Billy D. Washington
A former cop scoring his dry standup on a lounge piano.
1 special · 2001
Get an email when there's a new special. You'll need a Google account.
Billy D. Washington sits at a keyboard, but he doesn’t just play comedy songs. He underscores his spoken set. He noodles on smooth jazz chords while he talks, using the piano to set the pace of his delivery. When he lands on a tense premise about race or policing, the gentle music continues underneath, creating a strange friction between the relaxed sound and the weight of the joke. He lets the keys ring out in the quiet moments after a punchline, giving the audience time to catch up.
Specials
-
Premium Blend: David Alan Grier (S5E3) with David Alan Grier, Mike Birbiglia & 2 more
David Alan Grier hosts a 2001 showcase of four emerging club comics.
Comedy Central · 22 min
On stage
He works the constant circuit of the comedy industry, splitting his calendar between regional clubs and late-night sets on cruise ships. He has the steady stage presence of a performer who has faced every kind of crowd, a reliability that kept him on the road as Aretha Franklin’s opening act for three years.
The material relies on misdirection. Washington speaks in a calm, unbothered tone. He will build a premise around a familiar racial trope, let the crowd get quiet, and then end the bit with a complaint about something entirely mundane. He talks about law enforcement from the inside, detailing the dull frustrations of the job rather than delivering a broad lecture.
Before moving to comedy, he spent five years as a police officer in Houston. That background gives his bits about cops a firm grounding in actual daily procedure.
Turning points
-
From Police Officer to Stand-Up Comic
After serving five years in law enforcement as a police officer and Harris County Deputy Constable, Washington discovered comedy while working club security and resigned to pursue standup full-time.
-
Performance for 52,000 at Houston Astrodome
Booked accidentally for a country music stadium bill during the O.J. Simpson trial, Washington won over the massive crowd immediately with a daring opening line.
-
–
Three-Year Tour Opening for Aretha Franklin
After hearing his standup and piano act, Aretha Franklin remarked that he was 'like jazz telling jokes' and hired him on the spot as her national tour opening act for three years.
At a glance
- On stage
- since 1991
- Style
- observational, musical comedy, deadpan, satire, one liner, storytelling
- Breakout
- 2 Jokes, 1 Hour
- Influences
- Mark Twain, Michael Dyson, Jay-Z
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Wikipedia
Podcasts
-
Tales of the Virus · host
An urban sonic fiction podcast depicting a pandemic-driven zombie apocalypse.
Also on screen
- Police Quest: Open Season
- –
- Arlington Road
- –
- Island Hoppers
A clip to start with
Telling Jokes To People With Alzheimer's. Billy D. Washington