Determination Of A Negro Comic

Hello TeamTerry,

Wuzzzzzz uuuuuuup? I'm sure you're looking at the title of this blog going, what is this about? As you know I stay honest about my career, I let TeamTerry join me on my journey, rather than you looking just from the outside. I like to show the struggle of living the "Spider-Man" lifestyle. In this particular post, I want to discuss how skin color still effects entertainment. "But Obama is President!" Still racism out here in this world, just more excuses to hide it heavy.

Me at 19

As you guys know, I don't sit back and tell you how many and who all I have worked with or opened for. And I may even be out of line for putting the behind the scenes stuff out there, but I'm doing this in hope that it helps other black comics push on. I started comedy at 18, and as a black comic you were usually raised on Urban comedy. I was lucky to have older black comedy legends to listen to, and to watch coming up.

I remember when I first started a lot of my comedy mentors were white comics, they took me under their wing when I moved back to Pittsburgh at 19. I remember one being a old school comic who taught me that I wanted to write better. All my mentors saw something in me, at the time I was going to Duquesne University which is a great school. But I was doing super explicit jokes, and being ghetto, or as white folks judging black comics say "URBAN." I didn't know any better, It was a reflex of my surroundings. I remember my one comedy mentor saying, "these white crowds aren't laughing because you're funny, they're laughing because they're scared of you." My Comedy name was "T.Jones:The Prince of Comedy" haha I thought you had to have a marketing gimmick. T.Jones was way to "Urban" they said.



I remember being hurt by that, it was as if people wouldn't except me because I wasn't being "white" enough. So I started writing political jokes and doing prop comedy, because then I would be excepted to perform on predominately white shows. It worked, I remember getting work that most black comics in Pittsburgh wouldn't get. I was in the funniest comic in Pittsburgh contest, and Ty Barnett from last comic standing, who is a great comedian. Saw me at the open mic contest at The Pittsburgh Improv, and he said "Yo you're gonna be good one day." I replied thank you, he asked "how old are you?" I said 20, his face was in excitement, and I never met him until that moment. He says "you're gonna be real good, keep writing those smart political jokes man, they think black people can't write that shit."  And it made me feel more confident, he says " they don't think we're smart enough to write material like that."

I didn't win that contest, but I won something better, the fact someone that good even acknowledged me. So I continued to write more "smart jokes", I would grab a New York times and USA Today being students got them free. And I would write material in the library,mainly political jokes.To this day, out of all the accomplishments I ever had, the one that means the most to me is a certain contest. I remember there was a contest to open for Gene Colier (writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and friend of mine), I was 20. I was the only black comic there, I didn't know what to expect.

Someone at my job at the time let me know about it, so I entered, it was around the time the Colts and Bears had the Superbowl. The joke that sealed my win was hahah I can still remember it. "The Superbowl was beautiful for me, two black coaches in the Superbowl. But the most beautiful part of the whole Superbowl was when it was raining, not just when Tony Dungy held up the trophy, but when Prince had his perm completely rained out and performed, it was just beautiful."  I won the contest and as a black comic it made me proud, because I'm sure no one would of expected a black comic to be able to open for someone like Gene. Gene is such a good guy, he's been nothing but nice and supportive of me. And the night I got to open for him, it was  nothing but a successful show. And to this day that opportunity means more to me than  any of the other chances I have been able to get. they even did a nice write up, to acknowledge our win.


After doing a lot of predominately white show, with predominately white crowds, It was time for me to venture into "Urban" shows, and due to me having to write so much material just to be excepted by white people. It was such a hard adjustment,I would get up every other Wednesday at my fired T-Robe's venue and bomb! I mean it was so bad for that every other Wednesday I called it "BAGHDAD WEDNESDAYS", it was terrible. I later revamped my look and style, I cut my long hair, started going by Terry Jones, and stopped wearing fitted caps, and stepped up. It helped me even out for both black and white shows. But it was still I wasn't white enough, or I wasn't black enough.

My dear friend Tony Brown had a booking company called Stupid Ink, and man did he give me many opportunities, he gave me my first paid gig. And so did my comedy mentor Billy Elmer.  Work started flowing my way, I was revamped getting work and shows from all sides, things finally started looking up by the time I was 21. I was working in clubs, after auditioning, and the first person I ever opened for, was Jo'Koy. One day i will thank him for what he taught me, and how much he helped me. I got a cover story on the City Paper, lots of online press, viral videos.I was no longer just a guy doing comedy, yet I was finally making it a career, getting paid to do what I always dreamed of.

At 22, I got a chance to work with someone I grew up watching on TV, Eddie Griffin, it was a feature slot (Person right before the headliner), things were looking great. I remember killing every show, and him even offering to help me get a manager. It didn't pan out, I did talk to the manager, but Hollywood folks are busy. I won the PHHA (Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards) Comedian of the Year.

I would do shows, I'd have racist hecklers, but I felt I finally came too.I dropped my first live DVD. Got stronger in material and stage. So then came time for me to get back on the show with Eddie Griffin. And I was so excited! This is the man that told me I reminded him of " A young Eddie Murphy" who is one of my biggest influences. Then 1 day before the show, I get news I'm no longer on the show, I remember being hurt, I was confused. It turned out I was being to funny, making him have to work after me. I remember wondering, wasn't this point of me getting better, to become funny on shows?

I remember trying to feature for more black comedians, but the most I was allowed to do is Emcee (host), it confused me. The show format is host (10 minutes), then the feature(20 to 25 minutes), and your good old Headliner. Black headliners were not letting black comics feature for them, either because they would be too funny. Or they would out "black" them on stage. It hurt finding this out. So when I was allowed to work with Eddie Griffin, it meant a lot, because no black comics gave me that chance. I heard many stories of bad things happening to black features for being to funny. So headliners would bring a feature who was terrible, so that they could look like stars.

(From left to right) Eddie Murphy, Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, and Richard Pryor

It's not the clubs fault, hell I can't tell you how many times I featured for more white comics than black ones.  All because the club booked me, black comics put it in their contract " I must have a white feature only." It's painful knowing Bill Cosby made it possible where they finally took the word NEGRO out of black comics names. With a black comedian like Richard Pryor who stood up to the system, and decided to go another route. He wasn't gonna be clean any more or "whitenize" himself, and then he helped other black comics bea able to make it. I feel like Damon Wayans gave me the nicest gesture any comic could of ever gave me, he encouraged me to sell my DVD, even saying " I hope you sell em all brotha." 

And It's a slap in the face for black comics not to allow another black comic feature for them. It's sad because as a black comic you get prejudged as being like every other "Urban" comedian out there. "Black people do this, but white people do thisssss! WOMEN BE SHOPPIN BABY, WOMEN BE SHOPPIN, YOU CAN'T STOP A WOMAN FROM SHOPPIN BABY!" Sometimes I wanna just scream "GIVE A BLACK MAN A CHANCE!" The Racism involved is sad, and just shows that we have not made as many steps forward as we think.

Me at my DVD taping.

Willie Lynch you evil genius of a bastard, you an your Willie lynch-ism is messing up my mojo flow flow, Joe! But yet I continue to push, even when the white headliners or comics try to shoot me down. I'm not black enough, I'm not white enough, but I don't care about that. The wandering on this comedic journey has made me proud to be me, and made me never be ashamed of the culture I come from. Rock on my fellow black comics, our day will come. Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do, stand up to all the odds. For the odds will come from all directions. Don't be afraid to be yourself, no matter what color you are, even if you're doing the right thing, people will judge you anyway. Lets Rock on!