Modified On October 11, 2006
We totally forgot it was going on. Then we get the following, in a press release:
Longtime standup comic Jay Wendell Walker proved this weekend that old comedians never die – or fade away either – by winning the 31st Annual San Francisco International Comedy Competition. At 64 years of age, Walker becomes the oldest comic to win the prestigious competition.
“I had to prove I was back,” Walker said when asked why he decided to tryout at this time in his comedy career. “After being sidelined this last year with heart failure and put on a transplant list for a while, people began writing me off – figuring I wouldn’t be able to survive the rigors of standup any more.”
Our congratulations go to Walker. We spoke to him on the phone back in early July. We had no idea he had plans to compete. We have been meaning to interview the man ever since we heard he had appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show— it’s unusual for someone who is working the circuit these days to have that credit!