Jerry Sadowitz
| Jerry Sadowitz | |
|---|---|
Sadowitz at the Greenock Arts Guild in 2011
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| Birth name | Jerry Sadowitz |
| Born |
4 June 1961 New Jersey, United States |
| Medium | |
| Notable works and roles |
The People vs. Jerry Sadowitz The Pall Bearer's Revue The Jerry Atrick Show Total Abuse Gobshite |
| Website | jerrysadowitz |
Jerry Sadowitz (born 4 June 1961) is an American-born Scottish stand-up comic and card magician.
Notorious for his frequently controversial brand of black comedy, Sadowitz describes Bernard Manning as “the good cop” to his bad, and believes that when you go to see a comedian you should suspend your beliefs. He has influenced a generation of comedians, but states that "politically incorrect comedy is no genre: it’s me, and it’s been ripped off by loads and loads of comics". In 2007 he was voted the 15th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups. In the 2010 list, he was voted the 33rd greatest stand-up comic.
Sadowitz is also widely acclaimed as one of the best close-up magicians in the world and an accomplished practitioner of sleight of hand, having written several books on magic and inventing several conjuring innovations.
In 2008, Sadowitz published an open letter to reviewers asking them not to quote his material stating that "a very important element of comedy is surprise, and it can often make the difference between a show that works and one that does not". He also actively protects his intellectual property, removing clips of himself from YouTube and torrent sites within hours of their appearance.
Sadowitz was born in New Jersey to a Jewish American father who worked as a scrap metal merchant and Scottish mother, Roslyn. His parents split up when he was 3, and moved with his mother back to her native Glasgow when he was 7. Sadowitz attended Calderwood Lodge Primary and then Shawlands Academy. He took an interest in magic at the age of 9, and by the age of 11 decided he wanted to become a magician, acquiring books from Tam Shepherd's Magic and Joke Shop. Sadowitz was encouraged by his Mum to research magic at his local library and was once kicked out of an exam after the examiner discovered his pack of cards and thought he was cheating. He has suffered from ulcerative colitis since childhood.
Sadowitz made his comedy debut in 1983 at a Glasgow club and secured a regular stand-up slot at the Weavers Inn pub on London Road in Glasgow. The pub was run by future comedian Janey Godley, and he got the gig after her brother Jim begged her to put him on. Sadowitz began travelling down to London to perform at The Comedy Store every two weeks for two years, making the 400+ mile journey via Stagecoach express coach. He moved to the city permanently in 1986, living with his mother in Hampstead until 2005. There, he began his first job working in Selfridges.
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