Artist:
Steve Harvey
Genre: Theater
Background: A longtime
standup comic in addition to his work in
television and radio, outspoken funnyman
Steve Harvey has time and again proven his
dedication to changing the public perception
of African-American humor by means of his
unique gift for humor. Though his universal
truth-style and observant eye have gained
Harvey a loyal following with his top-rated
show on the WB, Harvey still vocally articulates
his frustrations with the racial sliding
scale of prime-time success.
A native of Cleveland, OH, Harvey began
his career as a standup comedian in the
early '90s. With his popularity leading
to a long-running stint on television's
popular Showtime at the Apollo a few short
years later, Harvey's small-screen career
was soon on the rise and he next landed
a leading role (as well as a People's Choice
Award nomination for Favorite Male Performer
in a New Television Series) in television's
Me and the Boys in 1994. With his own series,
The Steve Harvey Show, close on the horizon,
the comic's influence was gaining even more
momentum in addition to a wider audience.
And though he would earn four NAACP Image
Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy
Series for his show, Harvey was quick to
point out that that doesn't necessarily
entitle him to the perks of a role in a
more Caucasian-oriented sitcom. One of four
black comics featured in director Spike
Lee's The Original Kings of Comedy (2000),
Harvey was soon joined in prime time by
fellow King Bernie Mac when Mac debuted
his own namesake television series in early
2001. In addition to serving as host of
KKBT-FM's The Beat, Harvey frequently takes
part in speaking engagements in which he
stresses the importance of goals and the
dangers of drugs to impressionable youths.
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