wrote it. You said it inspired me. I wouldn't have gotten that inspiration. Had you not provided those words. So what I'm giving back to you is you it's not me. I don't have the first 90% of the job. This is this is this was born. This is my gift to you. Laurie Kilmartin gave me a great tag ones. This one guy Kevin wrote something down once and turned a second throwaway line into like a three minute bit because he opened up like this whole area, like oh, because once I did that I just kept going because you don't get to hear yourself from this from the audience.

Unknown Speaker 31:50

Absolutely. Ambassador, every joke has a common out a period, there's always more you can add to it.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:56

That's where like when we start we're all together in the beginning and then we all start doing our own things.

Unknown Speaker 32:01

That's the part that I miss. I always have been since I've seen you right? It's been forever but I mean, that magic of that. And I think people wonder sometimes when you get more successful and they like well how Why is they set different now? It's not the same? Because you don't have that same energy that you're not in the same space. You're not doing those same things they say it's not just you're not as hungry you are hungry but you're not no same space or have that pressure of competitions that awesome. I I gotta change. I can't just do my set. I gotta change. I'm gonna do my closer first, I got to do something different. And that one little change, man in other comics See it? And they like Oh, man, you did that different? Because you always do. Oh, yeah. Yeah, man. I love it.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:40

So what do you have to now what do you what you've been doing with comedy with COVID? Are you getting back into it now that the clubs are opening up a little bit?

Unknown Speaker 32:47

I haven't done a club yet. I've had some I started I have some live performances in September. I definitely was doing like the zoom or Facebook, the live thing. And I had one early on. It's funny my last show was the day we went into quarantine with a full audience. It was great too. So I'm glad I got that in. But I just tried adapter you know, I tried to look at it and say, Well, how can I make this better and work because the big issue is we're not used to not having an audience and not being able to hear them that was the other thing like okay, I got audience now but I can't hear him and we know the complications with zoom and I saw some people do pre recorded ones and play them and that worked. I was like as long as I can get two or three so I was able to work out my zone one initially where I could get two or three people where I was at that work good laugh and they didn't have to embellish I was just like let it go. Just know relax and that it made all the difference. I got one or two people that laughing I was like the Flintstones has left tracks. So you know laughter is infectious people just appreciate it. Because I think they know what's going on. But yeah, man, I'm just adapting. You got to do what you got to do.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:48

Gotta do what you got to do. Stars champion Horace. HB Sanders and ice we share one TV credit Firefox's laughs TV with Steve Hofstetter. I watched your set here. It was great. And then I did my side. We did they had they they came out to Detroit filmed at the mark Bradley's comedy castle we did my sat and I tell you it was a big we do like a few minutes. I think it was like you did a few minutes and then they would cut down to whatever they put on whenever was high. When I tell you I had the greatest set the greatest set. I wish I wish I was at my current weight because you know, the TV and I was like I feel like a little too heavy. But I was funny. I was hilarious. Amazing. It was great. And then I'm working in the castle a couple weeks later and Joel Praeger many turns to me and says, oh, did you hear they lost the tape? Like why? No, no. I thought he was messing with me. And I was just like, but he wasn't. And so it turns out they lost it and then they came back and thankfully like I was some of the things they put me up first and it was fine. Steve did a good job. He got the crowd going and like you know first is sort of a little It was good. It was good. But he like I get out there. It was a good sack. But you know how it When you have the other set in your head, nothing ever lives up to you. There's no good. That's the one that made on TV. But I know the other version was better kills me. But I was like, did you change it up much? Probably not. Because it was like such a short set, you know, I mean, it was like, I had to do versions of all the different jokes or whatever. But it was fine. It was cool. I was on TV. Some people saw it, you know what I mean? But you know, whatever I was on TV.

Horace H.B. Sanders 35:24

That would you rather go first or last?

Jeff Dwoskin 35:26

How many people are on the show?

Horace H.B. Sanders 35:34

It's not it's not a competition. Where are you doing? Like 15? Let's say it's six comedians, say for TV. And it's going 15 to 20 minutes each. So say 15. That way they're not tired up.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:45

I want to go third or fourth. You want to

Horace H.B. Sanders 35:48

get a middle? If you got to pick between first or last what's what's your prep?

Jeff Dwoskin 35:51

If I was going to go first, I would go from doing 15 minutes, and I'm going to be on TV. I think at that point, I would hope I'd be confident enough to go last.

Horace H.B. Sanders 36:00

Okay, good. I agree with that. First, I used to be afraid of first because I had to go first a lot when I first started, I guess when I first said I was so young, I wasn't even 21 yet when I first was given a club, and then I looked so young, sometimes, like 16 or something. And then I was clean. And I would be in a lot of events where they weren't, you know, so I'm already looking young. And they wanted to challenge me. But I would always have to go up first. And then I did and I did that competition in Seattle, that really helped me with that whole first thing, because I was able to win a few nights first, because I saw another comedian go up first and keel got a perfect score today, man, I was like what I said, Oh, first thing bad. And it will get to a point where I needed to come in first. Or I had, I was in trouble of not being able to win, like the amount of competition, man, it's done like it, switching those triggers working that muscle going first,

Jeff Dwoskin 36:47

I think all the emceeing that I did, prepares you for going out there when the audience is cold, right. So like all the years of working at the comedy castle, and just going out there and opening that show, and just getting better and better and better at it. You know, to the point where I was like, you're almost getting to the point where it's feels like you're a metal, like that's how good it is, you know, so you have to I think you have to have that skill. And then as you get better, you get the pleasure of not having to go first. But you come at it with to me like with the energy of being able to, to know what you got to bring still the other in a competition. The only nice thing about going later is that you can see what you're up against. You know, I mean, you can kind of see where they you do run the risk of if there's a premise maybe crossing that could make your job not work as well or something like that. But you know, you can kind of see what what's driving what's not driving? I don't know there's no Is there ever a really good answer with comedy? It's it that's the thing with comedy is like you I always hated comedy contests because like we were all funny, why does one of us have to be the funniest, right? I don't mean like Star Search, where it's literally a competition, but like in general work, they pit us against each other. So you can all have a great night. And then you feel like shit because you came in fifth, like it was a great. I mean, it's like it should just be about that. It's just about a video made. Everyone made the audience laugh. Everyone wins. That's how I looked at it.

Horace H.B. Sanders 38:15

But they look at it differently. When it's a competition. I noticed that too. If it's if it's a comedy show, and you got 10 people, the audience did enjoy it. They know when it's a competition, they have a different taste of blood in the water, because they're comparing and I realized it made me have to be more intense. I had to turn the heat up.

Jeff Dwoskin 38:31

I would choose to be in a competition where the audience knew neither of us or any of us versus a competition where you could bring people. Yeah, absolutely. back the house struck the house. So Alright, one final question. I appreciate you hanging with me one final question. I just have never asked this. So I'm going to ask you right now. In your name. What does the HB stand for?

Horace H.B. Sanders 38:54

Ah, man, it's like free Jeep Sanford. Yeah. Thanks all the time. You know, if talking to my sisters, her brother, when I'm hungry as hashbrowns might hurt somebody to get my specials, HBO. It's just It is my middle initials. But I never tell them so I just I play with it. Have fun with it. You know, on Christmas. Happy birthday. That's

Jeff Dwoskin 39:20

my birthday. September 25. You and Jesus There you go. Good.

Horace H.B. Sanders 39:26

I want to I want I want to be like Jesus. I like to follow him though. Because I was born in a hospital and the manger did a lot of walking. Sounds like I like to walk to my car and drive.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:37

Hey, my friend. Well, it was this was a blast. I really appreciate you hanging with me. Stories

Horace H.B. Sanders 39:43

podcast with Jeff Dwoskin. Do you have a middle name Jeff

Jeff Dwoskin 39:46

Lawrence. Lawrence Jeffrey. Jeffrey Lawrence Dwoskin. That's pretty good.

Horace H.B. Sanders 39:52

Well that's prestigious right there. Jeffrey Lawrence door. Ask. Yeah. If I'd known that I'd had a say that in Chicago, you wouldn't really get scared if Jeffrey Lawrence Dwoskin. Like, Oh, boy. Like they brought the draft back to the Navy

Jeff Dwoskin 40:17

horse. How can people find you and catch up with you and find your comedy musings, once we're all back and swing again.

Horace H.B. Sanders 40:24

I like that. You can hit me on my website. Horace Hb sanders.com. That's a hlr ac EHV Sanders calm. I'm also on Instagram as Horace HB Sanders. I'm on Facebook horse HB Sanders. Actually, we love horse he Sanders, because my personal page is full of 5000. It's a bunch of people waiting for, I guess, like a fan page now. And then I'm also on a snapchat too. That's just to irritate my daughter. So

Jeff Dwoskin 40:52

that's what I am there also. And that's fine. They're awesome. All right. Thank you, my friend. I can't. It was it's been a blast. Thank you.

Horace H.B. Sanders 40:58

My pleasure. And remember, that way you won't forget.

Jeff Dwoskin 41:01

One of the things I love about doing this podcast is my ability to reach out to your friends and reconnect and have conversations with them, and share them with you. I hope you enjoyed that. I hope you enjoyed a little bit of my trip down memory lane and some of the insights and great stories that Horace had to share. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you did as well.

And once again, don't forget to subscribe to the Jeff Dwoskin show on your favorite podcast app or podcast website pod chaser humbly Apple podcasts, amazon music anywhere podcasts are found. Check those out. And definitely subscribe. Tell your friends share the link say 2020 one's gonna be perfect. You know why? Because you're gonna listen to the Jeff Dwoskin show. And the glimmer in their eye will be enough of a thank you for the great gift you have given them. And I thank you for doing it. Anyway, so also go to Jeff as funny.com sign up for our mailing list and get lots of great stuff. But you know what time it is. It's time for the hashtag social trend of the week from hashtag Roundup, where people from around the world tweets into hashtags and one of them some of them many of them end up on the Jeff Dwoskin show and fame and fortune await them in the future. Maybe asterik I don't know my lawyer says don't make promises.

This week's hashtag is #FunnySongsAndShows. It was part of boardwalk tags, it's a weekly show. It's where we mash up songs and shows with something funny, make a song or show funny horror springs the funny we're going to bring the funny with this hashtag and here we go. #FunnySongsAndShows Grey's Anatomy so horning breaking wind is about school teacher who thinks he's dying and eats lots of Taco Bell breaking wind, just world where all the robots come to life and I'll have the same eight minute set, get snort it and still get shorty snort. Comic chameleon. That's the classic song by Boy George. Comic comedian. Oh, the sexy movie comic mic, which is kind of like Magic Mike. Except everyone is fully clothed and just tells funny bits paradise silly by Guns and Roses. drag me down to paradise la weather laughs Oh green and I didn't write the rest of it down. Here's a funny song you want to have is lifting me higher? Oh, here's a TV show Two and a Half Men, the heckling dead. Oh, it's the worst one. Zombies are heckling. You talk Daffy to me. And let's end it with it. don't mean a thing If you ain't got that swing. Thank you Wayne's World. Thank you hashtag funny songs and shows. And thank you hashtag round up. If you want to play along, grab the hashtag roundup app. It's free. Just search up hashtag roundup at Android or iTunes, follow us on Twitter at hashtag Roundup. All these tweeters are going to be retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show, follow us on Twitter or the Jeff Dwoskin show on YouTube, follow and retweet and check out all these folks that will also be listed in the show notes. Well, that's it. That's Episode 35. Ladies and gentlemen, it's been an amazing 35 episodes. Can't wait for the next 100 million more. Thank you for joining us. Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you next time.

Announcer 44:29

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Jeff Dwoskin show with your host Jeff Dwoskin. Go repeat everything you've heard and sound like a genius. catch us online at the Jeff Dwoskin show.com or follow us on Twitter at Jeff Dwoskin show and we'll see you next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai