Wednesday, Apr. 21, 2010

Comedian James Gregory coming to Clayton

Last year's "Miracle on the Hudson" didn't do much for James Gregory's fear of flying.

True, the pilot was able to land his passenger jet on the Hudson River after a flock of geese brought the plane down. But Gregory still figures he has the upper hand on the road.

"Last time a bird hit my car, who do you think went down?" he asked.

On Friday, the stand-up comedian will be taking the interstate to Clayton from his Georgia home for a 7:30 p.m. show at The Clayton Center.

Gregory says he enjoys doing small-town shows in historic auditoriums like The Clayton Center.

"For the art of stand-up comedy, where it's just a man and a microphone, the smaller venues are always better," he said. "Even if you're on the back row, you're still close. It's almost like performing in a giant living room. It's just great."

Gregory, who's been touring for more than two decades, doesn't confine his appearances to the stage. He likes to hang out with fans in the lobby before and after his shows. Often folks bring him food, and he says he won't complain if someone stops by Bojangle's -- his favorite North Carolina eatery -- and grabs him a biscuit.

"Anything they bring, I'll eat," he said.

Some of Gregory's most memorable bits involve Southerners and food. In demand at every show is his "Fat Woman After Dinner" routine, and he also likes to poke fun at Southern Baptist funeral meals.

"We respond to every tragedy in life with food," Gregory said. "We spend more time talking about the food than the person who passed away."

Most of Gregory's material -- "clean" comedy that draws all ages -- comes from personal observations and things he reads in the news. He says he can't force himself to sit down and write good comedy.

"If I see, hear or read something that strikes me as funny ... then I would take that and exaggerate it and put it into the show," he said.

That formula has made Gregory a staple of morning radio shows for decades, particularly the "John Boy and Billy Show."

Gregory shies away from picking on the easy targets of politicians and their parties, not wanting to alienate half of his audience. Instead, he looks at social issues from a common-sense perspective.

Neither political party, he said, is responsible for America heading in the wrong direction. It's Americans' tendency to take their rights and advantages for granted.

"Every day, someone is willing to risk their life to get to America," Gregory said. "I wish we could see this place as other people do. I think slowly we're losing those freedoms."