Today we’d like to introduce you to Chuck Fury.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always been a fan of comedy. In school, I was the guy who was always in trouble for taking jokes too far. In eighth grade, I actually campaigned to be voted “class clown”.
My father was also a huge comedy fan. When I was a kid he used to tell me things like, “It’s actually an honor to be roasted by Don Rickles. That’s a sign you’ve made it.” The thing he said the most is, “Comics say funny things, but comedians say things funny.” I’m sure he heard that somewhere and I don’t think that’s actually “a thing” in the industry, but I believe it, and it’s absolutely true that delivery can ruin a good joke or make an okay joke hilarious.
Four years ago, my wife had some post-traumatic issues that caused her to leave the marriage. This was after we had raised a family. Comedians are often not the sanest people in the world, and I am a shining example of a Jay Leno quote: “It’s a mental illness that makes you a comic”. Indeed, therapy did not work for me at all. I later found out that Freudian Therapy is often ineffective for creatives.
For the first time in my life, I decided to pursue comedy as a career in 2019. It had not been possible as a family man. The sacrifice required is too great for those who are “serious about comedy”. Comedy literally did for me what therapy could not. The therapeutic benefit of being on stage allows me to be present in the lives of my adult children and my young grandchildren.
You might be surprised how many comedians are actually working out their issues when you just think they are making you laugh.
As far as where I am now, I am nowhere. I am still getting started and am actually lucky to be doing any paid shows at this stage in my career. I owe that to a comedian and promoter known as, “E.K.” He gave me my first paid gig and told me, “You need to feature. You’re not an open mic-er.” That’s where I am at the moment. All comedians do open mics. When I perform, I get paid as a “feature,” not a headliner. But I am very lucky to do that with my lack of experience, especially considering the time lost to the pandemic.
I feel very blessed to be in Utah. I have been on stage in other cities and Salt Lake is so talented top to bottom in comparison to some other places I’ve been that it almost blows my mind. You really don’t realize it until you get out there on the road and come home. The Salt Lake scene is incredible, especially for a city this size.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The first time I ever bombed severely was the last time I was on stage before COVID hit. I was still just doing open mics. There is nothing worse than that wait to get on stage after you bomb. Being unable to do so was torture. To make matters worse it was one of those performances that were so cringe-inducingly bad that other comics were embarrassed to look me in the eye afterward. At least it gave me plenty of time to write.
Really, getting into comedy is my response to obstacles and hardship. I love the line in fight club where Tyler Durden says, “It is only when we lose everything that we are free to do anything.” That’s my life.
Every comic who wants this gladly embraces the hardship that comes with it. I still live in my car, shower at the gym, and do side gigs to make ends meet. It allows me to go anywhere in the nation to pursue my goals. It’s not really a hardship. I love it because I love comedy.
I can’t complain. I am sharing stages with comics who are more experienced than me. I haven’t paid the dues to be where I am. That’s not lost on me. I’m not where I want to be, but I am already in a better situation than I should be.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make people laugh so I don’t have to cry. I’m a comic. To say what sets me apart would be arrogant, I believe. Perhaps something odd would be that my voice doesn’t match my face. I also have an accent many Utahns aren’t familiar with. People often ask me where I’m from because they don’t think my accent matches my geography. I grew up in the Glendale neighborhood on the West Side. People who grew up in places like Glendale, Rose Park, West Valley, etc. either don’t ask or are satisfied when I tell them.
What I am most proud of comedy-wise is that I am doing it. In my younger days, I performed as a lead-vocalist in front of thousands of people on one occasion. For over 20 years, I have done non-profit speaking engagements. But going on stage to do comedy was initially terrifying. It’s a different beast.
I should mention a comedian named Jay Whittaker. I used to drive rideshare and picked him up at Salt Lake International Airport one night. I asked him if he had a show in Utah and he informed me that he lived here. When I told Jay I had been a performer and articulated my respect for comedians doing something I didn’t feel capable of despite wanting to, he told me I should try it. Maybe, I was fishing for the encouragement necessary. Regardless, he supplied it.
So, I guess my proudest, single moment as a comic has to be forcing myself to step on stage at that first open mic in downtown Salt Lake at Wiseguys. I had never experienced true stage fright. I wanted to perform so desperately, yet all of my instincts were screaming at me to panic or run. I forced myself on stage and found what I had been looking for. I am finally really good at something I love. I have been good at things I love before, but never something that felt like an actual calling. That’s what comedy is for me.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Insanity. That’s only a half-joke. If I ran down the list of everything I have been diagnosed with over the years, it literally might scare you. Most comics would say, “That’s it?”
You don’t have to be insane to do comedy, but it definitely helps!
Contact Info:
- Email: ChuckFury@FuriousComedy.com
- Website: https://FuriousComedy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckfurycomedy (@ChuckFuryComedy)
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ChuckFuryComedy
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChuckFuryComedy (@ChuckFuryComedy)
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCRmO4yiq7xl4jpMFN1c3T3A
- Other: TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8Jhk8d5 (@ChuckFuryComedy)
