With close to two decades in the game, comedian Barry Brewer is taking big strides. For years, he has married his love for comedy and music and his success only being quantified.
How has growing up in Chicago influenced your craft?
Oh man, it has influenced it greatly! It definitely has made me have a sense of, what I believe, is speaking from the truth. Coming up from where I come from or like not having anything, you have to learn how to distract people from what they don’t have. You know how people talk about having a roast pit? If it’s being roasted or roasting people back about being poor. It is getting strong at not having anything. It’s being able to stand your ground.
So, just learning how to funny in that way. It’s also my mom and how I was raised about people that I really would just make fun of – real situations. In certain situations, people wouldn’t have a lot, so I would make light of it all. My cousin and I would just laugh at any and everything. Almost nothing wasn’t a moment to laugh. My grandma would always hate that, but my family and upbringing were about laughter.
It’s interesting you said that, because you had a comedy special “I Don’t Know the Rules” where you went back to your hometown and did the special there. Can you elaborate on that?
Yes! I did my stand-up special last year in Chicago. Chicago is home. It comes out in February. Going back home was definitely important. I always envisioned that when I started stand-up, I would always do my special at home. So, when I relocated to Los Angeles to pursue television and film, I knew whenever I would do a special I would go back home because that’s where it all started. I always want to remember where it all started. I was able to go to downtown Chicago, which is a place, that growing up from the Southside, you only went with your mom for court or something like that. It was very rare. To be able to do a show downtown is a different world from the Southside, even though they’re only like 25 minutes away from each other. It was definitely a special thing.
It seems like there is a lot of passion involved, so definitely can’t wait to see that!
Definitely!
Can you share your journey, maybe even some of the harder times, because you’ve been in the game for 16 years?
It feels like a lifetime. There were definitely some trials and tribulations. Just moving from Chicago to LA was a transition. I moved when I was 21 and I didn’t know anybody in LA. I was on my own since 17, so just kind of being in a new place that I’d never been before was definitely a chance. I’d go back home every once and a while and see my cousins and close friends that I grew up with, but didn’t really have a relationship with them. It’s a strain when you’re chasing your dream sometimes. You sacrifice those things.
Once you made that move, how was it supporting yourself?
Financially— when you’re out here trying to make or keep a job, while auditioning and doing things like that, trying to make ends meet. I was fortunate enough, I knew how to play the piano and organs in church, so I was always fortunate enough to make a living that way. It allowed me to kind of free myself up during the week, so I could go audition and put energy and time into my craft. I was fortunate because of that.
That’s perfect! How did your immediate deal with you traveling?
Relationships are hard when you’re an entertainer because you’re always on the go. My first marriage, I got married when I was about to be 22, so I was really young. My ex-wife had my kids, who I raised since they were three. I don’t like to call them my step kids, because I feel like they are mines. But, trying to be a father and entertainer who’s trying to make it and travel. It just put a lot of strain on that relationship, which ended in divorce.
It takes a lot of your time and energy and mentality. And then, the heartbreak – trying to audition and network, but not getting the opportunities that you feel you’re more than talented for. Honestly, recently after 16 years, things are really starting to open up for me. If you’re not strong, the entertainment business could really break you because you’re always looking for validation.
Given that you are musically inclined, would you ever combine the comedy and music?
Yes! I have actually! First of all, the music came from the church. I grew up in two worlds. I grew up on the hood, but then on the weekends my grandma and grandfather told me to church. So, I feel like I had the best of both worlds. I learned how to fight. Then I learned how to pray on the weekends. I think it’s a big makeup of who I am today. But, music was always a big part of how I grew up. It was like a gift I had. Drums came to me really easy and I played the saxophone. When I was about 17, I moved over to the piano. When I started to do comedy, of course, I was always a fan of Martin and Jamie Foxx, which you know he has the musical element.
I’ve done different videos for Instagram and social media to just build my presence – creating funny songs. That content would be on Instagram. I’ve put out music on the side. When I moved to LA, I started producing and songwriting. I got to work with Brandy, Ray J, and Tank, and so forth. I take music really seriously. On my stand-up special, I sit at the piano and create content that’s musical – talking about music in the different spaces of white churches versus Black churches. That’s how I approach my comedy and kind of intertwined it with my music gift.
Sciler Williams
