Michael Colyar
By Biko N. Poindexter-Hodge
Sentinel Intern
Comedy has changed throughout the decades. We have had comedians such as Red Foxx, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Bernie Mac, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappell and numerous of other comedians that stepped onto the scene to make people laugh and have a good time.
There are also some comedians out there that claim to be the “King of Comedy”. But there is another famous old school comic that has been around way before even these guys knew what the definition or how to spell ‘Comedy’.
If there was a title or a crown for the, “King of Comedy”, then it would go to no one else than Michael Colyar.
Michael Colyar is an American comedian and a motivational speaker.
You may remember Mr. Colyar as the heavy-hitting concert promoter, “Show boat” in the 1994 movie, House Party 3. He also spent 9 of his formative years as a comic, buskin on Venice Beach making his mark in the hearts and minds of anyone who came to see him perform. Colyar is always provoking fans with humor.
He was later on dubbed as “The King of Venice Beach”, because every Saturday and Sunday for 9 years he would perform five one-hour shows a day.
His audience varies from all nationalities, to young and old, reaching out to gang bangers all the way up to top bank presidents and politicians.
Colyar is the only comedian that I truly know that has a “melting pot” audience. He is known to bring the same high energy, perfect delivery and dynamic stage presence to every show no matter where it is. He is always “cooking with oil”.
Mr. Colyar is a very humorous and intelligent brother who knows and has studied the comedy game from front to back. In a way you can even say that he has contributed and helped to write the comedy game from his comedic background as a historical comedian.
The city of Venice California in December 2000 honored Michael Colyar by placing his shoe prints, handprints and money grabber in cement for the new Venice boardwalk.
In 1990, Colyar was the $100,000 Grand Prize Comedy champion of “Star Search”, the nationally televised talented competition, where he gained notable attention. He then donated $50,000 to homeless charities in the Los Angeles area.
Mr. Colyar has appeared in feature film such as, ‘The Longshot” starring Ice Cube and KeKe Palmer and recently new Disney Movie, “The Princess and The Frog” starring Anika Noni Rose and Oprah Winfrey.
Whether, Mr. Colyar is known as a Star Search Champion, Talk Show Host, Actor and Comedian, he always seems to stay busy. But no matter how busy, he always finds time to be funny.
In addition, to Michael Colyar’s Comedy Extravaganza, which is held at The Comedy Union in Los Angeles every Monday night, he is currently promoting his comedic album, “Michael Colyar’s Greatest Hits and the Great Unknowns.” The CD was officially released this last month and is currently available on iTunes.
The album features Colyar’s brassy humor and fuses it with the musical styling’s of some of hip hop’s best underground talent such as the DBoyz (formerly of Cash Money Records), C.B.Y.A (Cool But Young and Arrogant), Dirty (half of the group “Pimp and Da Gangsta”), and MJG & 8Ball.
The album also features a special tribute to the late rapper MC Breed.
The bonus is Colyar will also tackle rap on this CD with his highly controversial “Who’s The King” where he ask the question “who made y’all king”.
For more information on Michael Colyar, visit www.michaelcolyar.com
