Rickey Smiley
Milwaukee Improv (Main Room)
Fri May 30
07:00PM
Special Event
09:15PM
Special Event
Sat May 31
06:30PM
Special Event
09:00PM
Special Event
Rickey Smiley's Bio
With a career spanning over more than 30 years, legendary comedian, actor, author, TV personality and award-winning radio host Rickey Smiley is just getting started. The two-time Marconi award winner and host of the Rickey Smiley Morning Show anchors the #1 syndicated urban radio program in the country reaching over seven million weekly listeners in 75+ markets.
As a stand up comedian, the veteran who got his start on Def Comedy Jam and as a host of BET’s Comic View continues to light up stages across the nation, hitting comedy clubs and theaters on his stand alone tour, as well as all-star lineups like the Martin Lawrence headlined LIT AF TOUR, as well as Martin's upcoming Y’ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS TOUR. His comedy specials COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS: RICKEY SMILEY and RICKEY SMILEY: OPEN CASKET SHARP have delighted fans for decades with clipable moments and evergreen jokes establishing Rickey as a true comedy force. His latest special, directed by filmmaker David Talbert and shot in Rickey’s hometown of Birmingham, AL comes to us over a decade later and is due to debut late 2024/early 2025. Additionally, his live show Rickey Smiley Karaoke Night is a monthly treat that regularly sells out within days of going on sale.
Though Rickey is mostly known for his joke writing, he is also the author of two books: STAND BY YOUR TRUTH: AND THEN RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! which came out in 2017 as an ode to fatherhood and the principles that he was raised on which helped guide him in his life and career to become the success he is today. He is now passing on those principles to his own children and hundreds of young men and women in need of advice on how to better their own lives. The memoir acts as a painful prequel to the soon-to-be-published SIDESHOW: LIVING WITH LOSS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH FAITH in which Rickey recounts his journey from the painful experience of losing his eldest son to drug addiction in 2023 (September 17/Harper Collins). SIDESHOW delves deep into Rickey’s relationship with his son and showcases how through faith, love and understanding the healing process can begin. While the biography reveals stories from a very personal perspective, there are relatable themes for anyone who has loved someone who struggles with substance abuse, drug addiction, or losing a child before their time.
The Birmingham native continues to build on a passionate fanbase amassing over 18+ million followers across all social media platforms. Generations of fans stretching across his career from the multiple movie appearances in movie favorites like FRIDAY AFTER NEXT and BAGGAGE CLAIM to his multiple TV series THE RICKEY SMILEY SHOW and RICKEY SMILEY FOR REAL, continue to find Rickey’s wholesome family comedy a welcome reprieve to the stresses of daily life. His iconic characters including “Mrs. Bernice Jenkins,” “Lil’ Daryl,” “Joe Willie,” and “Beauford” as well as his classic Prank Calls live on in comedy lore as cult favorites laying the foundation for the legacy that Rickey continues to grow today.
As a stand up comedian, the veteran who got his start on Def Comedy Jam and as a host of BET’s Comic View continues to light up stages across the nation, hitting comedy clubs and theaters on his stand alone tour, as well as all-star lineups like the Martin Lawrence headlined LIT AF TOUR, as well as Martin's upcoming Y’ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS TOUR. His comedy specials COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS: RICKEY SMILEY and RICKEY SMILEY: OPEN CASKET SHARP have delighted fans for decades with clipable moments and evergreen jokes establishing Rickey as a true comedy force. His latest special, directed by filmmaker David Talbert and shot in Rickey’s hometown of Birmingham, AL comes to us over a decade later and is due to debut late 2024/early 2025. Additionally, his live show Rickey Smiley Karaoke Night is a monthly treat that regularly sells out within days of going on sale.
Though Rickey is mostly known for his joke writing, he is also the author of two books: STAND BY YOUR TRUTH: AND THEN RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! which came out in 2017 as an ode to fatherhood and the principles that he was raised on which helped guide him in his life and career to become the success he is today. He is now passing on those principles to his own children and hundreds of young men and women in need of advice on how to better their own lives. The memoir acts as a painful prequel to the soon-to-be-published SIDESHOW: LIVING WITH LOSS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH FAITH in which Rickey recounts his journey from the painful experience of losing his eldest son to drug addiction in 2023 (September 17/Harper Collins). SIDESHOW delves deep into Rickey’s relationship with his son and showcases how through faith, love and understanding the healing process can begin. While the biography reveals stories from a very personal perspective, there are relatable themes for anyone who has loved someone who struggles with substance abuse, drug addiction, or losing a child before their time.
The Birmingham native continues to build on a passionate fanbase amassing over 18+ million followers across all social media platforms. Generations of fans stretching across his career from the multiple movie appearances in movie favorites like FRIDAY AFTER NEXT and BAGGAGE CLAIM to his multiple TV series THE RICKEY SMILEY SHOW and RICKEY SMILEY FOR REAL, continue to find Rickey’s wholesome family comedy a welcome reprieve to the stresses of daily life. His iconic characters including “Mrs. Bernice Jenkins,” “Lil’ Daryl,” “Joe Willie,” and “Beauford” as well as his classic Prank Calls live on in comedy lore as cult favorites laying the foundation for the legacy that Rickey continues to grow today.