Happiness from despair, joy from sadness, comedy from tragedy - herein lies the life of funny man D.L. Hughley. To those familiar with the African American comedy circuit, Hughley's trademark throaty-voiced jokes poking fun at audience members and forever declaring that somebody "needs Jesus" are nothing new. He's been performing professionally for the past five years, appearing on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," MTV's "Comedy Half-Hour," CBS's "48 Hours" and the "Oprah Winfrey Show." He was also the first host of BET's "Comic View."
And now he's heading for the Fox Theatre. Exactly one week from tomorrow, Hughley - accompanied by Michael Collier, Shang and Detroit's own Teddy Carpenter - will headline a guaranteed hilarious night of ghetto-style humor.
Not that his life has always been a big riot. From age 12 to 18, Hughley was in fact a member of the infamous Los Angeles' Bloods. He finally left after the gang-related murder of his cousin, whose bloody corpse was dumped by his killers onto his mother's doorstep.
"It was a terrible thing," Hughley said in a recent interview with The Michigan Daily. "And what was even worse was that he was in a rival gang, the Crips. So I couldn't even go to his funeral, or I might've been shot."
While working as a circulation manager for the Los Angeles Times, Hughley was dared by his barber to participate in a comedy showdown. That was five years ago.
The rest is history.
"I'm the same cat I always was," Hughley said. "I used to always run off at the mouth and talk about people. I just didn't know that it would make a living for me. But when they put that microphone in my hand, I knew stand-up would be my life. I guess that, in a way, it always has been.
"One of the most beautiful things in the world I've ever seen or heard is people laughing, even when there seems to be so little reason for them to laugh. No matter how bad things, you can at least be happy that you woke up this morning. Many people didn't."
Hughley speaks from experience. More than once, he could have been one of those people.
"I'm glad I found my way out (of the Bloods). There are a lot of people who could grow up to be great community assets. Unfortunately they don't live long enough to."
For Hughley, things have really changed. Now he's a rather young-looking 32 with a wife of almost 11 years, three children and three dogs. And as he tried to talk to me from his home in Los Angeles, he had to contend with a number of domestic issues, including helping his daughter tie her shoes, stopping a dog from jumping on the couch and greeting a visiting neighbor.
"Damn the fact that I'm doing an interview," he finally told everyone. "I've got to get my own place."
"About nine months ago we moved to the L.A. suburbs. And now, for the first time in my life I live around white folks. They are the nicest neighbors, and they are the funniest people to live around," Hughley laughed. "They'll be mowing their lawn, and they'll volunteer to mow yours ... for free. They be carpooling. But I don't trust them with my kids. You might not have to worry about anybody breaking in your house, but you definitely have to worry about serial killers and child molesters."
Hughley is much like Bill Cosby or Richard Pryor. He's hilarious even when he's serious. Take the recent presidential elections.
"I voted for Bill. Honestly, I'd pick a young white guy over an old white guy for president anytime because the younger guy is more likely to have been influenced by the great social changes of the '60s and '70s," Hughley noted. "I don't care if he's messed around or smoked weed or any of that. Hell, I would. I mean, you the most powerful man in world; you'll get you some on the side. The one thing women love more than money is power. I could be president of my fifth-grade class, and I'll try and get me some. I'll be like, 'Hey girl. You want a hall pass? Then I'm the brotha you need to kick it with.'
"But my wife'll stick with me through thick and thin. I once asked her if she'd leave me if I lost an eye or something, and she said no. Then she asked me. Hell yeah I would. I couldn't see it. Everything you had on this wedding picture you should have with you. Now, I'm not talking about divorcing; that's too expensive."
With Hughley, it's non-stop laughter.
"But seriously, I've very happily married. In fact, my wife is coming to Detroit with me."
Nice save, D.L.
"I admit, I get a lot of slack for some of the things I say and the way I say it, but there's a lot of material in my act that is positive and real," Hughley continued. "I just want to be the best comic I can. And it's scary to see that finally happening. Everybody wants to be great at something. From the moment I picked up a microphone, I knew that this is what I was supposed to do.
"I'm truly blessed. I love what I do. I've been all over the world, and I've even performed before Bill Clinton. How can I not like what I do? There's nothing better."
Come to the Fox Theater on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. and experience the best.
"You need Jesus" if you don't go see D. L. Hughley next Saturday in Detroit.