Longtime friends and professional comedians Les McCurdy, left, and Ken Sons will join forces along with fellow alumnus Jim Brick to raise money for athletics at East Ridge High School this weekend.Schedule
The East Ridge High School Alumni and Supporters Association weekend includes these events:Friday, Aug. 5› 5-9 p.m. Pioneer Classic at Brown Acres Golf Club, $100 admission.› 7 p.m. All Class Reunion Party, Cookout and Silent Auction at The Renaissance Center, 630 North Ave., Rossville, Ga. $30 per person, $50 per couple.Saturday, Aug. 6› 6:30 p.m. Pioneers Go Downtown at Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. $60 per person, $100 per couple.Sunday, Aug. 7› 7:30 p.m. Comedy show with Les McCurdy and Jim Brick at The Comedy Catch, 1400 Market St. $15.
When engineers condemned Raymond James Stadium on the East Ridge High School campus last fall, it was anything but funny. However, three former East Ridge High School classmates who’ve made a living as professional comedians will return to Chattanooga this weekend to help raise money to replace the stadium at their alma mater.
Les McCurdy, Ken Sons and Jim Brick all grew up in East Ridge; all three now live in Florida; and all three have made careers of telling jokes. In fact, Sons and McCurdy grew up best friends and graduated in the same class at East Ridge in 1973.
After graduation, the two started doing stand-up, sometimes together, and in 1985, they became partners, opening The Comedy Catch in the Golden Gateway area of downtown. Brick was a year behind at ERHS, and while all three knew each other, he didn’t get into comedy until years later.
In fact, he didn’t tell the other two he was even considering it until he’d logged enough hours doing open-mike nights anywhere he could find. He finally felt he was ready to perform at McCurdy’s, a club McCurdy and his wife, Pam, opened in Sarasota, Fla., in 1988.
“Jim was over in Tampa where he was a shop foreman and going to open-mike nights, and he never told us what he was doing until he felt like he was good enough,” McCurdy says. “By the time he came down, he was good and we (McCurdy and Sons) took him to [a show in Savannah, Ga.] to open for us.”
Despite their longtime friendships and relationships, the three have never performed together onstage. Until now.
The East Ridge High School Alumni and Supporters Association has a big weekend of events planned, including a golf tournament, barbecue cookout and a comedy show.
The golf tournament will take place Friday, Aug. 5, at Brown Acres, followed by a barbecue that night at The Renaissance in Ringgold.
On Saturday, Aug. 6, the festivities move to the Chattanooga Convention Center where there will be food and dancing to go along with a performance by the three comics. On Sunday, Aug. 7, Brick and McCurdy will do sets at The Comedy Catch at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Proceeds will go toward the stadium and future athletic needs. Affiliation with East Ridge High School is not required to take part in any of the events.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.