On this day in comedy on January 17, 1959, Comedian, Producer, Author, Historian/ Preservationist, Darryl Littleton aka D’Militant is born in Los Angeles, California
Darryl Littleton began his comedy career writing for The Tom Joyner Morning Show and soon afterwards became a regular at the World-Famous Comedy Store adopting the stage name, “D’Militant” for his slicing wit and incisive social and political commentary. He was D. L. Hughley’s exclusive writer when Hughley hosted BET’s Comic View and as writer/producer penned material for subsequent hosts Cedric the Entertainer, Sommore and Don DC Curry. His writing extended to columns for Comedy the Magazine and The Humor Mill. Littleton was also a commentator for NPR.
As a stand-up, Darryl Littleton’s on camera credits include The Parent Hood, Townsend Television, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, Comedy Central’s Make Me Laugh, Martin Lawrence’s 1st Amendment, Telemundo’s Loco Comedy Jam and Byron Allen’s Comic’s Unleashed. He has toured Europe and Asia performing for the US military and as the host of Katt Williams’ Its Pimpin, Pimpin Tour (the highest grossing national comedy tour that year).
Littleton took his love of comedy and wrote books on the subject. His first, Black Comedians on Black Comedy, chronicles the history of African-American comedy. It’s taught in universities and was made into the documentary, Why We Laugh by director, Robert Townsend. Littleton served as executive producer for the project. He has also published Pimp Down: The Rise & Fall of Katt Williams (2011), on 21st Century fame and media scrutiny, Forefathers (2012), the story of the American Revolution told from a black perspective, Comediennes: Laugh Be a Lady (2012), the history of female comedy which he co-wrote with his wife / comedienne, Tuezdae Littleton, How to Be Funny: The Essential Comedy Handbook; a tutorial on the art of laughter and How 2 Play Whitey, a collection of hilarious stories on stereotyping.
Darryl Littleton is the first African- American on the advisory board of the Comedy Hall of Fame. He has toured the nation as a public speaker lecturing on the historical and social significance of comedy. To that end, Littleton produced Black & Blue: The Laff Records Collection, a compilation of classic party records from Redd Foxx to Marsha Warfield. As “D’Militant” he’s released two comedy albums (Am I Lying?!, Too Raw for Mainstream), has won numerous comedy awards including the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition and ABC’s America’s Funniest People and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his Comedy Hal of Fame produced documentary, Joan Rivers: Exit Laughing.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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