BYRON KENNEDY

Encouraged by friends and colleagues to leave a highly successful career in the music business to pursue his gift of comedy, Byron Kennedy’s irreverent, observational style and natural storytelling panache immediately gelled with audiences across the nation, moving him quickly from open mic nights to opening and feature slots to a six month residency in Las Vegas to now headlining gigs across the country. The explanation for his fast start is exceedingly simple: "I fucking hate meetings."

Declared the “Leonardo DaVinci Of Radio” by broadcast legend Howard Stern, Kennedy built an impressive résumé at a CBS Radio and, later, a top Nashville record label. Happily, it made him miserable. "I kept getting promoted into executive roles and felt like an impostor," he says. Dragged onstage at an open mic night, he heard his calling. "I did two shots, told a few stories and got some laughs. Then we went out and celebrated like I'd just killed it on The Tonight Show. The next morning, I was certain this was all I wanted to do."

Kennedy's natural comedic flair gelled quickly, earning opening and feature gigs nationwide, including a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. "When I started leaning into this thing, the opportunities to share my craft started to pop up," he says. "I can't explain it, but when you land that first laugh, there's no turning back."