I
guess you've been doing a lot of press. I was gonna ask you like cuz you did Mike Tyson's podcast and Shannon Sharpe and then you've done in the past like Conan ofor Arsenio, you've done everything. Who's the greatest interviewer like me as an interviewer? If I want to study who should I study? Ah.
I'd say probably Arsenio Hall. Really? Well, he listened. He listened a lot. You know, he listened a lot. And then And then second would be will probably be Jay Leno really? became the king of all of them is Johnny Carson.
Did you ever you never did the Tonight Show. And when he hosted though, did you know Jay Leno? With Johnny Carson.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, but I actually was in. I believe I was in Hollywood when I was in Hollywood when Carson was still on the air.
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Definitely. Because he was there to like, 91 or 92 or something. Yeah.
Yeah, I witnessed it. And, you know, it was there when, when Robin Williams and other people you know, Crystal, Billy Crystal was like, really taken off. I actually got to be there. I was a kid though. But I got to be there. Yeah,
I mean, that was such a bigger deal back in the day, like doing that tonight show. Now it's like, seems like it's all about podcasts?
Well, you know, I go, you know, the you go from a small road, dirt road to a highway man. You know, that's just that's just mankind and his progress. You know, but what doesn't change is, you know, just good old, genuine, good entertainment. It doesn't change. I don't care if your podcast or whatever you're doing. You know, if you're really committed to do what a good is. He's gonna transmit.
Yeah, absolutely. Well, I mean, you've done so much entertainment. I just read your book. I binge that last night. It's amazing. Really put it down.
You can read it quick. Yeah, I
do it on Audible, I did a double speed. And I had to put it down to beginning I mean, it's so it's something about anything to do with kids or animals being hurt, or I just unlike I can't, I gotta like, take a step back. But it's so true. Because, you know, you rise above all this, and then you just have such an amazing career with the music. And, you know, obviously, the film and TV and stand up and just so many amazing things. Yeah,
looking at it now. It all seems a little surreal. But, you know, it's a great job. That's what it is. It's a great job. My first job was a busboy. I have and I got free pancakes. Do you know? And, you know, work my butt off. So it's a great job. You know, I'm glad that that that I'm a part of our our workforce, man. You know?
Well, yeah, it's shocking. In the book you talk about when you were first offered and living color that you're trying to return it down. Basically, you're gonna say, No, I don't want to do this because I want to stay. I want to say working at the deli, basically, because you were so hurt from being turned down to a different world that you didn't want to audition for anything else.
Yeah, yeah. And then a lot of opportunities went away. You know, I picked the Eddie Murphy pilot, I had a part on, on Murphy Brown, and that was guaranteed as a co star to her and holding deal with Disney, which was worth some money. And none of them, you know, I chose one, and it didn't work out. And then everything fell, you know, earlier that that that, that different world audition had to happen before that, you know, but that was another big opportunity to be a
star on NBC. So what we wanted to do was go back to the clubs and just start over and just, you know, go back to what I do best, and then wait for the next opportunity. But I didn't really know what it was. It was just the timing. You know, I knew who Kenan was. And, you know, I had already been on this little mountaintop. And I had a smart agent. He said, audition if you get it you get it. You don't you don't you know, and I did it and I got it.
Yeah, and the rest is history. It's amazing. That was like basically a springboard for a lot of the rest of your career. Yeah,
all of us. You know, it was it was the best show at that time and probably one of the best shows of all time really does
How often does that get brought up like every day to somebody bring bring bring that bring that up or recognize you if you're working on a project that somebody will come up to you and say I love Jim and London color?
Oh yeah, frantically every day. Just like probably Gilligan you know,
who was the funniest person on in living color like When the cameras weren't rolling, who was the funniest person that made the whole cast crack up?
David, David was the one that made us laugh a lot, man. And also Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim and David were the ones that made us crack up a lot. But, you know, I was kind of, I was kind of, kind of, I can see three pointers from both sides, man. You know, I can make I can make us laugh off and on, you know? Yeah,
so the thing that got you that role, which was interesting, I was gonna see if I could find a video of this. You said that you did an impersonation of Mike Tyson. His Robocop.
Oh, yeah, yeah, that's hilarious. I did. I did. Robin Givens as Robocop. You know, I had lost a lot of my good material to comics that went up before me and did my stuff. So all I can say is that the good, you know, the good comedy God and the cosmos gave me a fresh joke right in there. And I went with it. I did all the improv with it that goes with it. I did you know, Robocop accurate. And it was just it was it was perfect. It was perfect. That's great. You got a standing ovation.
And it's amazing. But that's crazy. You said that people stole your app is that I heard that kind of was more common back in the 80s. And stuff is that comedians are very cutthroat now. Everybody does everybody's podcast, and it's a lot more friendly. But back then it was more competitive.
Yeah, but uh, you know, you don't get to see the clubs these days, you know what I mean? There's not a camera in the clubs. So, you know, it's easy for another comic to go to another club and do my stuff for someone else's stuff. But it really won't happen. You know, you know, there's, there's two kinds of people, right. There's people that create, you know, and then there's people who benefit from the creations. You know, you're creative, you're a creator, if you got if you got the ability
to create your own material. And it's really, really good, you're lucky soul. You know, but there's a lot of people who just need time to be on stage and just need time on podcasts and just need time to be seen by people. Because it's not about what's really good anymore. Or the value of something. It's not about, oh, this was really, really good. It's about this was really, really popular. Seems like that to me.
Yeah. Well, I mean, you are such a good creator, and not only wrote the book, and obviously your standup you wrote sketches. And this music, let's talk about the music here that you've you've made. I actually love jazz. I took history of jazz in college, and then I love the watercolors on Sirius. I mean, sometimes I just turn that on or classical usage for and I would try to turn that on just
to it mellows me out. Do you feel like that's the point of this kind of music is that we'll use use it for as well is is mellows you out?
Yeah. It's it was for two reasons. I didn't really want to go into popular music. Because, you know, the competition isn't the competition, the competition, is that business. So where am I going to find a place in there to express myself musically when, you know, the music is a certain way? It just is. And it doesn't really match what I do. You know, and to get something on to get something done with popular music. It's like a, it's like a war. It's like a blood
fest. So I chose to go into smooth jazz because I could express myself musically and be genuine about it. Because Because smooth jazz is just one of the things that I do. I can do soul. I can do anything, man. When it comes to music. Trust me, I can do anything. But I had to start somewhere. And I wanted to start somewhere where people will say, Man, that is really good. What he's doing is really good. You know, not what he's doing. It's very, it's really
popular. You know, it seems like in pop music, especially urban, especially black music, it just seems like, especially for the younger people. It just seems like you know, everything else is blocked out. And they get to hear one kind of thing. And that's really not my thing. You know, it's really not my thing. I'm not, you know, hey, how many torques Can I get in and who am I going to murder today? You know, I mean, you know, you know, he's just not where I'm
coming from. Yeah, well, it's interesting, because I forget you asked him to blast your ass. You know what I mean? Like, you know, shooting a revolver into someone isn't isn't isn't something that's, you know, part of my normal day?
Well, yeah, it's it's fun because given your your background, reading your book and the story and all you've been through, I would think like, I'm not as strong as you. I don't know if I would make it through all those things. And you come out and you're making this beautiful like it's almost like uplifting. Positive music like I'm surprised your music isn't darker given everything you've been through.
It may come. It may come No, but what came out of that experience is genuine. You know, um, you know, it's like, what are the possibilities of a blade of grass growing up through a sidewalk, you know, is you know, and if anytime that anybody sees that, that grass, they know that there's something bigger than us, that's good. Or it couldn't have got up through there and started climbing towards the sun, you know? Right?
Isn't that something in your book that you said about? Forgiveness, and that's how you were able to forgive people because forgiveness means like, something bigger than yourself. Yeah.
And I forgive myself, you know, forgive myself for, for stabbing me in the neck, you know, and the things that I fell from in life, you know, the lessons that I learned, you know, the lessons that I learned on the scanner, my ass, I mean, you know, I'm not coming here trying to be, you know, your Savior. I'm just part of this. Mankind that we got, I like to call it mankind and not the human race, because that's our problem. We're all
racing for stuff. You know, we're racing, we're racing for some really basic stuff, freshwater food for people to eat, educational system, you know, being able to go to sleep at night, and everybody's racing for it, you know, but mankind, I like that better. Because it doesn't matter. What's going on with politics or wars, or whatever. Is man being kinda kept us here? Yeah,
so if you look in your book, when you reflect back on your life, if you could do it again, given the same circumstances, is there something that you would have done differently?
Alright, I could say that, you know, that I wish I didn't make the mistakes that I made. But look at the results. Look at the results, you know. And, you know, of course, I'd like to go back there and not feel the pain, you know, or not take those risks that I took. But at the time, I didn't know any better. I know a little more now about myself, and I know a little more about what I want to
give to others. It starts with the music kid zero and all the stuff that I did, and that I'm building a Music start with in living color and my comedy. It's what I do for a living, thank God, a lot of people get exposed to my work. You know, but they also get exposed to Michelob. You know what I mean? So it's like, you know, Megalo Bay knocking on your door going, Hey, man, for the two cases that you drank, I got something for you. You don't really write
your music has more of a positive message. So yeah, let's talk about the single kid zero, which features Julian Vaughn and I've met a bunch of the same as she lay mannucci ke
le mannucci. Okay. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant guitar player out of New York, New Jersey, and just brilliant. I loved him. And I called him. And I told him that and I said, I really would like you on his record. He was like, the Tommy Davis. And I was like, yeah, he's like, let me hear it. And I sent it to him. He's like, Yeah, yeah. And I did the same thing with with with Julian Vaughn, too. You know, I asked some other people picked out, you know, for this, both of them
said yes. And they kind of disappeared. So I had to find some other people. I'm resilient, you know?
Yeah. Well, you also have Dave Koz on an Pacha Stewart, and but as that that single How do I say the name is loss loss, and
we are saying love saying
that you sit, because that's an amazing range. Yeah, that's
me. That's me singing on there. And in his patches, trumpet playing in a second bringing saxophone player and producer Greg Manning who's was kind enough to work for work with me, you know, kind enough to hear my ideas and let me give him ideas. And there was a lot of surrender and give and take in that relationship. Because a lot of times I just go you know what, you just go ahead and do it. I'm gonna ride with that, you know, learn how to how to how to be a good collaborator.
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, you made beautiful music here. What explained the cover art on that one, though, because it's like, this older man and a little girl and he's holding a science says let's clean up the ghetto.
Yeah, that picture was taken by a famous photographer at Harlem. We did a lot of great shooting in Harlem during during the mid 50s and early 60s. And that was from the late 50s. And I want to, I want to I want to the anyone who looks at that picture. I I wanted them to see strength, strength, from a society that has been weakened, which is an African American society in this country. And to see how, how bold and brilliant and how how much self love that they have for not only themselves but for
the country. You know, they're here they are in that, in those times when they couldn't drink at a water fountain in a certain place or or vote or any of these things. They still were concerned about their home. And they're home. Yeah, it wasn't Quaker land. You know what I mean? And so here they are. That's obviously the girls grandfather. You know, the guy over in the corner represents all of us, you know? So what am
I gonna do? You know? And so it became really, really important that the image became important to me. The song title is, is the song is an adaption from our Andy Snitzer song called love saying, but Lao saying, is a city in Switzerland, where the women are known for great legs, because the whole city is built on hills, you know. So whatever he was thinking when he wrote that, it came out really
beautiful. My rendition of it, is to elicit a response to the listener did think good thoughts and do good deeds for others. And that was the point of me doing it.
I love it. I love that message. And I feel like that's the songs that you've put out. That's what it feels like, to me. It just, I even before this interview, I was a little nervous. I put on some of your music. And I was like, Oh, this, like, chills me out. It just makes me there's something powerful about music that does that, especially yours. Thank
you. Yeah, thank you. Um, you know, that was a test. Right? It was okay, now how's this going to be received. But I've been lucky man, I've been lucky. I've been lucky all my life. What I like, is usually what other people's like, you know, even even when, when, when, when I was called a nigger. And my brother and sister were called the white crackers. People really still really liked love, regardless of
what color they were. So as this kid, even though I was called that, and I felt under pressure and felt scared, and all these things, I was a really loving kid. Like, the essence of me stayed stayed there. And one of those, and one of those had to do with the home I came from, if these white people can love me, and I love them, then this whole other thing is an illusion. So why don't I just act the way I need to act, which is the way I get home anyway?
That makes sense. Yeah, no, I mean, it's it was so heartbreaking to read that part of the book. And just you know, because I don't I don't know what that's I don't know what it's like to experience racism. But just hearing that from, because a little kid you didn't understand. You're just like, you're just like, Wait, I don't, why are they calling me these names? I don't understand. Like, it was just so heartbreaking to
read that. And I mean, because it sounds like your mom just showed you love, which was really cool. And you dedicate the book to her. And what an amazing woman.
Yeah, you know, and it's, you know, there's weird feelings that just come out of come out of the different cultures. You know, anytime you're around a bunch of black people that are laughing at something that you don't understand, you're kind of going I'm not gonna see anything. You know what I mean? I'm just going to let this go here. You know what I mean? Go ahead and be what it is. You know, that's that's that was the magic of in living color it free white America to laugh with us and
feel that feeling? Oh, yeah. Yeah, but it's a natural feeling. Yes, a natural feeling. If you're outside of our group, and you don't really understand our group, but you do see the brutality and you see all the stuff that's going on. The gentlest part of you is like, I'm gonna stay neutral.
Well, I think it taught so many. I mean, I'm just like a little white kid in the suburbs. And I remember seeing the commercial for in living color with the homeboys Shopping Network, and I was like, that show looks funny. And I remember just getting hooked and it's sort of every kid in my school, we all loved it. And I think you guys taught, you know, like white America about Black culture in so many ways. That show Yeah, yeah. Because
we had been taught, you know, we had been taught by white culture, the Andy Griffith Show McHale's Navy, Batman 1966. You know, we've been taught by you know, Lucien it is, you know, and by, we all got taught by the Jeffersons in good time we all got taught, you know, we these are things that that, that we got taught by Beverly Hills, weren't it, you know, so, you know, that's what we're looking at, right? We're Looking at entertainments contribution to the melting of our society, you
know what I mean? Right? Yeah. And
it was funny. It was I didn't care of Alright, can you tell her? I just like, this is a funny show. I like it. So Simpsons two was the same. It was like, You guys are on the same night I think. Yeah,
I mean when, you know, the Beatles are Brits, you know, white guys from Britain. But when they say you know, all we need is love, love is all we need. We all hear it. We don't say all it was the British guys never know what they're talking about. We know they're right.
Right. Oh, absolutely. And that's what I love about this music and your standard right
comes through. You know that man that's on the cover of kid zero. Yeah. John Brown, the abolitionist. That's his last day of being alive. They're taking them out of the courthouse to go and lynch him. Because he took some of his friends and his son and some slaves and got some guns and said he's going to end slavery that day. You know, it goes to Harpers Ferry to start the Civil War himself with his friends, and they all get slaughtered, he leaves even his sons get killed.
They get slaughtered he he's quite condemned to death is coming out of the courtroom. And a painter caught the moment. As he's coming out of the courtroom, a slave woman brings her baby and have her as her kiss him on the cheek. And at her feet are black and white children. Kids zero. That's me. And you? That's ground zero for everybody. Right? That's what started the Civil War. So kids zero. You know, kids zero is more than a song to me. Kid zero is some sounds that I put
together. That can spark that part of you. That doesn't hate others. That's why I put children in it. You could feel this song. You got?
Yeah, it was it could zero is all of us. It's starting over and bringing everybody back together.
Yeah. And how could we absolutely be nothing scientifically and come from nothing? Right. Right, so we all have kids zero. We all started somewhere nowhere, right? And this is, you know, this is pretty solid. I mean, you know, let me put your put your hand on the ground and hit it with a hammer, you know, it's not going to go through it. You know, so this is what we know is real. Right? knocking on wood. We start to count from zero to
infinity. But if zero is nothing then where did one come from? There's got to be something about this. So that was my contribution. My contribution to music is just like my contribution to comedy. I'll give you some stuff that you laugh at. But when you think about it later, you're like, Huh, that's true.
Yeah, why don't you bring it brings joy to people. I think that's the biggest thing. You're not bringing us together. Yeah, that's
what you guys, right?
Yeah, absolutely. You have another song coming out. Because you were saying earlier how you do all styles of music. You have a song coming out with Stevie Nicks. And Jerry Cantrell and Phil Collen from Def Leppard. Everybody's
been talking over here. That will get out. Let's say it's let's say it's, it's in the dream machine.
It's, it's not actually,
yeah, let's say it's, you say it's in the cloud. Nobody knows what the cloud is. Anyway. So I put it into play. It's in
the cloud is there are things that you I know, you have a few tour dates? Are you going to add more tour dates? And are you doing tour dates for comedy or music or both?
Right now do a tour dates with with Cat Cat Williams. And they're going stupendous. His comedy is pretty interesting. He's comedy. He's kind of about what I'm about. And we're going around the country doing that. And that's keeping me busy enough. I got the I got my cartoon, The Proud Family. I've got a new company called one song and I'm doing TV film. Everything that I'm to the point where I had lunch with George Lucas, one time. He asked me to lunch. Can you believe
that? Crazy, wasn't in the book. I was like, and he sat down in front of me and he, he pretty much told me the things that worked for him. And one of the things that stood out was he said, I gotta tell you sometime, not one single one of the projects that I've ever done People said it was okay to do. People said no to everything, every even Indiana Jones, I mean, all that stuff. No was not
yet. So now I'm at the point where I have a lot more knowledge about, I have a lot more knowledge about all the different genres. So now I'm setting sail to bring my own projects out into into the world. So I'm busy doing that, and I'm a parent too, you know, all the stuff, all the good things, you know?
Absolutely. Well, the new music is out now. And Tom, you'll have to come back. I know we gotta get going, because you got to wrap up. I have another one and you have another one. But thank you for doing this. And hopefully, we'll come back to promote your next projects.
Man, thank you so much. And thanks for covering the music because it's new. And that is a hard, hard business. But it's getting a lot easier. Because just like comedy, comedy was tough. comedy was really, really easy to me because I have the talent. But it was that wasn't just comedy, you gotta get in the club, you got to you know, it's a lot of work to get people to see you. You know,
it's all those things. So I'm becoming familiar with, with all the business stuff, and all the all of the people stuff that comes with that business. You know, and my, my, my purpose here, the reason why I'm motivated to do it, is because I know I got something beautiful to share with you guys. Absolutely.
You always had to do those musical impersonations on a living color because you can actually sing and dance and do that you do the voice is perfect. Like I said, your vocal range on that one song is amazing. So very impressive.
Thank you, man. Thank you. All right.
Thank you, Tommy. We'll be in touch. Man. Thanks
for the interview, man. And thanks for reading a book, man. Absolutely.
Highly recommend the book as well. Okay,
Tommy Davidson living in color. Yes. Is everywhere. Amazon.
I think it was on Audible. I feel like it's part of the like library or something. I don't know. Okay.
Yeah. I've been paid by them for that. Okay, but, but I can dig it though. Because I did that. I did the voiceover myself.
Yeah, it's great.
I love you can hear. You can hear me town it. Yes.
Absolutely. I love it was very powerful. Thank you so much. Thank
you, man. Have a good one. I'm looking forward to seeing you. You too. All right. All right. Have a good holiday coming back.
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