CRAIG GLAZER SHARES HIS STORIES OF GOOD TIMES WITH JIMMY WALKER!!!

TKC NOTE: This morning Craig Glazer provides some behind the scenes insight into his working relationship and friendship with TV Icon Jimmy Walker. 

Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times

Without question, one of the biggest names in both comedy and television sitcom history is Jimmy Walker. Both he and his catchphrase, ‘Dynomite’ are ranked in the top 25 by People Magazine. Jimmy’s hit TV show aired in 1974 and ran through 1979 on CBS. Norman Lear produced the show, one of his many hits of that era. Lear was one of the first big-time network executives who purposefully produced politically incorrect TV series like ‘Good Times’ and ‘All in the Family’.

As a matter of fact the other TV sitcom that was a smash hit in that same era was ‘Sanford and Son’ starring Redd Foxx.

I am often asked why we named our original restaurant and comedy club in Westport; which opened in 1975; Stanford and Sons. Yes, it was a play on the show ‘Sanford and Son’ and the reason it worked for us, was that my father, Stanford Glazer was one of the owners, while my brother and I were the other owners.

This week, including two shows Thursday and through Sunday you are welcome to come and see Jimmy ‘JJ’ ‘Kid Dynomite!’ Walker at Stanford & Sons Comedy Club here at the Legends Shopping Center.

To say Walker has done it all; starting with stand-up comedy with a Black Panther group on the East Coast, to his ground-breaking performance on The Jack Parr Show which led to his getting the series ‘Good Times’ along with Janet Jackson and John Amos. As the series came to an end Jimmy, then in his twenties, went on to co-star in a boatload of films; everything from ‘Airplane’ to ‘Home Alone 2’. Walker made an even bigger splash as a re-occurring co-star on TV series like ‘Scrubs’ and ‘Everybody hates Chris’. Jimmy’s first love is stand-up comedy which he has never stopped doing. He has been a regular on late night talk shows like ‘Letterman’ and was even a weekly panelist on the ABC Bill Maher TV show.

Yup, Jimmy’s done it all, so many credits and stories you could write a book about it. In fact, he just did; ‘Dynomite! Good Times, Bad Times…Our Times’, with co-writer Sal Manna. If the name Sal Manna sounds familiar, it should; he co-wrote my book, ‘The King of Sting’. Yes, Walker and I have a long, long history together. Fortunately, I have developed many close friends in my now thirty years in comedy and entertainment. From Old School stars like David Brennan, Dave Coulier and Michael Winslow to newer stars like TJ Miller, Daniel Tosh, Larry the Cable Guy and Lewis Black. I would have to say my closest personal friend in that time has to be Jimmy Walker.In fact Walker thanked only 8 people in his book David Brenner a handful of others and Craig Glazer.

We met in the early ‘90’s and became fast pals. One reason for the friendship, we hung out in both the cities he calls home today; Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We just got a big kick out of each other swapping tales over the years. We’ve done Thanksgiving dinner together in KC, I’ve booked him in some big rooms in Las Vegas and attended those shows, we had a famous run-in on Channel 4 in the nineties that led to a front page article in the KC Star and a feature on Hard Copy and Jimmy even marshaled the troops in my defense during my 2001 indictment.

One of the nicest things Jimmy ever did was to fly into Kansas City to be the keynote speaker when my dad ran for mayor and got nominated. Simply put, Jimmy is a great guy and has been a good friend for nearly twenty years.

One of Walker’s other best friends is David Brenner. What they have in common is they are both walking, talking comedy encyclopedias. Jimmy still has that Tonight Show stand-up, PG-style comedy which is still very effective with audiences today.

If you want to see one of the most important comedy entertainers of our time, come see Jimmy ‘Kid Dynomite’ Walker at Stanford’s this week.
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