Today has been a weird day. I just found out that a friend of mine passed away. His name was Tim. He was a comic, Hypnotist, scam artist, single father, and a guy who was just trying to squeak out a living like the rest of us. I liked him.
Tim was the kinda guy that was way funnier as a human being, he was a quirky sort. I think that's what I liked best about him. He had a gentle voice, and boisterous laugh. He always had some get rich quick scheme, and it always seemed to blow up in his face. I never saw him get down about things. He'd just seem to smile, and start thinking about another way to try and cash in.
Tim always worked the roughst rooms on the planet. Biker bars, shitty pubs, and fleabag hotels were usually the highlights on his tours. As much as he claimed to hate them, I think he actually prefered it that way.
I remember doing a gig for him at the TOWN and Country Hotel in Forrest Lawn in Calgary. It was the scummiest place I had ever set foot into. On one side of the bar, there were Indians, and on the other, cowboys. Traditionally not a good mix, and this was no exception. The place went up like old dynamite. He just shrugged, and kept on with his act. Once the chaos petered out, he got control of the room again. I was amazed. He had got the crowd good and hot, When I hit the stage, it felt like being on stage at YUK YUKS. I don't know how he did it, but he did.
He always had a spot on stage for the new guy, and somehow always managed to tuck a little money into your pocket. It was never much, but he tried. That's more than I can say for a lot of other promoter / performers on the indy circut.
He liked raunchy jokes, the darker and nastier the better. I loved trying new material out on Tim. If he liked it, he howled like a crazed banshee. The first time I met him, he came up to me with praise for a joke I had done about the special olympics. I'd have to say, I liked him right from the start.
Tim was never a popular guy on the club circut. Most comics I 've met, had little good to say about him.(then again, most comics rarely have nice things to say about anyone...) He didn't seem to care. Neither did I.
Rest in Peace Tim Stuart. You will be missed.
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