Popular Atlanta comedian James Gregory dies at 78

He was the first comedian to take the stage when the Punchline Comedy Club opened in Sandy Springs in 1982. He and J. Anthony Brown threw a drawing to see who would go first, which was considered less prestigious. Gregory lost so that’s when he made the very first jokes on the microphone.

“He was Southern through and through and you could definitely relate to him,” said Ron DiNunzio, one of Punchline’s original owners. It made Gregory a reliable weekend headliner for many years.

George Wallace, the legendary stand-up comic also from Atlanta, worked with Gregory on several occasions. “An extremely kind man,” he wrote in a text. He said he was intelligent and rich.

Gregory grew up in Lithonia and became the first in his family to graduate from high school, according to his obituary. He went into sales as an adult and made a good living on commission. But he was agitated.

“It was a turning point in my life,” he said. “I will never be anyone’s full-time employee again.”

In 1981, at age 36, he decided to try stand-up and quickly made it his full-time job. He nicknamed his style “local humor, common sense”. And he approached comedy with a businessman’s mentality, which wasn’t so common among traveling comedians.

As he writes in his upcoming autobiography: “As I see it, you are not just my audience. You are my customers.

Gregory attracted his largest audiences in the Southeast, primarily clubs and small theaters, especially in small towns. He used morning radio as a promotional tool on syndicated shows such as John Boy & Billy, Rick & Bubba and Bob & Tom. He has frequently performed overseas for American troops, including in Bahrain, Spain, Italy and Germany, as well as at Walter Reed Military Hospital.

Just before his passing, he completed his autobiography, “A Bushel of Beans and a Bite of Tomatoes: The Life and Times of “The Funniest Man in America.” » The release is scheduled for November.

His generosity is well known in the comedy community and he hosted lavish Christmas parties at his home every year, filled with comics like Jeff Foxworthy, Carrot Top and lesser-known talents. Jerry Farber, an 86-year-old Atlanta comedian, remembers being in dire financial straits 25 years ago and quietly asked Gregory for $500. Gregory wrote him a check, which Farber put in his back pocket. When he tried to cash it, he noticed Gregory had written $2,500.

Farber called Gregory, who told him it was on purpose. “Anyone your age asking for $500 probably needs $50,000,” he told Farber. “I’ve been there. And I don’t lend money to anyone. I give it. If you want to give it back, fine, but I don’t expect it.

Funeral services will be announced at a later date.