Ralphie May comes home - June 29

If You Go* What: Comedian Ralphie May.* When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29.* Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.* Admission: $30.50-$50.50.* Phone: 423-642-TIXS.* Website: www.ChattanoogaOnStage.com.

Since his national debut on the first season of "Last Comic Standing," Ralphie May has become one of the country's most popular touring comics, and now he might just be "Too Big To Ignore."

That's the title of his latest Comedy Central special and DVD.

He has plans to release a vintage 1998 performance on vinyl later this year.

On Saturday, June 29, the Chattanooga native returns home to perform at the Tivoli Theatre.

May was born and spent part of his childhood here before moving to Arkansas. After his idol, comedian Sam Kinison, suggested he move to Houston to advance his comedy career, May attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and moved to Los Angeles after graduation.

He finished second behind Dat Phan in the "Last Comic Standing" show in 2003.

May is known for saying, or tweeting, whatever comes to mind. He caught some flack recently after tweeting "that sometimes God just cleans up the gene pool" after three stars of Discovery Channel's "Storm Chasers' died in a tornado in Oklahoma in May.

He was the only white comic featured in 2005's "The Big Black Comedy Show." His previous Comedy Central specials are "Girth of a Nation" (2006), "Prime Cut" (2007) and "Austintatious" (2008).

He is married to fellow comic Lhana Turner, and they have two children, daughter April June May and son August May. The two comics host a podcast online together called "The Perfect 10."

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