My brother and I enjoyed seeing comedian Louie Anderson in concert at Northrop Auditorium back on December 29. I’ve been a fan of Louie’s since the mid-80s when I saw his cable TV special Louie Anderson at the Guthrie. It was also quite a thrill to see someone from the ol’ neighborhood make it big in show biz. Louie also grew up in Saint Paul, less than ten miles from where I lived as a matter of fact.
One thing I noticed about Louie when meeting him backstage last month was his genuine love and appreciation for his fans. He even had a laugh when I walked up to him and said “Does Raymond Burr live here?” This was a punchline of his back in the 80s when he told the story of his Mother constantly stopping at garage sales.
Louie: I’m not going in.
Mom: Oh come on in. You might find a shirt.
Louie: What, does Raymond Burr live here?
Mom: I don’t think so.
Of course, the younger audience today isn’t familiar with the late actor Burr, who was quite portly in his day. Louie told me he now uses the name of actor John Goodman when telling the garage sale story.
In addition to a career in stand-up, Louie has also authored three books, was creator of the cartoon Life with Louie, which aired from 1995 until 1998, and hosted the game show Family Feud from 1999-2002.
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