Comedian and St. Louis native Francis Ronald “Rahn” Ramey passed away early Sunday morning, June 9, 2013, after a battle with cancer at the age of 56.
It was a sad moment as his older brother Charles struggled to speak of Rahn in the past tense. But he couldn’t help but indulge in sharing some of his brother’s best bits and highlight his reputation as one of the most stylish comedians in the industry.
“He used to say, ‘If I had been OJ’s lawyer, he would be going through the appeal process right now, but my wardrobe would have been together,’” Charles said, doing a spot-on Rahn Ramey impersonation.
Rahn actually worked as a lawyer before he took a leap of faith in the funny business.
“He wanted to go in the courtroom and just dazzle people with his outfit,” Charles said, laughing. “He always wanted to be an attorney because he wanted to wear the suits – and ended up being a comedian wearing Giorgio Armani. He was so clean on stage.”
The only thing cleaner than his wardrobe was his act.
“Rahn showed people that you don’t have to be a dirty-mouthed comedian – that you can have class and style,” Charles said. “And more importantly, when you make people laugh, you can also encourage them with the words that you say.”
In an interview with The American in 2009, Rahn said it was a chance encounter with comic legend Bill Cosby in the early 1980s near the Chase Park Plaza that got him started.
“I called him ‘Bill’ and he was ready to fight,” Rahn said. “Mr. Cosby said, ‘Don’t demean yourself, your race or your family name.’ He told me the facts and then just walked away. I never forgot those words.”
A few years later, he made his professional debut as the opening act for Smokey Robinson at the Fox Theatre. He would go on to open for Al Jarreau, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Randy Travis and many others.
“He was phenomenal,” Charles said. “Luther Vandross called him his funny man because he opened for him all the time.”
He honed his craft at iconic comedy hotspots like Maurice’s Gold Coast and The Funny Bone. In a nearly 30-year career, he eventually made his way to television (“HBO Comedy Relief,” “An Evening At the Improv,” and the “Comedy Club Network”) and film (“Planes, Trains & Automobiles” and “Escape From New York.”).
When his career took off he moved to Los Angeles and lived for several years before relocating to New Orleans. But the Roosevelt High School and Washington University graduate never forgot his St. Louis roots.
“He represented St. Louis wherever he went,” Charles said. “Even when he was in the hospital bed, and when he passed, he had on his STL cap. He let people know that he loved St. Louis and he would always look forward to coming back home.”
After becoming an established successful road comic, Rahn would often return to the Westport Funny Bone as a headliner.
Nearly two years ago he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but continued to travel and perform until his health declined in recent months.
“When he found out he had cancer, his whole routine changed. He was still funny, but he was more serious,” Charles said.
“And he would tell people, ‘If you’ve got something against somebody – against your family or anybody, you’ve got to forget about it. You can’t go through your life holding grudges.’
“He would also say, ‘If you are sitting next to your wife, touch her and tell her that you love her – that’s the most important thing, because when you close your eyes for the last time and you never get the chance to see them again, that person will know that you loved them.’”
Charles said that Rahn used an old saying his grandmother shared with him to close every one of his performances – wise words that he took to heart until the very end.
“He would always say, ‘Don’t go too far, stay gone too long or come back too soon.’”
His parents, Charles and Lena Davis Ramey, both preceded him in death. Rahn Ramey is survived by his wife Nelita, daughters Samantha and Leslie, son Shaun and a host of family and friends.
A memorial service will be held at Corpus Christi-Epiphany Church, 2022 St. Bernard Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 10 a.m. Friday, June 14. Visitation with the family begins at 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society in memory of Ronald Ramey.
A public memorial celebrating Ramey’s life and career will be presented in his hometown of St. Louis in the near future. Updates regarding the memorial will be given on www.stlamerican.com as they become available.
