I'm hearing from an awful lot of David Frye fans. They're directing me to this outta-date article about him, reminding me that he did a comedy CD about Bill Clinton and repeating rumors about him retiring well on a family inheritance. But so far, no one's actually seen the guy in more than ten years…which leads me to believe he hasn't performed anywhere in at least that long.
I see also that a company has taken two of his old vinyl records — I Am the President and Radio Free Nixon — and reissued them on a single CD. I Am the President was the better seller but I thought Radio Free Nixon was a funnier album.
Not much more to add but perhaps we'll hear something now that I've posted my wonderings on the 'net. Almost every time I ask a question here, I hear from someone who has an answer. Sometimes, it's immediate. Sometimes, it takes a while.
While I'm at it: Does anyone know if A. Whitney Brown is still performing? How about Ed Bluestone, a comedian who may have set some sort of record for having the most jokes stolen and quoted of anyone who had such a brief career? (Ed's the guy who described himself as a Quadrisexual, meaning "I'll do anything with anyone for a quarter." And of course, he devised the famous National Lampoon cover — "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog.")
I ask because there are some comics out there who manage to continue lucrative careers without turning up on Comedy Central every month or three. Their absence from such venues make you think they're out of the business but, for instance, Gary Mule Deer is out working somewhere every week, often opening for Johnny Mathis — another star who appears constantly but has dropped off the TV listings. Some folks may think that one of my favorite stand-ups, Kevin Meaney, has stopped performing…but he's actually been appearing for a couple of years in productions of the musical, Hairspray. (He's currently in the New York company, playing several featured roles and understudying Edna.) Maybe we need a Department of Missing Comedians.