Lavell Crawford’s fearlessness, faith and is funny have taken him all over the world, but he has never been far from home.
“I didn’t know what would happen, but I felt if I gave my all, success would come,” Crawford said. “I said, ‘God, if I take this step, I hope you will carry me the rest of the way.”
A natural knack for humor took him from the Midwest to the Middle East – and over the past three decades, he has actively contributed to the rich comedy legacy of St. Louis.
“One thing I know is that once you get out there and you’re really serious and you seek his help as you put in the work, He will guide you on the path,” Crawford said.
Crawford’s name is in the mix among the veterans of the “Def Comedy Jam” generation. And yet, his hometown is regularly on the roster as he zig zags across the country and around the world.
He was preparing to come home as a headliner for the Festival of Laughs at Chaifetz Arena. A week prior to showtime, the show was canceled because of COVID-19.
Comedy fans thought they would have to wait until September – the Festival of Laughs reschedule date – to show him some St. Louis love. But he’ll be headlining a special limited engagement at Helium Comedy Club next Wednesday and Thursday (July 22-23).
Over the years, Crawford had played every scale of venue – from arena, mid-size theater to intimate private event. The hometown stage where he will spend the middle of next week is likely to have the same feeling as where things began for him in the funny business. The difference is that he’ll be there as a celebrity headliner as opposed to a hungry comic looking to earn a spot to showcase his talent.
Barely out of his teens in the late 1980s, he had been told he was funny so many times, that he decided he decided that he just might be able to make a living at it.
“I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll go on and try stand up,” Crawford said. “I called the Funny Bone about three months straight. Finally, one night I called, and they said, ‘You’re on the list tonight.’ And I said, ‘What am I gonna do?’”
A bit about his mother’s car catching fire on Christmas struck a chord with the audience. He’s been connecting with crowds through comedy ever since. First it was at Sanford’s, the now defunct comedy club on the Riverview Circle that helped hone the likes of Cedric The Entertainer and Rickey Smiley. He developed an act and hit the road.
“I kept it real and it paid off,” Crawford said. “I’ve been blessed, and I haven’t looked back.”
His reputation as a road comic earned him spots on popular televised comedy programs, including “Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam” and “BET’s Comic View.” He beat out thousands of comics and made it to the finals of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” where he represented St. Louis well by taking second-place. After making a name for himself in comedy, he transitioned into acting. He earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work on the Emmy Award-winning television crime series “Breaking Bad.”
“Sometimes you can’t help but think to yourself that you haven’t reached Eddie Murphy status,” Crawford said. “But if you are doing your thing, you are paving a legacy that is all yours. People are watching you – and no matter what you think, people are out here growing up on you. And some want to emulate you too. That’s crazy.”
One of his greatest career rewards is bringing his show back home. He’s filmed two specials here – including the Comedy Central hit “Can A Brother Get Some Love” – and gets home every chance he gets.
“Home is where the heart is, so performing at home – there’s just nothing like it,” Crawford said. “And when I come home, they don’t treat me like a celebrity, they treat me like I’m that ‘good ole’ cousin.”
Lavell Crawford will be the featured celebrity headliner for Helium Comedy Club at 7:30 p.m. on July 22-23. For showtimes and additional information – including modifications and restrictions due to COVID-19 – visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com/.
