May 27, 2025 • 58 mins
After nearly 14 years without a stand-up comedy special, Rickey Smiley is making his long-awaited return with “Fool-ish,” premiering May 30 on Hulu.
In our heartfelt and hilarious conversation, Rickey opened up about life, laughter, and legacy—and reminded us why he remains one of comedy’s most beloved voices.
Trust me—this conversation is one you need to hear.
It’s raw, funny, emotional, and filled with purpose. Rickey’s transparency and grace will inspire you.
🎥 Watch this interview!
Visit IceCreamConvosPodcast.com for more episodes!
Be sure to subscribe, comment, and share with a friend! 🎧🖤🍦
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ice-cream-convos-podcast--2027902/support.
In our heartfelt and hilarious conversation, Rickey opened up about life, laughter, and legacy—and reminded us why he remains one of comedy’s most beloved voices.
Trust me—this conversation is one you need to hear.
It’s raw, funny, emotional, and filled with purpose. Rickey’s transparency and grace will inspire you.
🎥 Watch this interview!
Visit IceCreamConvosPodcast.com for more episodes!
Be sure to subscribe, comment, and share with a friend! 🎧🖤🍦
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ice-cream-convos-podcast--2027902/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Compensation ice conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
But on the grind all day, every day, ice cream
combos always real.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
They never play.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Download up podcast listen on any day?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Why didn't not do this sooner?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
On that thing?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
And ever say exime Bro best host of all time.
All of the faithful listeners will say they never alive
check every story. They run like me with the Brahms
win not the Social Report anything. It should be a
crime entertainment news year. I gotta get mine from I
C C. And you should be in Klin to do
(00:44):
the same if you got alfamn, I do go sign
this lady to shine like Franking Stein. Tell it the
day designed ice creamcombos dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Tune in.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
This influence fluence for ice cream.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
I Ricky Smiley, thank you so much for joining me today.
It is such a pleasure to be able to finally
talk to you.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Now you're doing I'm doing great. How are you doing?
Is the question.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I'm good, I'm good. Excited.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yes, I'm excited for you as well.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I was sitting here and as I was preparing for
our conversation, I was like, should I be like welcome back, Ricky,
but it's like you never left. But as far as
that stand up comedy stage, I am excited to tell
you welcome back. It's been what thirteen almost fourteen years.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Yes, since I did a special. Yeah, yeah, I never
stopped performing. I just you know, I just never did
another special.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
You know. The last one I did was on d
et Open Casket Shop.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
It was it was great, and uh so it's like,
how do you come behind that?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You know? So I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
So Foolish Foolish is slated to premiere on Hulu on
May thirtieth. First, talk to me about the name foolish.
Why did you decide to name this special foolish?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Well, you know I always come on stage to charity
loan foolish, okay, whenever I performed nationally or whatever.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
And uh so you think about Blackish, that TV show, and.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Uh and and it really fits the the material, it
fits you know who I am on the radio. Just foolish,
just just just foolish. That's that's what my uh lady
used to produce my money show Kims. She said, she said,
you are so foolish. So and I just thought it
(02:58):
was perfect. So, uh I like that title.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So you filmed this at the Lyric Theater in your
hometown of Birming, Birmingham, Alabama. Talk to me about what
it felt like to make this stand up special comeback
in your hometown with your people.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Oh yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
You know, performing in Birmingham is always because I do
carry Yoki all the time at the comedy stardom, but
performing in my hometown is just always.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And it's crazy because the Lyric Theater.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
I used to work in a clothing store two doors down,
and I remember being in that clothing store writing jokes,
but never would have thought how everything came around in
full circle and two doors down I would be shooting
a comedy special thirty five, like thirty five years later.
So wow, yeah, so that's that's something. But performing at home,
(03:53):
you know, you get the hometown advantage, but it adds
more pressure because you know you're performing at home, so
you better to be funny.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
You're gonna tell your auntie that you wasn't funny. Everybody
in Birmingham, know everybody. Somebody gonna tell your auntie, your mama,
you know, your great aunt or whatever, whether you was
good or not.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
So now down to the church, Ricky, when they do
their testimony, they're gonna say, given the honor to God.
You know, Ricky wasn't really that funny last week down
to the Leader theater, right, Yes, yeah, you got to
deal with your hometown folks.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, so so dealing with the home folks, you better
be funny.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
You know, you got your mom there, your uncle there,
you got the guy that gave me your star.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Bruce A, sitting in the audience. You got brats, the
brat sitting in the audience. You got uh yeah, you
better come with it.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Absolutely. Now it's funny that you say that, because I
was planning to talk to you about this a little later,
but I think now it's the perfect time. You know,
you were talking about like how you have to be
funny when you are at home in front of your people,
and I think a lot of people don't realize, and
I'm kind of talking to myself in this, A lot
of people don't realize there is a huge difference between
being funny and being a stand up comedian and being
(05:07):
a comedian. Because you could be funny your mama and
your aunties and them can think you funny at Thanksgiving,
but it's different when you have to put together material,
work that material and present it to an audience. Do
you have any advice for any person who is considering
being a comedian.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Yeah, the thing about it is you have to have
the calling for it, because probably eight out of ten
people is actually funny.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But everybody are not performers.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Everybody can't make that transition to take that funny to
the stage and make strangers laugh, laugh and memorize by
hour worth of material and keep the audience going, keep
a moving like boom boom boom, boom boom, you know,
going from subject to subject, joke, joke, story to story.
(05:59):
It's a lot of work, a lot of commitment, and
a lot of dedication in years. I feel like I'm
funnier now than I was when I was in my
twenties and thirties because life has has been I've lived
a lot of life. And uh, it's like when you
get older, you're just more comfortable. You're not worried about
what people think. You just say what you want to
(06:21):
say and if the audience laugh, you just roll with it.
You know, you don't overthink, you relax, you have the experience,
you have a safe time, and uh, so, uh, you know,
I don't know if I answer you question about it?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You did, you answered, you didn't ask all over the place.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
That is fine. That's what a conversation is, Ricky. So
one of the things that I wanted to just kind
of piggyback off of that and share with you a
quick little story time. So many many moons ago in Atlanta,
they used to have, like I guess, karaoke, open mic night, whatever.
And one of my girlfriends and I went, and she
thinks something, theiest person on the planet. She's like, girl,
(07:02):
you got to get up there and do some stand up.
And I was like, nah, She was like, go ahead, girl,
you know how your friends can gas you up. I
got on that stage. Wanda Smith was hosting. You remember
when she used to host. I think it was Wednesday
Night you know what I'm.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Talking about over there over there by Westley Chapel. Yes, yes, yeah, Ricky.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I took my tail over there. I got up on
that stage. I don't even remember what I tried to say,
but all I heard was boom and was doing me
with the whole chest boo.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Glad you wasn't that club five five nine?
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Oh no, no, I just better than that. I knew
better than that.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I never want to go on stage at five five nine.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
They round, No, I knew better than that. I got
up there and I was so I immediate when I
heard the first boot, I went into Apollo moved because
they don't boo you when you sing gospel stuff. So
I was like, well, I can sing a little bit,
So I start trying to sing Ricky.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Well, next thing I know, Wander Smith came up there
and snatched that microphone and she said, what the hell.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Is you up here? Ricky?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
That woman roasted me so bad. It was so good.
In hindsight, it was so good, but in the moment
it was so bad.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, we have all had those nights on stage, including me.
You know, sometimes you know, it's it's.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Sometimes it's always better to start out with a small audience, yeah,
you know, to get you to catch your rhythm. And
once you get your rhythm, then you ready for something
like that, a night where is going to be pat
and music and you know, so you have to kind
of come with it because it was a high bar.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
The bar is sat high.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
So it is it really is. My question to you
is while preparing for this particular stand up special, did
you have any apprehensions or while working your material, did
you have any concern We now live in twenty twenty five,
where everything has to be politically correct and everyone is
super sensitive, and you know, some of your classic classic
(09:10):
characters may rub people a little bit the wrong way
in the twenty twenty five if.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
You're not hell no, yeah, I'm not for everybody, and
it is what it is. You know, if you want
to make everybody happy, sell ice cream, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
And listen, I'm ice cream. Conversations and that don't even always.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Work right, right, Yeah, somebody gonna always be mad, or
somebody gonna always not like something, or or take what
you said out of you know, out of contact contexts
and stuff like that. You just have to if you
get to if you get to thinking about that, you
won't have an act. You won't have an act. You
(09:55):
won't be able to say nothing on the radio or whatever.
I don't care, countful culture, you know, whatever, and and
and people that that go.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Along with that, that kind of stuff. I got a
strong fan.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Base that like me, and they like me because I'm me,
and they want to laugh, they want to have a
good time.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
So I just play to my audience.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
I don't play for for the windows that just don't
like nothing and got a problem with everything. I just
kind of let those people be absolutely, and I'm back
and forth with them online now, I just I just
I don't even read the contents, you know we call it. Yeah, yeah,
that's why they put the blinders on on the horse
in the parade. Was a heady because all of this
(10:41):
barking and stuff on the side.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Oh that's that's crazy work. You'll go crazy.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Trying to respond to everything and and make you know,
people happy that don't even really support you anyway, that
don't come out to the comedy club anyway to see
you perform, you know, because everybody got an opinion about
this that, and just you have to just do you.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Absolutely so, speaking of your iconic character as some of
my personal favorites, Precious in her grandma, because I was
raised by my great grandma, so you know that hit
a little different. Now I'm not like Precious, but I
remember my grandma saying.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
I'm a knocked on you bank and can your mama
you know all of that stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Oh yeah, you know what it is, absolutely And I
know about getting pinched in church when you get to
what see people everybody don't have that experience or understand
the experience, Ricky, but I do know that. And all
of my grandmother's friends was Mss Bernice Jenkins. And then
you know, at the family functions, we had a few
little Darrols at the family function always which character if
(11:51):
you can choose, which one is your personal favorite?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
I like, I like, I like doing you know, I
gotta uh m c T bad we Miss Robin is
my favorite. Man.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Listen, I met this girl the of the day. I said,
what's your name?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Name?
Speaker 4 (12:19):
On when I tell you? And you probably never seen it.
I'm coming out of this as far i'mna I'm gonna
reintroduce Joe Willie and the Dooder rama Nairs. Oh, I
have a gospel I have a gospel quartet while dressed
up like an old man in a fat suit, and
I sing with men that's really old that actually sing
for real a gospel quartet. That's the funniest thing that
(12:41):
I do. Now that never that never took off. That's
my favorite. Joe Willie and the dooder Ramenairs.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
And the DoD Ramenairs, Now was that was that inspired
by Deuteronomy.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Yeah, it was. It's five in in the group Genesis.
Excuse numbers, Dude rammed. It shows robinades.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
And that's funny.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
You wait to Joe winning the Dude romenare is get
back together and uh.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
And we you know, we would go on tour. We
would do mega churches.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
It would be packed, and I would come out and
lead these songs that we wrote that sound like gospel
court that song and I was in I stayed in
character the whole time.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
It was absolutely hilarious.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see more of that.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah, we will be bringing back Joe with it in
the Dude Romane.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Okay, okay, Now I want to circle back to Foolish
your stand up comedy special because I failed to mention
that you are working with my favorite dynamic duo power
couple Lynn and David E.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Teller. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's like my brother
and my sister.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Uh uh you know, I love them, you know, I
love you know, their son.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I'm really close them. They put me in some movies.
Dave and I Lenn. We we on social media and.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Are in texts group texts like every Day laughing at
something or whatever. So one day we was you ain't
gonna believe us. We was in the Bahamas swimming with
bull sharks.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Okay, like we was.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
In the Atlantic Ocean swimming with sharks. Day came out
of water and say, hey, man, you need to.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Do anothering special. You haven't done one year. I said,
what he said, you need to do a comedy special.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
You know it's I don't It's I feel like you
done stuff, but you haven't been presented.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
The right way, okay.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
And coming from a director and a producer, I was like, Okay,
what does that look like? He said, yeah, we're gonna
make that happen. And we made it happen.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
And I remember playing as Day like we literally was
in it. U. Let me let me say this. We
was in a cage, in a cage and it just.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Come about the water. Hey.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Yeah, the bull sharks were swimming by the cage. So
we got in a cage and they was throwing uh
tuna and blood uh in the water to get the
sharks to come.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And the hundred some pound bull sharks was coming.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
It was something like on the Discovery Channel, and they
were swimming by the cage and we was underwater looking
at each other. We stuck our hands out the cage
and were touching them as they go by, because they
don't have the reaction like a pit bull take your
hand on and a fen pitbull turned around bite you
real quick.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
But a bull shark just just just move with it.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Move and they feel like sandpaper. Believe it or not.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
They look flick and like feeling these big animals. Man,
that was crazy. And we saw two wheels on the
way to the Bahamas. You know, so I'm a so,
so I drive. I'm a boat captain, so I drive
over to the Bahamas. So yeah, we went across the
ocean and I saw wells and uh. We got real
(16:12):
close and turned the engines off and just sat there
and had a moment and enjoyed it. Like and so
that's where all of those ideas came. We had we
had came up with an idea for a movie about
going to the Bahamas, like a thriller. But but this
was the easiest thing to do with the shoot it
Kinmedy Special. But we had came up with several ideas
that weekend.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I'm looking forward to seeing some of these other ideas
come to fruition.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Oh yeah, yeah, we're gonna we're gonna do a thriller
about going to the Bahamas, and it's gonna be me
and probably all little people and they're gonna all get a.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I was just getting ready asked for a roll, and you.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Said, all the little people you got, you got, you
got the be four foot and the other.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Can I be the person to put the wristbands on y'all?
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Yeah? You could be there be that person on the boat.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Okay, but but it's and we're gonna we're gonna call it.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
We're gonna call it baby shark.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
What is wrong with you? Something wrong with you?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yes, something wrong with me? For real? Because but that
would be great. You would go see it?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yes, yes, yes I would. I would check it out. Yes,
that is funny. That is really funny. So while doing
my research prepared for this interview, I did find out
some extra things about you, because I have been a
fan of yours for years and years and years, right
as far as far back as I can remember. But
I learned, in addition to you being a boating captain,
(17:55):
that you fly planes.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, like it ain't nothing. It's easier than driving a car.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I wish more young black men would go get
their pilot license and because they are really like and
I just wish more more about kids would go to
consider Florida Florida Memorial University in Miami, because man, they
have a flight school and that they now have one
a uh Tuskegee. You know, Chabby James was uh uh
(18:23):
a world famous pilot and I think world War two,
I think or whatever. I know the gym is named
out in the Chabby James building. But uh, Florida Memorial
they have access. They have a great aviation program, and
now Tuskegee does. But flying a plane is easier and uh,
(18:45):
the hardest thing is to learn how to communicate with
the control time. But the physical part of flying a
plane is absolutely nothing. And you have to have summing
for it because turbulence and uh and and gusts of
win and you think and you know, you have to
have the sunning for it or whatever. But yeah, I
(19:05):
started flying planes when I was working at the radio
station in Birmingham because I was like, how do y'all
know where.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
The traffic is backed up at?
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Because the guys will come on and do traffic and uh,
he said yeah, we're in a plane. I said, what
they said, Yeah, come on out. We go out, you know,
one for the morning. We do the morning shows, and
then we do another one in the evening. So I
went one evening. He said, okay, I'm gonna let you
fly the b I said, are you serious. He said, yeah,
it's easy, man, it's easy, dude. Don't worrybody, dude. He said, hey, man,
(19:34):
just get out there. Put your foot right there on
the ruddles. That's the pedal that driving the rudders, drive
the plane on the ground or whatever. And just make
sure you take on your yoke and here's your throttle
right here, and your flaps or whatever.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Man.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Once I learned like those four things, and he said,
all right, go ahead and give it some power. That's
pushing your throat for it, and give it power. Come
off the brakes and you can feel the plane getting light.
And then you pull your yolk mixt thing, you know,
you up in the air, and he'll tell what to do.
At that point, he's talking to the control tower, you
telling me what to do.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
And man, I was like, because.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
I was obsessed with airplanes, because my grandparents would take
me to the airport and we would sit on the
side of the runway behind the fence and watch planes
take off and land.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
So it was a dream to be able to fly
a plane.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So the is the bravery for me, Ricky, because yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
I tell you what, it's probably the safest way to travel.
But being on a boat and now you know, that
looked easy. But man, when a storm comes and you
start against swells. One time I was coming back from
the Bahamas and we start against swells when I had
to reach over in the thing and I had to
put on a life jacket. I had to get all
(20:43):
my emergency stuff and but I had to press through
that storm though.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
And it was a rough, rough shopping ride.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Couldn't see in front of you, look behind you, you
could see the ocean. Then you look behind you again
you could see a wall of water. And making sure
that you going at the right speed, people throwing up
or whatever.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
All of this stuff. You just have to have the
summit for it.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Oh my gosh. And I don't because just listening to you,
my anxiety is going up. I'm like sitting over here
rubbing my hands together, like, oh.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
I love some adventures and I'm a roller coaster freak.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
So you're an adrenaline junkie.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Probably, it's just depending on what it is. Now, I
can't ride the rides straight up and down the road, Okay,
just drop you, man.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
But you put me on any roller coaster in Tampa
between Tampa and Orlando, I handle it.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Wow. So in addition to being a boat captain a pilot,
you are also a gourmet chef.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Oh I love to cook.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Now, what's your signature dish? What's the dish that you know?
Like when I bust this thing out, all you gonna
hear is smacking and chewing.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I get the request for the chicken and dumplings that's
everybody's favorite. And I get the crests for my the
macaroni in cheese, the greens. I make a really good dressing.
I do a lot of soap with a lot of
comfort food. Just like like today, I'm going to start
making my dressing, getting prepared for Easter, because you.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Know I always do. I do an Easter dinner every year.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
So that's your your macaroni in cheese, your greens, your dressing.
I do a ham, I do a turkey. I got
a nice ham glaze. Do the turkey or whatever. And
I'm almost talking people only. Let people bring.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Nothing like I just I like to just cook everything.
Keep it simple. Because I was all in a luminum.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Fall and pants and top it. I get so annoyed
with that stuff. I just keep everything simple. When everybody
get here, everything is prepared. No bags, no plastic bags,
no tops, no fall. If I could just just come in,
come in and uh wait.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Oh let me take you something.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Okay, all right, you shell me.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Look, hey, I wanted this off amazon. Let me see.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
So when people come in, everybody lying up to go
to the bathroom and wash their hands.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Look when it's not working a minute?
Speaker 1 (23:11):
No, okay, oh you fancy you fancy.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Twelve dollars. Twelve dollars.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Everybody come in, wash the hands. I got two of them. Boom,
wash your hands, make you play boom. I make everything.
I think of everything, all of the details.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I see, Yeah, I s I see.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Oh I get down now. I love to cook.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Let me check my phone real quick, because I don't
think I got to invite to dinner.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Oh yeah, you know, you always welcome. Now, you always welcome.
I'm gonna catch you.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'm gonna catch you next year, or for you to
catch you next year.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
You're going to get down.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Now, come on, come frock given that's what I really
get Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I pull up Thanksgiving with my elastic waistband pants.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
What I got to do it.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
So let's talk about you being an author like that
is one of the things My great grandmother always told
me I needed to write a book about my life.
And I was like, okay, And now she's going on
the glory and that is the one thing that she
has said to me that continually nags at me. So
you wrote a book, and I want to get the
title right, Sideshow Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith.
(24:30):
This is a book that you wrote after the passing
of Brandon Right And one thing that I just want
to say to you. First, I extend my condolences, thank you. Secondly,
as a parent, I really appreciated how, even while going
through a tragedy, you made yourself available to other parents
(24:54):
and shared your story to help other parents who were
going through that heal because you know, a lot of
times when we go through things, we just want to
ball up in the bed, We want to seclude ourselves
and just try to manage it the best way possible.
And you use your test as almost a testimony. If
that's the best way I can say it. Just talk
(25:15):
to me about that.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Well, you know, much as given, much as required, and
I know personally that we serve an awesome God. And
it's all about the perspective that you put things.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
You know, what window are you going to look out?
Speaker 4 (25:31):
You know, you have to think about other people, being
a public figure, being a radio.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Personality, your fans, your friends, people.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Are concerned about you, and you have to let everybody
know that I'm okay or whatever, and you have to
find ways to be okay as a promotion of therapy.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Talk about therapy a lot in the book.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
And then one of the things that keep me going
is knowing that realizing that a lot of people situation
is way worse than mine. I had a lady two
weeks after my son died. She lost both of her
sons and did not have resources to have their funeral.
And I had even though I was going through what
(26:11):
I was going through, but I had to help with that.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I had to do something.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I couldn't just let that sit I was able to
help or whatever, because I just can't. And I had
two sons I have you know, had two sons. I
couldn't imagine if I would have lost both of my sons.
She lost both of her sons at the same time
they was murdered. And a lot of people whose children
get killed, they got to go to court and face
the murdering children. Yes, and so so, Man, you got
(26:38):
to get up for the people. You got to think
about other people. You got to put yourself aside and
lay down and lay it on the line. Offer people
that's out there suffering and they don't have the resources.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
God has been good to me. I can. I can say, Okay,
I don't want to be in the house.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
I'm gonna go to Florida for the weekend and just
jump on a plane and go.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
And that just that. I just thank God to be
able to do it for some people are stuck with no.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Resources, Walls closing in in their house, in their community,
child did, don't have access to therapy, don't have access
about to lose their job or or I got to
go to work that next money and deal with the public.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Uh, people sending in.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Line with bad attitudes and taking them through this and
that and not realizing that they buried their son or
daughter a week ago and I tell you, man, it
was just it was that was a rough time.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
And uh, but but everything always go back to your
your faith and your Christian values.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
You start thinking about Kurt Corfe at every mountain, he
brought me over, for every trial he seen me through,
for every blessing. How they do, how they Louyah for this,
I give you pray. Started thinking about Jonathan mc reynolds,
you know, you know, made you a bad days, proved
that God is good, you know, and uh, you start
to start going way back to cars and Pierson.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
I know the Lord we'll make away, Yes he will.
And uh you know and and you you you go
on into pard zones. I won't complain. Even if you
don't know scripcher you can.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
You got some and and and you can go to
Invictors and and and read and read your poems that
you had to learn and stuff when when you know,
when you was pleasure and God has given me so
many tools and resources to get through.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Those times of trials and tribulation.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
And I tell you that that was a that was
a rough that was a real rough time for me
because I had to not only that was a loss
of me, I had to make sure.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
My other kids was okay. I had to make sure
my mom was okay.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
I had to make sure my son's mom and bonus
dad was okay, you know, dealing with with details or whatever,
you know, I had to I had to make sure
that everybody was okay.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
And it really didn't hit.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Me until like a year later, you know, one year later,
you know when when that time came that I just
remember the suffering and the grief.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
The only difference.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
Was you don't have family around, and you don't have
no casket in, no flowers, so you just you just buck.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Naked and you just raw. You just sitting here.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Feeling it, like feeling it, and it's like you feel helpless.
But we serv an awesome God, and like like Tip
always said, he brings you to it, He'll bring you
through it. And I will forever be grateful to God for.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Having my son. My son was thirty two.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
I met him, met somebody in New Orleans who lost
their two year old son. Do the dreaming, now, you
you know, I have every right to grieve about my son,
but uh, these people didn't get to see that kid get.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
On the school bus. Imagine that.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
And so you know, as point you got to suck
it up and keep going and think about other people
and put it out there because my son could have
died at two.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Yeah, it's always a being of light through all darkness.
You find ways to bless God and praise God for
everything that He's done and what he's doing for you
in your life, and then he'll turn around and then remember,
all of this stuff is a test, all of it,
all of it. It don't feel like a test you're going through.
(30:30):
It's like, why is all of this stuff happening to me?
It's a test.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
God is watching all of us.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Our pastors have been telling us since elementary school that
all of this is a test. God is looking at
you to see how you're going to deal with this situation.
Are you going to make this about you? Are you
going to try to find a way to give God
the glory or whatever and bring other people close to
to God because of your test or whatever?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
And God will turn around and will and.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Reward you and give you a blessings that you don't
even have room to receive. So I just you know,
it is what it is. It's tough, but I just
thank God. I'm glad that we serve a living and
awesome God.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
I do as well. And you know, one of the
things about you, Ricky that makes people resonate and connect
with you so much is the fact that you have
always had a level of transparency with your audience, with
your fans. So even like you know, I watched you
in daddy mode on the Ricky Smiley Show. You know,
you listen to you every morning and and you address
(31:29):
you know, things that are going on personally, and then
you talk about, you know, what's in media and in
the news. How do you find that line of where
on a personal level, Like, I'll share this, but I'll
just keep this to myself as a public figure.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
It just like some things you like, I might not
want to share that I can share this.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Yeah, you know, I try to be more hopeful, optimistic,
inspiration and then every now and then, you know, I
have to put something out setting some boundaries with people,
talk about some experience that I have, trying to in
a very kind way, train people how to deal with it,
be when they come into into my space, because I
(32:11):
have a lot of runnings with people. Because you know,
decorum is out the window. There's no more exchange of pleasantries.
People will walk up in your space, grab on you,
put on your touch on you be do inappropriate things.
I got into it Sunday we were at a restaurant
standing in line getting food.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Nobody was inappropriate with my grandson.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
And walked over to my grandson with somebody on the
phone and put the phone up to my grandson in
the ear and as if none of the adults that
was with him was standing there, and then put the
untie thing on me.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
You know, the unty thing turned into unty I'm gonna
get you. Told well, I ain't doing nothing, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
You can't talk to nobody kids like, yeah, that's really
There's a lot of people that do a lot of
weird stuff. People lady at church this past Sunday walked
over and put our arms around me and tried to
put me into herself for a selfie at church. Oh yeah, everybody.
(33:19):
Now see the problem with having good home training like
we probably have.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
We run into people who testify not to use.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Their home training because of black folks got good home training.
I'm quite sure, And we do this stuff. And I'm
one of those type of people that I don't because
if you take a.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Picture with her. You gotta take a picture with everybody.
So I allow myself to get put in a picture.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Taking predictment, predicament while I'm trying to worship with something
to say, Well you a selector has it's a time
and a place.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
For everything, and this house God, the celebrity.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Yep, it's just no, I am not going to explain it,
absolutely not or whatever, and so stuff like that you
have to talk about on social media. So when people
see you, Hey, I've been watching your videos. It's a
pleasure to meet you. My name is Welcome to Detroit.
We're so happy to have you. If you need anything,
(34:19):
That's what I'd be talking about, the exchange of pleasure
of you know, people walk up and say, can I
get not? How how are you offer my condolences to
you and your family or whatever?
Speaker 3 (34:36):
You know?
Speaker 4 (34:37):
If I meet you, I don't care if Michael Jackson
came back from the grave and got off the Planet's
how you're doing, Jason. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Welcome to Birmingham An I'm Ricky Smiley. If it's anything
that you need while you're here, here's my card and
my information and I hope that you have a nice
time in the city.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
The Civil Rights Museum is over here. If you need
a good church, this is a good church. If you
want some barbecue, you can go right on.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Like that's you know what I'm saying, The way I
was raising anybody to do anything outside of that.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
For whatever excuse people want to use, it just effect.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
It just rubbed me the wrong way because I just
don't like people coming into my space hustling something.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
So let me tell you this conversation that I'm having
with you, because this is like the perfect segue that
this conversation that I'm having with you has been healing
for me sure, and it's the perfect time to I
feel like it's the perfect time to discuss it with
you because we are talking about exchanging pleasantries. So many
(35:40):
years ago. Remember when ice Cube and Kevin Hart did
the ride Along movie? Years ago, Okay, way long ago,
there was a private screening in Atlanta at Rigo Atlantic Station.
I was new in media. I had just launched ice
Cream Conversations, and I was just so excited to be
a member of media. I wanted to introduce duce myself
to everyone, try to build, you know, relationships, and so
(36:04):
on and so forth. But I am a little awkward, and
it's you know, introducing myself. So you were there and
I was standing there and I looked over and I said, oh,
my gosh, there's Ricky Smiley. And I was like, I
love him so much, I'm going to go introduce myself
to Ricky Smiley. So you were just you were chilling.
You were by yourself. You were like posted up. It
(36:24):
was that back back room, you know the back room
at they do the real special stuff. Yeah, back there,
So you were posted up. You kind of just had
your arms crossed. You was just chilling. It was it
was a private event, so you know, it wasn't stragglers
and you were just chilling, kind of taking in the
room or whatever.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
So I went.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Walking up with my stomach in knots, and I was like, Hi, Ricky,
my name is Xavieria. I'm a blogger. I have ice
cream conversations. And you looked to the side and you
said huh, like little Darryl huh. You said huh, And
he was like, oh, yeah, yay, a man, all right,
all right, And you just walked away and walked over
to this other person. And I was just standing there.
(37:01):
Oh God, and Ricky, when I tell you, it broke
my heart and I was just like, somebody like come on.
So when you went over, I looked over and I looked.
I was like, where did he go? Because I'm now
mind you, I'm standing facing a wall because you were
leaned up against a wall. You walked over to this guy,
(37:23):
and when I looked over to see where you went,
both of y'all looked back at me, and y'all started laughing,
and I was like, he didn't want to Yes, Ricky,
when I tell you, that thing ate me up so
bad because I was like, they're laughing at me, and
I was like, he didn't want to talk to me,
and now they're laughing at me. I carried that thing
with me for so long and it just hurt my feelings,
(37:45):
so I say, and.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
I was like, yeah, I'm sorry that happened, and I'm
sure you weren't talking about you. Go I when have
had a reason to talk about this recently? You walked
up and introduce yourself. Because one thing I do now
I think responsibilities. But if I got away from you
and I didn't get back to you, I probably had
the intention on doubling back to come over and talk
to you. But sometimes they'd be trying to be moving
(38:07):
me around. Sometimes I'd be either with a publicist or
somebody from the Mornings I want to Mornish your producers,
like Ricky come over here. Or sometimes they might think
that I'm in a situation and they become the buffer.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Hey, Ricky, come over here. Come over here, because a
lot of times I get locked into something.
Speaker 4 (38:26):
It could be somebody from the local chapter the NAACP,
and they'll get they'll get you, and they'll lock you
in and trying to get you to agree to something.
And sometimes they be trying to get me, get me
out of stuff, you know, or whatever. But if I
did that and you felt that way, I apologize. I
oh my god, I owe you dinner or something. I
(38:47):
owe you big time. But no, that was not intentional.
I'm sure that because we have the only way I
would have looked back and laughed at you if you
would have had on black stockings and white shoes.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
No I didn't. I did not, sir. I know I
know better than that from the Monica video. Yes, but
before you walk out of My Life's thirteen. Yeah, No,
I had no.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
But yeah, I apologize for that.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
I should have I should have double back to make
sure I finished that conversation.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
And no, I'm making no excuses. I'm not trying to
by anything. But sometimes you get in those rooms and
you get locked down in a corner and you will
get locked into something that that you don't want to
get locked into. And sometimes people can just kind of say, oh,
you know, he over there, let's let's get him, let's
pull them, pull them over here, because sometimes they have
(39:49):
to pretend that they need you over here or whatever.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
It happens all the time.
Speaker 4 (39:53):
It happens at the you know, red carpet event because
you got your media and people trying to move you
along or whatever.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
But don't don't don't take it personally.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
It wasn't a personal because if that was the case,
I wouldn't I wouldn't you know, wouldn't be here. I
do interviews and stuff stuff all the time. But sometimes
in a crowded room, you don't know what the hell
are you can to get.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
Sometimes they be trying to protect you from blocker, because
some blockers are just a.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
And that's one of the reasons why I don't like
to call myself a blogger. I've actually stopped calling myself
a blogger a reporter, and I call you or entertainment writer. Yeah,
for the for the very reason that it has such
a nasty connotation, because of the way many of us
have behaved in this space. And I always say that
(40:48):
when I walk in a room, people don't have to hush,
or people don't say here, she come here, she comes here,
you know. And I take pride in that and have
an integrity and the way I handle everything that I do.
So I'm really proud of that. But just to speak
to your apology, I feel like God always has the
bigger plan, right, So today I got to have the
(41:10):
conversation with you that I wanted to have all that
time ago, and now I really get to sit down
and talk to you and really get to know you.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
And I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
I appreciate you bringing it bringing it up, because you know,
I have to be accountable for my mistakes as well,
because I'm not bigger than you, know, like I'm a
human being, and I care about what you know, people
like yourself. If I put you in that situation, I
care about that, and I have to make good you know,
(41:41):
and make the correction, and I really appreciate you bringing
bringing it up. So now I'm definitely gonna have to
make sure that whatever I have that we get a
do over, because I got to. I got to make
that right. So when I have my premiere in Atlanta,
I'm going to have someone to come, uh Uber black
Black the SUV to come pick you up and probably
(42:07):
let you.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
I think you should co host the event with me
that night.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
Oh I would love that.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Yes, yeah, So so when I do my my premiere,
I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
Let you co hosts and narrow Uh what is it narrates.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Like the talk back?
Speaker 3 (42:22):
Yes to moderate moderate moderate moderate. If you would, I'm
not gonna would be my you.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
That's what I'll say.
Speaker 5 (42:34):
Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna We're gonna go ahead and
book you right now, and I'm gonna make sure that
you are introduced properly in front in a room full of.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Uh, in a crowded room with all the big ballers
and shot callers in there. I'm gonna make sure that
you are taking care of VI I P and make
sure that that you are put in the best light
that we put it in because I have to.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I have to make this up to you.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
I sincerely appreciate that, Ricky, I do, I do see.
This conversation definitely was a divine conversation and it has
been my absolute pleasure to you. And any time that
you need a well you don't need a platform. You
have one that's the biggest one in the country.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
So let me run that back.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Anytime you would like to talk to somebody else, Yeah,
you are more than welcome to come and chat with me.
I would love to have you.
Speaker 4 (43:32):
Yeah, thank you for the opportunity and taking the time,
you know that allow me to come on your platform.
I'm definitely gonna shout you out on my radio show
for sure. And I need to make sure that you
should have definitely have a conversation with Gary May.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
Gary will bring you on the morning show and then
you can probably be a part of his segment, you know,
especially like you got inside information and he reported and
then I get him to start quoting some of it
in your stuff or whatever. But I just appreciate real journalism,
you know, because a lot of this stuff, people do
anything and say anything for clicks or whatever, and a
(44:12):
lot of the be lines.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
But you can't sue. You can't sue. You can see
you'll be founding lawsuits all day.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
All day long, all day long. And it's funny because
over the years, you know, I've had my outlet for
fifteen years now, and over the years, I see each
year how it's becoming more and more difficult for me
because the mess is what they want. So you know,
I'll give them some positive I could tell you a
(44:39):
young black man got accepted into every university he applied
to and received a million dollars in scholarship money. And
it'll be like three clicks, three clicks. I could tell
you somebody got arrested. Oh whoa, whoa, whoa.
Speaker 4 (44:54):
You know, but if the same dude, if the same
dude got mama deep break, Oh.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Not mama in the palace. She deserved to be loved
in the running a muff in her palace.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
Come on now, Oh god, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (45:13):
You know I appreciate that people like yourself and you know,
people's magazine tarn Halls did a great episode about my
my twin daughters.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
You know that that's a blessing to me and absolutely
my family.
Speaker 4 (45:28):
But you know, it was a mess to some because
they made it a mess, but I wasn't a part
of the mess because I just didn't didn't engage it
in it or whatever. I know what happened, and everybody's
not old every single detail that every uh uh, yeah,
the math is not gonna math if you don't have the.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Full formula right. And then in situations like that, you
always get the people who want to piggyback on the
moment and grab a little bit of spotlight off of
the moment. So you know, I'm always very leary of
everyone who starts coming out of the woodwork with their
their portion of it and that portion of it, because
it's like, Okay, there's a spotlight over there, and everybody's
going to run and try to get under it. Sure,
(46:07):
but I really I loved the way that you handled
that because you presented it as look, this is the
blessing that came out of it, this is the like,
this is the blessing that came out of this, and
people will just find just yeah, something that.
Speaker 4 (46:26):
Is like it's like you in church and you giving
a testimony saying God bless me with a twenty twenty
five Ford Expedition of the church, gonna break out the
story shot right, the math ain't mathing. Well, how did
(46:53):
you get the church?
Speaker 3 (46:53):
Okay? You must sell drugs or you.
Speaker 4 (46:56):
Must cheat it on your taxes or something. I know
that that got to fix the math. The math got
the math. It ain't making sense to you. You don't
see that as a blissing man when I tell you,
when I do, you know.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
And I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (47:13):
Have to ask God myself as to why you did
this the way you did it, and why did I
deserve to be blessed like that? And one day I
was laying in bed, I started thinking about all of
the things. First of all, I never had biological daughters.
(47:35):
The two daughters that I have, I got them when
they were two years old, right, I only had two sons.
That's all I knew about. Then I think about the
girls' school in Kenya, Okay that's been sponsoring for over
seven or eight years, saving these girls from rape, saving
(47:55):
them from arranged marriages, doing all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
Then the Wednesday my son died.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
On a Sunday, I decided Tuesday to get back on
the radio because the people need to be served. People
out there going through the worst ofp get your butt
out of bed.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
And go get on the radio Wednesday, I say, you.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
Know what, I got to go to the funeral home
at two o'clock to take my son's clothes and make
sure the clothes match the caske.
Speaker 3 (48:24):
But at twelve o'clock.
Speaker 4 (48:26):
I'm gonna go to the Salvation Army and I'm gonna
stand in line and serve the homeless, and I'm gonna
try to I'm gonna try to get through this without
crying because God allowed me to stand in line. And
when I was when I started looking at the faces
of the people that just came to get a hot dog,
some chips, some sour craft, a slice of cake, and
(48:48):
a cup of punch, going through the same thing, all
the homeless people, you know what they were saying, Hey, Rick,
signed by your son. Man, I'm praying for you. Hey Rick,
I lost my son too, and he's homeless. See God,
like I did all this stuff, I've been doing all
(49:10):
this stuff for years, and making sure kids got haircuts
and backpacks and back to school and giving and giving
and giving and just trying to be a serve.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (49:20):
Then, when all of this happened, still trying to find
a way to serve and to continue to praise God.
Was like, you know what, I got something for you,
and how it happened, the way that it happened, and
when it happened, and I found out about them. The
one year anniversary of Brandon's death, when I actually felt it, Yes,
(49:43):
remember when I told you?
Speaker 1 (49:44):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (49:46):
One year later is when I felt that I didn't
have no casket, no family, no flowers.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
I was sitting in Miami in.
Speaker 4 (49:53):
An apartment by myself, grieving, feeling all of it, feeling
every inch of it. And I got a call. And
when I got that phone call that I looked up
at the sky and the sun started to turn back
into its original color.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (50:11):
Now I don't care about what people say or they think.
Speaker 3 (50:15):
Hiy he knew care about that? Yes, because those people
don't have a heaven of hell to put me in.
Speaker 4 (50:24):
Absolutely, I serve a God to turn ninth in the
day and day in the night.
Speaker 3 (50:28):
And God always know I do right by my kids.
I raise kids that's not mine.
Speaker 4 (50:33):
Ain't no way on this earth I would have identical
twin daughters and walk away from them.
Speaker 3 (50:41):
Mind you, mind you, I'm.
Speaker 4 (50:43):
Friends with my ex those my twins been coming over
here going to.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
My grandkids' birthday party. I been knowing them their whole life.
We didn't know.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
But that kind of feels like the divine hand of.
Speaker 6 (50:59):
God, because if you think about it, he still allowed
you to be in their lives, so you can't even
have the oh, I missed out on this.
Speaker 3 (51:10):
I missed it.
Speaker 1 (51:11):
I missed it because they were always there. And then
at the moment the Lord knew, you knew that you
needed to know.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
Yep. And then it's the crazy thing about it.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
I was mentoring the oldest sister who's seventeen years old,
is the junior in high school because her dad was
killed on the motorcycle. Now, why would I be in
the life and taking the oldest child on vacations with
me and my kids and doing all this stuff and
sit here and ignore to kids that are actually mine.
Speaker 3 (51:41):
And I'm a cool dude.
Speaker 4 (51:42):
Ain't no toxic dude, you know. You know, I'm cool
with my exes or whatever. You ought to see how
my son's mother and I work together and we and
grandparent more. We were sharing out sharing, you know, the
cop parenting that go on, the cop parenting that exists,
the text messages between you know, me and you know
(52:03):
my kids mom or whatever. The co parenting is top
tier because everything start with doing within the best interests.
Speaker 3 (52:12):
Of the child of the child. It's that simple. It
ain't about either one of us.
Speaker 4 (52:17):
It's about doing what's making great decisions for a child
or whatever.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
And it gets tough sometimes to get ten sometime.
Speaker 4 (52:23):
But at the end of the day or whatever, we
have to do what's in the best interests of the child.
Speaker 3 (52:28):
So, man, God is just awesome.
Speaker 4 (52:30):
And I give God credit, but that and God did that,
And when I tell you, I feel like that's what's
keeping me alive because it's some depressing days and some
depressing nights, you know when you sit here, when you
when when when you can't get that thought of that
casket being lowered into the ground yep or whatever, and
(52:51):
and that kind of trauma. Man, that my son that
affected me so bad. I have memory loss and I
didn't even know that grief causes memory loss. When I
tell you, I can't sometimes if you ask me something
on the spot in it and I have to try
to remember, right, I just I just black out or
whatever and get in trouble for it, you know, you know,
(53:14):
got in trouble for it a few times on UH
one nationally because I just couldn't. My brain wasn't operating
like it used to because the trauma.
Speaker 3 (53:26):
Is so bad, you know, right, like like that's a
lot of.
Speaker 1 (53:29):
Trauma, and I think people don't understand that trauma has
a physical effect on us. Sure, you know, I think
some people really don't understand that. They just they think
you go through a process and then after a while
it gets a little bit better. But no, there are
people who literally couples one pass the other one like okay,
I'm going right with you. You know, it's a physical
tool on the body as well.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Yeah, I have to I have to take the vitamins
to help my brain remember stuff, and my dumb ass
can't remember to take the viviains. Yeah, you know, what
is it called ginko bo something?
Speaker 1 (54:05):
The ging cokea boca?
Speaker 4 (54:07):
I call it boca man, when I tell you, ILL
be in here, just trying to get my mind back
on track. And people be talking about do you remember
me and and all.
Speaker 3 (54:16):
Of that stuff and being their feelings when I don't.
They have no idea, they don't understand. I just lost
my uncle a month ago. My uncle Bruce, who I
grew up with. I was we was raised together like
like you know, like brothers or whatever.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
And he went and he went quick. And I don't
even know how to how to deal with that. You know,
I haven't cried.
Speaker 3 (54:39):
I can't cry. I don't know how I feel about it.
Speaker 4 (54:41):
I just I The next day came and I had
to get my kids dressed for school and cook dinner.
And I've been moving along and it hadn't even hit
me yet, like I'm dealing with that, and uh, it's
just a lot of uh, it's a lot of stuff.
But you know, God is still in the blessing business,
and I thank him, and so at least from May thirtieth,
(55:04):
when it comes, that would be a great opportunity to
heal a lot of people that's hurting, and where people
can sit in a room and laugh as we go,
as I go through this one hour.
Speaker 3 (55:17):
Of NonStop laughter. So you know, iagine to shay all
that other stuff.
Speaker 1 (55:24):
No, I appreciate you sharing it because one of the
things that anytime I have a conversation with someone, you know,
they're like interviews interviews, and I'm like, okay, I got
to ask questions interviews. But the thing that I always
my goal in every conversation is to have someone walk
away with a better understanding of who you are, learn
something about you that they did not know, and really
(55:45):
see you for who you truly are. And I appreciate
you because that's one of the things that I've always
loved about you, is that you show you are human.
You get some people like, yeah, dog, you know I
did that. No, we are all human being out here
trying to make it. Every day. I start my day
on my knees praying, praying, and I end my day
(56:08):
on my knees pray. It's a minute to hit you,
didn't it. Yeah, but yeah, I know you say, Okay,
thank you. I appreciate you. You appreciate you, and I
end my day pray. I appreciate you. But you know,
we are all humans out here just trying to make it,
you know. And yes, some of us are more well known,
like yourself, and you have been a public servant to
(56:28):
us for over twenty years, whether it's comedy, being on
the radio and so thirty thirty five, that's right, thirty
five thirty And I just think, I think sometimes when
we live in a celebrity driven culture, and a lot
of times we forget to give celebrities grace, and sometimes
people forget that you are human. They almost look at
(56:50):
you because you're a celebrity as some type of superhuman being.
And I just appreciate the fact that you always remind
us that you are human, right, and as humans, we
make good decisions, bad decisions. Life happens, good things happens,
bad things happen. So I just appreciate you and all
of your wickiness. I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (57:13):
I just want to tell everybody's watching, no matter what
you've been through, just make sure you know that God
is always in control and God ain't gonna put more
on you than you can bear.
Speaker 3 (57:24):
I want everybody to be encouraged.
Speaker 4 (57:25):
I hope y'all got some encouragement and some joy, and
no matter how bad life gets, just always continue to
serve or whatever.
Speaker 3 (57:33):
And while you're over here serving and.
Speaker 4 (57:36):
You're over here doing good with somebody, God over here
working out your problem and your situation or whatever. But
you got to leave it alone and let him do it.
But you just continue to serve and do good and
make sure y'all check me out. May the thirtieth and
anybody going through grief or of my book. It's called
Side Show, Side Show, and it's gonna help you with
your grief. It's gonna make your cry, it's gonna make
(57:58):
you laugh, it's gonna make you think, and it will
help you with the healing process. So I really appreciate
this opportunity.
Speaker 1 (58:06):
I appreciate it just as much, Ricky. It has been
a total pleasure. I can't wait until May thirtieth, and
I will make sure to remind everyone to tune in
and to give everyone the link to purchase sideshow.
Speaker 4 (58:20):
No, thank you, thank you, thank you for Okay, So
when I have my premiere, we're going to be working together.
Speaker 3 (58:25):
So absolutely, yeah, yeah we get it. Thank you for
the do over, thank you for giving me another chance.
Speaker 1 (58:31):
Absolutely absolutely we have to give each other grace, right,
we have to. We have to have a great day. Ricky,
you have truly made my day, all right, thank you,
Bye bye bye bye bye
Compensation ice conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
But on the grind all day, every day, ice cream
combos always real.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
They never play.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Download up podcast listen on any day?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Why didn't not do this sooner?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
On that thing?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
And ever say exime Bro best host of all time.
All of the faithful listeners will say they never alive
check every story. They run like me with the Brahms
win not the Social Report anything. It should be a
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C C. And you should be in Klin to do
(00:44):
the same if you got alfamn, I do go sign
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day designed ice creamcombos dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Tune in.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
This influence fluence for ice cream.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
I Ricky Smiley, thank you so much for joining me today.
It is such a pleasure to be able to finally
talk to you.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Now you're doing I'm doing great. How are you doing?
Is the question.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I'm good, I'm good. Excited.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yes, I'm excited for you as well.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I was sitting here and as I was preparing for
our conversation, I was like, should I be like welcome back, Ricky,
but it's like you never left. But as far as
that stand up comedy stage, I am excited to tell
you welcome back. It's been what thirteen almost fourteen years.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Yes, since I did a special. Yeah, yeah, I never
stopped performing. I just you know, I just never did
another special.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
You know. The last one I did was on d
et Open Casket Shop.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
It was it was great, and uh so it's like,
how do you come behind that?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You know? So I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
So Foolish Foolish is slated to premiere on Hulu on
May thirtieth. First, talk to me about the name foolish.
Why did you decide to name this special foolish?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Well, you know I always come on stage to charity
loan foolish, okay, whenever I performed nationally or whatever.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
And uh so you think about Blackish, that TV show, and.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Uh and and it really fits the the material, it
fits you know who I am on the radio. Just foolish,
just just just foolish. That's that's what my uh lady
used to produce my money show Kims. She said, she said,
you are so foolish. So and I just thought it
(02:58):
was perfect. So, uh I like that title.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So you filmed this at the Lyric Theater in your
hometown of Birming, Birmingham, Alabama. Talk to me about what
it felt like to make this stand up special comeback
in your hometown with your people.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Oh yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
You know, performing in Birmingham is always because I do
carry Yoki all the time at the comedy stardom, but
performing in my hometown is just always.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And it's crazy because the Lyric Theater.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
I used to work in a clothing store two doors down,
and I remember being in that clothing store writing jokes,
but never would have thought how everything came around in
full circle and two doors down I would be shooting
a comedy special thirty five, like thirty five years later.
So wow, yeah, so that's that's something. But performing at home,
(03:53):
you know, you get the hometown advantage, but it adds
more pressure because you know you're performing at home, so
you better to be funny.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
You're gonna tell your auntie that you wasn't funny. Everybody
in Birmingham, know everybody. Somebody gonna tell your auntie, your mama,
you know, your great aunt or whatever, whether you was
good or not.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
So now down to the church, Ricky, when they do
their testimony, they're gonna say, given the honor to God.
You know, Ricky wasn't really that funny last week down
to the Leader theater, right, Yes, yeah, you got to
deal with your hometown folks.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, so so dealing with the home folks, you better
be funny.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
You know, you got your mom there, your uncle there,
you got the guy that gave me your star.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Bruce A, sitting in the audience. You got brats, the
brat sitting in the audience. You got uh yeah, you
better come with it.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Absolutely. Now it's funny that you say that, because I
was planning to talk to you about this a little later,
but I think now it's the perfect time. You know,
you were talking about like how you have to be
funny when you are at home in front of your people,
and I think a lot of people don't realize, and
I'm kind of talking to myself in this, A lot
of people don't realize there is a huge difference between
being funny and being a stand up comedian and being
(05:07):
a comedian. Because you could be funny your mama and
your aunties and them can think you funny at Thanksgiving,
but it's different when you have to put together material,
work that material and present it to an audience. Do
you have any advice for any person who is considering
being a comedian.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Yeah, the thing about it is you have to have
the calling for it, because probably eight out of ten
people is actually funny.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But everybody are not performers.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Everybody can't make that transition to take that funny to
the stage and make strangers laugh, laugh and memorize by
hour worth of material and keep the audience going, keep
a moving like boom boom boom, boom boom, you know,
going from subject to subject, joke, joke, story to story.
(05:59):
It's a lot of work, a lot of commitment, and
a lot of dedication in years. I feel like I'm
funnier now than I was when I was in my
twenties and thirties because life has has been I've lived
a lot of life. And uh, it's like when you
get older, you're just more comfortable. You're not worried about
what people think. You just say what you want to
(06:21):
say and if the audience laugh, you just roll with it.
You know, you don't overthink, you relax, you have the experience,
you have a safe time, and uh, so, uh, you know,
I don't know if I answer you question about it?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You did, you answered, you didn't ask all over the place.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
That is fine. That's what a conversation is, Ricky. So
one of the things that I wanted to just kind
of piggyback off of that and share with you a
quick little story time. So many many moons ago in Atlanta,
they used to have, like I guess, karaoke, open mic night, whatever.
And one of my girlfriends and I went, and she
thinks something, theiest person on the planet. She's like, girl,
(07:02):
you got to get up there and do some stand up.
And I was like, nah, She was like, go ahead, girl,
you know how your friends can gas you up. I
got on that stage. Wanda Smith was hosting. You remember
when she used to host. I think it was Wednesday
Night you know what I'm.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Talking about over there over there by Westley Chapel. Yes, yes, yeah, Ricky.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I took my tail over there. I got up on
that stage. I don't even remember what I tried to say,
but all I heard was boom and was doing me
with the whole chest boo.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Glad you wasn't that club five five nine?
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Oh no, no, I just better than that. I knew
better than that.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I never want to go on stage at five five nine.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
They round, No, I knew better than that. I got
up there and I was so I immediate when I
heard the first boot, I went into Apollo moved because
they don't boo you when you sing gospel stuff. So
I was like, well, I can sing a little bit,
So I start trying to sing Ricky.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Well, next thing I know, Wander Smith came up there
and snatched that microphone and she said, what the hell.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Is you up here? Ricky?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
That woman roasted me so bad. It was so good.
In hindsight, it was so good, but in the moment
it was so bad.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, we have all had those nights on stage, including me.
You know, sometimes you know, it's it's.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Sometimes it's always better to start out with a small audience, yeah,
you know, to get you to catch your rhythm. And
once you get your rhythm, then you ready for something
like that, a night where is going to be pat
and music and you know, so you have to kind
of come with it because it was a high bar.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
The bar is sat high.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
So it is it really is. My question to you
is while preparing for this particular stand up special, did
you have any apprehensions or while working your material, did
you have any concern We now live in twenty twenty five,
where everything has to be politically correct and everyone is
super sensitive, and you know, some of your classic classic
(09:10):
characters may rub people a little bit the wrong way
in the twenty twenty five if.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
You're not hell no, yeah, I'm not for everybody, and
it is what it is. You know, if you want
to make everybody happy, sell ice cream, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
And listen, I'm ice cream. Conversations and that don't even always.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Work right, right, Yeah, somebody gonna always be mad, or
somebody gonna always not like something, or or take what
you said out of you know, out of contact contexts
and stuff like that. You just have to if you
get to if you get to thinking about that, you
won't have an act. You won't have an act. You
(09:55):
won't be able to say nothing on the radio or whatever.
I don't care, countful culture, you know, whatever, and and
and people that that go.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Along with that, that kind of stuff. I got a
strong fan.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Base that like me, and they like me because I'm me,
and they want to laugh, they want to have a
good time.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
So I just play to my audience.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
I don't play for for the windows that just don't
like nothing and got a problem with everything. I just
kind of let those people be absolutely, and I'm back
and forth with them online now, I just I just
I don't even read the contents, you know we call it. Yeah, yeah,
that's why they put the blinders on on the horse
in the parade. Was a heady because all of this
(10:41):
barking and stuff on the side.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Oh that's that's crazy work. You'll go crazy.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Trying to respond to everything and and make you know,
people happy that don't even really support you anyway, that
don't come out to the comedy club anyway to see
you perform, you know, because everybody got an opinion about
this that, and just you have to just do you.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Absolutely so, speaking of your iconic character as some of
my personal favorites, Precious in her grandma, because I was
raised by my great grandma, so you know that hit
a little different. Now I'm not like Precious, but I
remember my grandma saying.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
I'm a knocked on you bank and can your mama
you know all of that stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Oh yeah, you know what it is, absolutely And I
know about getting pinched in church when you get to
what see people everybody don't have that experience or understand
the experience, Ricky, but I do know that. And all
of my grandmother's friends was Mss Bernice Jenkins. And then
you know, at the family functions, we had a few
little Darrols at the family function always which character if
(11:51):
you can choose, which one is your personal favorite?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
I like, I like, I like doing you know, I
gotta uh m c T bad we Miss Robin is
my favorite. Man.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Listen, I met this girl the of the day. I said,
what's your name?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Name?
Speaker 4 (12:19):
On when I tell you? And you probably never seen it.
I'm coming out of this as far i'mna I'm gonna
reintroduce Joe Willie and the Dooder rama Nairs. Oh, I
have a gospel I have a gospel quartet while dressed
up like an old man in a fat suit, and
I sing with men that's really old that actually sing
for real a gospel quartet. That's the funniest thing that
(12:41):
I do. Now that never that never took off. That's
my favorite. Joe Willie and the dooder Ramenairs.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
And the DoD Ramenairs, Now was that was that inspired
by Deuteronomy.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Yeah, it was. It's five in in the group Genesis.
Excuse numbers, Dude rammed. It shows robinades.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
And that's funny.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
You wait to Joe winning the Dude romenare is get
back together and uh.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
And we you know, we would go on tour. We
would do mega churches.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
It would be packed, and I would come out and
lead these songs that we wrote that sound like gospel
court that song and I was in I stayed in
character the whole time.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
It was absolutely hilarious.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see more of that.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah, we will be bringing back Joe with it in
the Dude Romane.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Okay, okay, Now I want to circle back to Foolish
your stand up comedy special because I failed to mention
that you are working with my favorite dynamic duo power
couple Lynn and David E.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Teller. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's like my brother
and my sister.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Uh uh you know, I love them, you know, I
love you know, their son.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I'm really close them. They put me in some movies.
Dave and I Lenn. We we on social media and.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Are in texts group texts like every Day laughing at
something or whatever. So one day we was you ain't
gonna believe us. We was in the Bahamas swimming with
bull sharks.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Okay, like we was.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
In the Atlantic Ocean swimming with sharks. Day came out
of water and say, hey, man, you need to.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Do anothering special. You haven't done one year. I said,
what he said, you need to do a comedy special.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
You know it's I don't It's I feel like you
done stuff, but you haven't been presented.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
The right way, okay.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
And coming from a director and a producer, I was like, Okay,
what does that look like? He said, yeah, we're gonna
make that happen. And we made it happen.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
And I remember playing as Day like we literally was
in it. U. Let me let me say this. We
was in a cage, in a cage and it just.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Come about the water. Hey.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Yeah, the bull sharks were swimming by the cage. So
we got in a cage and they was throwing uh
tuna and blood uh in the water to get the
sharks to come.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And the hundred some pound bull sharks was coming.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
It was something like on the Discovery Channel, and they
were swimming by the cage and we was underwater looking
at each other. We stuck our hands out the cage
and were touching them as they go by, because they
don't have the reaction like a pit bull take your
hand on and a fen pitbull turned around bite you
real quick.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
But a bull shark just just just move with it.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Move and they feel like sandpaper. Believe it or not.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
They look flick and like feeling these big animals. Man,
that was crazy. And we saw two wheels on the
way to the Bahamas. You know, so I'm a so,
so I drive. I'm a boat captain, so I drive
over to the Bahamas. So yeah, we went across the
ocean and I saw wells and uh. We got real
(16:12):
close and turned the engines off and just sat there
and had a moment and enjoyed it. Like and so
that's where all of those ideas came. We had we
had came up with an idea for a movie about
going to the Bahamas, like a thriller. But but this
was the easiest thing to do with the shoot it
Kinmedy Special. But we had came up with several ideas
that weekend.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I'm looking forward to seeing some of these other ideas
come to fruition.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Oh yeah, yeah, we're gonna we're gonna do a thriller
about going to the Bahamas, and it's gonna be me
and probably all little people and they're gonna all get a.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I was just getting ready asked for a roll, and you.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Said, all the little people you got, you got, you
got the be four foot and the other.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Can I be the person to put the wristbands on y'all?
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Yeah? You could be there be that person on the boat.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Okay, but but it's and we're gonna we're gonna call it.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
We're gonna call it baby shark.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
What is wrong with you? Something wrong with you?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yes, something wrong with me? For real? Because but that
would be great. You would go see it?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yes, yes, yes I would. I would check it out. Yes,
that is funny. That is really funny. So while doing
my research prepared for this interview, I did find out
some extra things about you, because I have been a
fan of yours for years and years and years, right
as far as far back as I can remember. But
I learned, in addition to you being a boating captain,
(17:55):
that you fly planes.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, like it ain't nothing. It's easier than driving a car.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I wish more young black men would go get
their pilot license and because they are really like and
I just wish more more about kids would go to
consider Florida Florida Memorial University in Miami, because man, they
have a flight school and that they now have one
a uh Tuskegee. You know, Chabby James was uh uh
(18:23):
a world famous pilot and I think world War two,
I think or whatever. I know the gym is named
out in the Chabby James building. But uh, Florida Memorial
they have access. They have a great aviation program, and
now Tuskegee does. But flying a plane is easier and uh,
(18:45):
the hardest thing is to learn how to communicate with
the control time. But the physical part of flying a
plane is absolutely nothing. And you have to have summing
for it because turbulence and uh and and gusts of
win and you think and you know, you have to
have the sunning for it or whatever. But yeah, I
(19:05):
started flying planes when I was working at the radio
station in Birmingham because I was like, how do y'all
know where.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
The traffic is backed up at?
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Because the guys will come on and do traffic and uh,
he said yeah, we're in a plane. I said, what
they said, Yeah, come on out. We go out, you know,
one for the morning. We do the morning shows, and
then we do another one in the evening. So I
went one evening. He said, okay, I'm gonna let you
fly the b I said, are you serious. He said, yeah,
it's easy, man, it's easy, dude. Don't worrybody, dude. He said, hey, man,
(19:34):
just get out there. Put your foot right there on
the ruddles. That's the pedal that driving the rudders, drive
the plane on the ground or whatever. And just make
sure you take on your yoke and here's your throttle
right here, and your flaps or whatever.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Man.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Once I learned like those four things, and he said,
all right, go ahead and give it some power. That's
pushing your throat for it, and give it power. Come
off the brakes and you can feel the plane getting light.
And then you pull your yolk mixt thing, you know,
you up in the air, and he'll tell what to do.
At that point, he's talking to the control tower, you
telling me what to do.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
And man, I was like, because.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
I was obsessed with airplanes, because my grandparents would take
me to the airport and we would sit on the
side of the runway behind the fence and watch planes
take off and land.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
So it was a dream to be able to fly
a plane.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So the is the bravery for me, Ricky, because yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
I tell you what, it's probably the safest way to travel.
But being on a boat and now you know, that
looked easy. But man, when a storm comes and you
start against swells. One time I was coming back from
the Bahamas and we start against swells when I had
to reach over in the thing and I had to
put on a life jacket. I had to get all
(20:43):
my emergency stuff and but I had to press through
that storm though.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
And it was a rough, rough shopping ride.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Couldn't see in front of you, look behind you, you
could see the ocean. Then you look behind you again
you could see a wall of water. And making sure
that you going at the right speed, people throwing up
or whatever.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
All of this stuff. You just have to have the
summit for it.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Oh my gosh. And I don't because just listening to you,
my anxiety is going up. I'm like sitting over here
rubbing my hands together, like, oh.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
I love some adventures and I'm a roller coaster freak.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
So you're an adrenaline junkie.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Probably, it's just depending on what it is. Now, I
can't ride the rides straight up and down the road, Okay,
just drop you, man.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
But you put me on any roller coaster in Tampa
between Tampa and Orlando, I handle it.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Wow. So in addition to being a boat captain a pilot,
you are also a gourmet chef.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Oh I love to cook.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Now, what's your signature dish? What's the dish that you know?
Like when I bust this thing out, all you gonna
hear is smacking and chewing.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I get the request for the chicken and dumplings that's
everybody's favorite. And I get the crests for my the
macaroni in cheese, the greens. I make a really good dressing.
I do a lot of soap with a lot of
comfort food. Just like like today, I'm going to start
making my dressing, getting prepared for Easter, because you.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Know I always do. I do an Easter dinner every year.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
So that's your your macaroni in cheese, your greens, your dressing.
I do a ham, I do a turkey. I got
a nice ham glaze. Do the turkey or whatever. And
I'm almost talking people only. Let people bring.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Nothing like I just I like to just cook everything.
Keep it simple. Because I was all in a luminum.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Fall and pants and top it. I get so annoyed
with that stuff. I just keep everything simple. When everybody
get here, everything is prepared. No bags, no plastic bags,
no tops, no fall. If I could just just come in,
come in and uh wait.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Oh let me take you something.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Okay, all right, you shell me.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Look, hey, I wanted this off amazon. Let me see.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
So when people come in, everybody lying up to go
to the bathroom and wash their hands.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Look when it's not working a minute?
Speaker 1 (23:11):
No, okay, oh you fancy you fancy.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Twelve dollars. Twelve dollars.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Everybody come in, wash the hands. I got two of them. Boom,
wash your hands, make you play boom. I make everything.
I think of everything, all of the details.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I see, Yeah, I s I see.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Oh I get down now. I love to cook.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Let me check my phone real quick, because I don't
think I got to invite to dinner.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Oh yeah, you know, you always welcome. Now, you always welcome.
I'm gonna catch you.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'm gonna catch you next year, or for you to
catch you next year.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
You're going to get down.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Now, come on, come frock given that's what I really
get Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I pull up Thanksgiving with my elastic waistband pants.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
What I got to do it.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
So let's talk about you being an author like that
is one of the things My great grandmother always told
me I needed to write a book about my life.
And I was like, okay, And now she's going on
the glory and that is the one thing that she
has said to me that continually nags at me. So
you wrote a book, and I want to get the
title right, Sideshow Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith.
(24:30):
This is a book that you wrote after the passing
of Brandon Right And one thing that I just want
to say to you. First, I extend my condolences, thank you. Secondly,
as a parent, I really appreciated how, even while going
through a tragedy, you made yourself available to other parents
(24:54):
and shared your story to help other parents who were
going through that heal because you know, a lot of
times when we go through things, we just want to
ball up in the bed, We want to seclude ourselves
and just try to manage it the best way possible.
And you use your test as almost a testimony. If
that's the best way I can say it. Just talk
(25:15):
to me about that.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Well, you know, much as given, much as required, and
I know personally that we serve an awesome God. And
it's all about the perspective that you put things.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
You know, what window are you going to look out?
Speaker 4 (25:31):
You know, you have to think about other people, being
a public figure, being a radio.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Personality, your fans, your friends, people.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Are concerned about you, and you have to let everybody
know that I'm okay or whatever, and you have to
find ways to be okay as a promotion of therapy.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Talk about therapy a lot in the book.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
And then one of the things that keep me going
is knowing that realizing that a lot of people situation
is way worse than mine. I had a lady two
weeks after my son died. She lost both of her
sons and did not have resources to have their funeral.
And I had even though I was going through what
(26:11):
I was going through, but I had to help with that.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I had to do something.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I couldn't just let that sit I was able to
help or whatever, because I just can't. And I had
two sons I have you know, had two sons. I
couldn't imagine if I would have lost both of my sons.
She lost both of her sons at the same time
they was murdered. And a lot of people whose children
get killed, they got to go to court and face
the murdering children. Yes, and so so, Man, you got
(26:38):
to get up for the people. You got to think
about other people. You got to put yourself aside and
lay down and lay it on the line. Offer people
that's out there suffering and they don't have the resources.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
God has been good to me. I can. I can say, Okay,
I don't want to be in the house.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
I'm gonna go to Florida for the weekend and just
jump on a plane and go.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
And that just that. I just thank God to be
able to do it for some people are stuck with no.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Resources, Walls closing in in their house, in their community,
child did, don't have access to therapy, don't have access
about to lose their job or or I got to
go to work that next money and deal with the public.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Uh, people sending in.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Line with bad attitudes and taking them through this and
that and not realizing that they buried their son or
daughter a week ago and I tell you, man, it
was just it was that was a rough time.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
And uh, but but everything always go back to your
your faith and your Christian values.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
You start thinking about Kurt Corfe at every mountain, he
brought me over, for every trial he seen me through,
for every blessing. How they do, how they Louyah for this,
I give you pray. Started thinking about Jonathan mc reynolds,
you know, you know, made you a bad days, proved
that God is good, you know, and uh, you start
to start going way back to cars and Pierson.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
I know the Lord we'll make away, Yes he will.
And uh you know and and you you you go
on into pard zones. I won't complain. Even if you
don't know scripcher you can.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
You got some and and and you can go to
Invictors and and and read and read your poems that
you had to learn and stuff when when you know,
when you was pleasure and God has given me so
many tools and resources to get through.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Those times of trials and tribulation.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
And I tell you that that was a that was
a rough that was a real rough time for me
because I had to not only that was a loss
of me, I had to make sure.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
My other kids was okay. I had to make sure
my mom was okay.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
I had to make sure my son's mom and bonus
dad was okay, you know, dealing with with details or whatever,
you know, I had to I had to make sure
that everybody was okay.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
And it really didn't hit.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Me until like a year later, you know, one year later,
you know when when that time came that I just
remember the suffering and the grief.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
The only difference.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
Was you don't have family around, and you don't have
no casket in, no flowers, so you just you just buck.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Naked and you just raw. You just sitting here.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Feeling it, like feeling it, and it's like you feel helpless.
But we serv an awesome God, and like like Tip
always said, he brings you to it, He'll bring you
through it. And I will forever be grateful to God for.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Having my son. My son was thirty two.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
I met him, met somebody in New Orleans who lost
their two year old son. Do the dreaming, now, you
you know, I have every right to grieve about my son,
but uh, these people didn't get to see that kid get.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
On the school bus. Imagine that.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
And so you know, as point you got to suck
it up and keep going and think about other people
and put it out there because my son could have
died at two.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Yeah, it's always a being of light through all darkness.
You find ways to bless God and praise God for
everything that He's done and what he's doing for you
in your life, and then he'll turn around and then remember,
all of this stuff is a test, all of it,
all of it. It don't feel like a test you're going through.
(30:30):
It's like, why is all of this stuff happening to me?
It's a test.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
God is watching all of us.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Our pastors have been telling us since elementary school that
all of this is a test. God is looking at
you to see how you're going to deal with this situation.
Are you going to make this about you? Are you
going to try to find a way to give God
the glory or whatever and bring other people close to
to God because of your test or whatever?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
And God will turn around and will and.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Reward you and give you a blessings that you don't
even have room to receive. So I just you know,
it is what it is. It's tough, but I just
thank God. I'm glad that we serve a living and
awesome God.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
I do as well. And you know, one of the
things about you, Ricky that makes people resonate and connect
with you so much is the fact that you have
always had a level of transparency with your audience, with
your fans. So even like you know, I watched you
in daddy mode on the Ricky Smiley Show. You know,
you listen to you every morning and and you address
(31:29):
you know, things that are going on personally, and then
you talk about, you know, what's in media and in
the news. How do you find that line of where
on a personal level, Like, I'll share this, but I'll
just keep this to myself as a public figure.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
It just like some things you like, I might not
want to share that I can share this.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Yeah, you know, I try to be more hopeful, optimistic,
inspiration and then every now and then, you know, I
have to put something out setting some boundaries with people,
talk about some experience that I have, trying to in
a very kind way, train people how to deal with it,
be when they come into into my space, because I
(32:11):
have a lot of runnings with people. Because you know,
decorum is out the window. There's no more exchange of pleasantries.
People will walk up in your space, grab on you,
put on your touch on you be do inappropriate things.
I got into it Sunday we were at a restaurant
standing in line getting food.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Nobody was inappropriate with my grandson.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
And walked over to my grandson with somebody on the
phone and put the phone up to my grandson in
the ear and as if none of the adults that
was with him was standing there, and then put the
untie thing on me.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
You know, the unty thing turned into unty I'm gonna
get you. Told well, I ain't doing nothing, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
You can't talk to nobody kids like, yeah, that's really
There's a lot of people that do a lot of
weird stuff. People lady at church this past Sunday walked
over and put our arms around me and tried to
put me into herself for a selfie at church. Oh yeah, everybody.
(33:19):
Now see the problem with having good home training like
we probably have.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
We run into people who testify not to use.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Their home training because of black folks got good home training.
I'm quite sure, And we do this stuff. And I'm
one of those type of people that I don't because
if you take a.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Picture with her. You gotta take a picture with everybody.
So I allow myself to get put in a picture.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Taking predictment, predicament while I'm trying to worship with something
to say, Well you a selector has it's a time
and a place.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
For everything, and this house God, the celebrity.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Yep, it's just no, I am not going to explain it,
absolutely not or whatever, and so stuff like that you
have to talk about on social media. So when people
see you, Hey, I've been watching your videos. It's a
pleasure to meet you. My name is Welcome to Detroit.
We're so happy to have you. If you need anything,
(34:19):
That's what I'd be talking about, the exchange of pleasure
of you know, people walk up and say, can I
get not? How how are you offer my condolences to
you and your family or whatever?
Speaker 3 (34:36):
You know?
Speaker 4 (34:37):
If I meet you, I don't care if Michael Jackson
came back from the grave and got off the Planet's
how you're doing, Jason. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Welcome to Birmingham An I'm Ricky Smiley. If it's anything
that you need while you're here, here's my card and
my information and I hope that you have a nice
time in the city.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
The Civil Rights Museum is over here. If you need
a good church, this is a good church. If you
want some barbecue, you can go right on.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Like that's you know what I'm saying, The way I
was raising anybody to do anything outside of that.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
For whatever excuse people want to use, it just effect.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
It just rubbed me the wrong way because I just
don't like people coming into my space hustling something.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
So let me tell you this conversation that I'm having
with you, because this is like the perfect segue that
this conversation that I'm having with you has been healing
for me sure, and it's the perfect time to I
feel like it's the perfect time to discuss it with
you because we are talking about exchanging pleasantries. So many
(35:40):
years ago. Remember when ice Cube and Kevin Hart did
the ride Along movie? Years ago, Okay, way long ago,
there was a private screening in Atlanta at Rigo Atlantic Station.
I was new in media. I had just launched ice
Cream Conversations, and I was just so excited to be
a member of media. I wanted to introduce duce myself
to everyone, try to build, you know, relationships, and so
(36:04):
on and so forth. But I am a little awkward, and
it's you know, introducing myself. So you were there and
I was standing there and I looked over and I said, oh,
my gosh, there's Ricky Smiley. And I was like, I
love him so much, I'm going to go introduce myself
to Ricky Smiley. So you were just you were chilling.
You were by yourself. You were like posted up. It
(36:24):
was that back back room, you know the back room
at they do the real special stuff. Yeah, back there,
So you were posted up. You kind of just had
your arms crossed. You was just chilling. It was it
was a private event, so you know, it wasn't stragglers
and you were just chilling, kind of taking in the
room or whatever.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
So I went.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Walking up with my stomach in knots, and I was like, Hi, Ricky,
my name is Xavieria. I'm a blogger. I have ice
cream conversations. And you looked to the side and you
said huh, like little Darryl huh. You said huh, And
he was like, oh, yeah, yay, a man, all right,
all right, And you just walked away and walked over
to this other person. And I was just standing there.
(37:01):
Oh God, and Ricky, when I tell you, it broke
my heart and I was just like, somebody like come on.
So when you went over, I looked over and I looked.
I was like, where did he go? Because I'm now
mind you, I'm standing facing a wall because you were
leaned up against a wall. You walked over to this guy,
(37:23):
and when I looked over to see where you went,
both of y'all looked back at me, and y'all started laughing,
and I was like, he didn't want to Yes, Ricky,
when I tell you, that thing ate me up so
bad because I was like, they're laughing at me, and
I was like, he didn't want to talk to me,
and now they're laughing at me. I carried that thing
with me for so long and it just hurt my feelings,
(37:45):
so I say, and.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
I was like, yeah, I'm sorry that happened, and I'm
sure you weren't talking about you. Go I when have
had a reason to talk about this recently? You walked
up and introduce yourself. Because one thing I do now
I think responsibilities. But if I got away from you
and I didn't get back to you, I probably had
the intention on doubling back to come over and talk
to you. But sometimes they'd be trying to be moving
(38:07):
me around. Sometimes I'd be either with a publicist or
somebody from the Mornings I want to Mornish your producers,
like Ricky come over here. Or sometimes they might think
that I'm in a situation and they become the buffer.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Hey, Ricky, come over here. Come over here, because a
lot of times I get locked into something.
Speaker 4 (38:26):
It could be somebody from the local chapter the NAACP,
and they'll get they'll get you, and they'll lock you
in and trying to get you to agree to something.
And sometimes they be trying to get me, get me
out of stuff, you know, or whatever. But if I
did that and you felt that way, I apologize. I
oh my god, I owe you dinner or something. I
(38:47):
owe you big time. But no, that was not intentional.
I'm sure that because we have the only way I
would have looked back and laughed at you if you
would have had on black stockings and white shoes.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
No I didn't. I did not, sir. I know I
know better than that from the Monica video. Yes, but
before you walk out of My Life's thirteen. Yeah, No,
I had no.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
But yeah, I apologize for that.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
I should have I should have double back to make
sure I finished that conversation.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
And no, I'm making no excuses. I'm not trying to
by anything. But sometimes you get in those rooms and
you get locked down in a corner and you will
get locked into something that that you don't want to
get locked into. And sometimes people can just kind of say, oh,
you know, he over there, let's let's get him, let's
pull them, pull them over here, because sometimes they have
(39:49):
to pretend that they need you over here or whatever.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
It happens all the time.
Speaker 4 (39:53):
It happens at the you know, red carpet event because
you got your media and people trying to move you
along or whatever.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
But don't don't don't take it personally.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
It wasn't a personal because if that was the case,
I wouldn't I wouldn't you know, wouldn't be here. I
do interviews and stuff stuff all the time. But sometimes
in a crowded room, you don't know what the hell
are you can to get.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
Sometimes they be trying to protect you from blocker, because
some blockers are just a.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
And that's one of the reasons why I don't like
to call myself a blogger. I've actually stopped calling myself
a blogger a reporter, and I call you or entertainment writer. Yeah,
for the for the very reason that it has such
a nasty connotation, because of the way many of us
have behaved in this space. And I always say that
(40:48):
when I walk in a room, people don't have to hush,
or people don't say here, she come here, she comes here,
you know. And I take pride in that and have
an integrity and the way I handle everything that I do.
So I'm really proud of that. But just to speak
to your apology, I feel like God always has the
bigger plan, right, So today I got to have the
(41:10):
conversation with you that I wanted to have all that
time ago, and now I really get to sit down
and talk to you and really get to know you.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
And I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
I appreciate you bringing it bringing it up, because you know,
I have to be accountable for my mistakes as well,
because I'm not bigger than you, know, like I'm a
human being, and I care about what you know, people
like yourself. If I put you in that situation, I
care about that, and I have to make good you know,
(41:41):
and make the correction, and I really appreciate you bringing
bringing it up. So now I'm definitely gonna have to
make sure that whatever I have that we get a
do over, because I got to. I got to make
that right. So when I have my premiere in Atlanta,
I'm going to have someone to come, uh Uber black
Black the SUV to come pick you up and probably
(42:07):
let you.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
I think you should co host the event with me
that night.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
Oh I would love that.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Yes, yeah, So so when I do my my premiere,
I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
Let you co hosts and narrow Uh what is it narrates.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Like the talk back?
Speaker 3 (42:22):
Yes to moderate moderate moderate moderate. If you would, I'm
not gonna would be my you.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
That's what I'll say.
Speaker 5 (42:34):
Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna We're gonna go ahead and
book you right now, and I'm gonna make sure that
you are introduced properly in front in a room full of.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Uh, in a crowded room with all the big ballers
and shot callers in there. I'm gonna make sure that
you are taking care of VI I P and make
sure that that you are put in the best light
that we put it in because I have to.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I have to make this up to you.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
I sincerely appreciate that, Ricky, I do, I do see.
This conversation definitely was a divine conversation and it has
been my absolute pleasure to you. And any time that
you need a well you don't need a platform. You
have one that's the biggest one in the country.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
So let me run that back.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Anytime you would like to talk to somebody else, Yeah,
you are more than welcome to come and chat with me.
I would love to have you.
Speaker 4 (43:32):
Yeah, thank you for the opportunity and taking the time,
you know that allow me to come on your platform.
I'm definitely gonna shout you out on my radio show
for sure. And I need to make sure that you
should have definitely have a conversation with Gary May.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
Gary will bring you on the morning show and then
you can probably be a part of his segment, you know,
especially like you got inside information and he reported and
then I get him to start quoting some of it
in your stuff or whatever. But I just appreciate real journalism,
you know, because a lot of this stuff, people do
anything and say anything for clicks or whatever, and a
(44:12):
lot of the be lines.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
But you can't sue. You can't sue. You can see
you'll be founding lawsuits all day.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
All day long, all day long. And it's funny because
over the years, you know, I've had my outlet for
fifteen years now, and over the years, I see each
year how it's becoming more and more difficult for me
because the mess is what they want. So you know,
I'll give them some positive I could tell you a
(44:39):
young black man got accepted into every university he applied
to and received a million dollars in scholarship money. And
it'll be like three clicks, three clicks. I could tell
you somebody got arrested. Oh whoa, whoa, whoa.
Speaker 4 (44:54):
You know, but if the same dude, if the same
dude got mama deep break, Oh.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Not mama in the palace. She deserved to be loved
in the running a muff in her palace.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
Come on now, Oh god, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (45:13):
You know I appreciate that people like yourself and you know,
people's magazine tarn Halls did a great episode about my
my twin daughters.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
You know that that's a blessing to me and absolutely
my family.
Speaker 4 (45:28):
But you know, it was a mess to some because
they made it a mess, but I wasn't a part
of the mess because I just didn't didn't engage it
in it or whatever. I know what happened, and everybody's
not old every single detail that every uh uh, yeah,
the math is not gonna math if you don't have the.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Full formula right. And then in situations like that, you
always get the people who want to piggyback on the
moment and grab a little bit of spotlight off of
the moment. So you know, I'm always very leary of
everyone who starts coming out of the woodwork with their
their portion of it and that portion of it, because
it's like, Okay, there's a spotlight over there, and everybody's
going to run and try to get under it. Sure,
(46:07):
but I really I loved the way that you handled
that because you presented it as look, this is the
blessing that came out of it, this is the like,
this is the blessing that came out of this, and
people will just find just yeah, something that.
Speaker 4 (46:26):
Is like it's like you in church and you giving
a testimony saying God bless me with a twenty twenty
five Ford Expedition of the church, gonna break out the
story shot right, the math ain't mathing. Well, how did
(46:53):
you get the church?
Speaker 3 (46:53):
Okay? You must sell drugs or you.
Speaker 4 (46:56):
Must cheat it on your taxes or something. I know
that that got to fix the math. The math got
the math. It ain't making sense to you. You don't
see that as a blissing man when I tell you,
when I do, you know.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
And I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (47:13):
Have to ask God myself as to why you did
this the way you did it, and why did I
deserve to be blessed like that? And one day I
was laying in bed, I started thinking about all of
the things. First of all, I never had biological daughters.
(47:35):
The two daughters that I have, I got them when
they were two years old, right, I only had two sons.
That's all I knew about. Then I think about the
girls' school in Kenya, Okay that's been sponsoring for over
seven or eight years, saving these girls from rape, saving
(47:55):
them from arranged marriages, doing all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
Then the Wednesday my son died.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
On a Sunday, I decided Tuesday to get back on
the radio because the people need to be served. People
out there going through the worst ofp get your butt
out of bed.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
And go get on the radio Wednesday, I say, you.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
Know what, I got to go to the funeral home
at two o'clock to take my son's clothes and make
sure the clothes match the caske.
Speaker 3 (48:24):
But at twelve o'clock.
Speaker 4 (48:26):
I'm gonna go to the Salvation Army and I'm gonna
stand in line and serve the homeless, and I'm gonna
try to I'm gonna try to get through this without
crying because God allowed me to stand in line. And
when I was when I started looking at the faces
of the people that just came to get a hot dog,
some chips, some sour craft, a slice of cake, and
(48:48):
a cup of punch, going through the same thing, all
the homeless people, you know what they were saying, Hey, Rick,
signed by your son. Man, I'm praying for you. Hey Rick,
I lost my son too, and he's homeless. See God,
like I did all this stuff, I've been doing all
(49:10):
this stuff for years, and making sure kids got haircuts
and backpacks and back to school and giving and giving
and giving and just trying to be a serve.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (49:20):
Then, when all of this happened, still trying to find
a way to serve and to continue to praise God.
Was like, you know what, I got something for you,
and how it happened, the way that it happened, and
when it happened, and I found out about them. The
one year anniversary of Brandon's death, when I actually felt it, Yes,
(49:43):
remember when I told you?
Speaker 1 (49:44):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (49:46):
One year later is when I felt that I didn't
have no casket, no family, no flowers.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
I was sitting in Miami in.
Speaker 4 (49:53):
An apartment by myself, grieving, feeling all of it, feeling
every inch of it. And I got a call. And
when I got that phone call that I looked up
at the sky and the sun started to turn back
into its original color.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (50:11):
Now I don't care about what people say or they think.
Speaker 3 (50:15):
Hiy he knew care about that? Yes, because those people
don't have a heaven of hell to put me in.
Speaker 4 (50:24):
Absolutely, I serve a God to turn ninth in the
day and day in the night.
Speaker 3 (50:28):
And God always know I do right by my kids.
I raise kids that's not mine.
Speaker 4 (50:33):
Ain't no way on this earth I would have identical
twin daughters and walk away from them.
Speaker 3 (50:41):
Mind you, mind you, I'm.
Speaker 4 (50:43):
Friends with my ex those my twins been coming over
here going to.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
My grandkids' birthday party. I been knowing them their whole life.
We didn't know.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
But that kind of feels like the divine hand of.
Speaker 6 (50:59):
God, because if you think about it, he still allowed
you to be in their lives, so you can't even
have the oh, I missed out on this.
Speaker 3 (51:10):
I missed it.
Speaker 1 (51:11):
I missed it because they were always there. And then
at the moment the Lord knew, you knew that you
needed to know.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
Yep. And then it's the crazy thing about it.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
I was mentoring the oldest sister who's seventeen years old,
is the junior in high school because her dad was
killed on the motorcycle. Now, why would I be in
the life and taking the oldest child on vacations with
me and my kids and doing all this stuff and
sit here and ignore to kids that are actually mine.
Speaker 3 (51:41):
And I'm a cool dude.
Speaker 4 (51:42):
Ain't no toxic dude, you know. You know, I'm cool
with my exes or whatever. You ought to see how
my son's mother and I work together and we and
grandparent more. We were sharing out sharing, you know, the
cop parenting that go on, the cop parenting that exists,
the text messages between you know, me and you know
(52:03):
my kids mom or whatever. The co parenting is top
tier because everything start with doing within the best interests.
Speaker 3 (52:12):
Of the child of the child. It's that simple. It
ain't about either one of us.
Speaker 4 (52:17):
It's about doing what's making great decisions for a child
or whatever.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
And it gets tough sometimes to get ten sometime.
Speaker 4 (52:23):
But at the end of the day or whatever, we
have to do what's in the best interests of the child.
Speaker 3 (52:28):
So, man, God is just awesome.
Speaker 4 (52:30):
And I give God credit, but that and God did that,
And when I tell you, I feel like that's what's
keeping me alive because it's some depressing days and some
depressing nights, you know when you sit here, when you
when when when you can't get that thought of that
casket being lowered into the ground yep or whatever, and
(52:51):
and that kind of trauma. Man, that my son that
affected me so bad. I have memory loss and I
didn't even know that grief causes memory loss. When I
tell you, I can't sometimes if you ask me something
on the spot in it and I have to try
to remember, right, I just I just black out or
whatever and get in trouble for it, you know, you know,
(53:14):
got in trouble for it a few times on UH
one nationally because I just couldn't. My brain wasn't operating
like it used to because the trauma.
Speaker 3 (53:26):
Is so bad, you know, right, like like that's a
lot of.
Speaker 1 (53:29):
Trauma, and I think people don't understand that trauma has
a physical effect on us. Sure, you know, I think
some people really don't understand that. They just they think
you go through a process and then after a while
it gets a little bit better. But no, there are
people who literally couples one pass the other one like okay,
I'm going right with you. You know, it's a physical
tool on the body as well.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Yeah, I have to I have to take the vitamins
to help my brain remember stuff, and my dumb ass
can't remember to take the viviains. Yeah, you know, what
is it called ginko bo something?
Speaker 1 (54:05):
The ging cokea boca?
Speaker 4 (54:07):
I call it boca man, when I tell you, ILL
be in here, just trying to get my mind back
on track. And people be talking about do you remember
me and and all.
Speaker 3 (54:16):
Of that stuff and being their feelings when I don't.
They have no idea, they don't understand. I just lost
my uncle a month ago. My uncle Bruce, who I
grew up with. I was we was raised together like
like you know, like brothers or whatever.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
And he went and he went quick. And I don't
even know how to how to deal with that. You know,
I haven't cried.
Speaker 3 (54:39):
I can't cry. I don't know how I feel about it.
Speaker 4 (54:41):
I just I The next day came and I had
to get my kids dressed for school and cook dinner.
And I've been moving along and it hadn't even hit
me yet, like I'm dealing with that, and uh, it's
just a lot of uh, it's a lot of stuff.
But you know, God is still in the blessing business,
and I thank him, and so at least from May thirtieth,
(55:04):
when it comes, that would be a great opportunity to
heal a lot of people that's hurting, and where people
can sit in a room and laugh as we go,
as I go through this one hour.
Speaker 3 (55:17):
Of NonStop laughter. So you know, iagine to shay all
that other stuff.
Speaker 1 (55:24):
No, I appreciate you sharing it because one of the
things that anytime I have a conversation with someone, you know,
they're like interviews interviews, and I'm like, okay, I got
to ask questions interviews. But the thing that I always
my goal in every conversation is to have someone walk
away with a better understanding of who you are, learn
something about you that they did not know, and really
(55:45):
see you for who you truly are. And I appreciate
you because that's one of the things that I've always
loved about you, is that you show you are human.
You get some people like, yeah, dog, you know I
did that. No, we are all human being out here
trying to make it. Every day. I start my day
on my knees praying, praying, and I end my day
(56:08):
on my knees pray. It's a minute to hit you,
didn't it. Yeah, but yeah, I know you say, Okay,
thank you. I appreciate you. You appreciate you, and I
end my day pray. I appreciate you. But you know,
we are all humans out here just trying to make it,
you know. And yes, some of us are more well known,
like yourself, and you have been a public servant to
(56:28):
us for over twenty years, whether it's comedy, being on
the radio and so thirty thirty five, that's right, thirty
five thirty And I just think, I think sometimes when
we live in a celebrity driven culture, and a lot
of times we forget to give celebrities grace, and sometimes
people forget that you are human. They almost look at
(56:50):
you because you're a celebrity as some type of superhuman being.
And I just appreciate the fact that you always remind
us that you are human, right, and as humans, we
make good decisions, bad decisions. Life happens, good things happens,
bad things happen. So I just appreciate you and all
of your wickiness. I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (57:13):
I just want to tell everybody's watching, no matter what
you've been through, just make sure you know that God
is always in control and God ain't gonna put more
on you than you can bear.
Speaker 3 (57:24):
I want everybody to be encouraged.
Speaker 4 (57:25):
I hope y'all got some encouragement and some joy, and
no matter how bad life gets, just always continue to
serve or whatever.
Speaker 3 (57:33):
And while you're over here serving and.
Speaker 4 (57:36):
You're over here doing good with somebody, God over here
working out your problem and your situation or whatever. But
you got to leave it alone and let him do it.
But you just continue to serve and do good and
make sure y'all check me out. May the thirtieth and
anybody going through grief or of my book. It's called
Side Show, Side Show, and it's gonna help you with
your grief. It's gonna make your cry, it's gonna make
(57:58):
you laugh, it's gonna make you think, and it will
help you with the healing process. So I really appreciate
this opportunity.
Speaker 1 (58:06):
I appreciate it just as much, Ricky. It has been
a total pleasure. I can't wait until May thirtieth, and
I will make sure to remind everyone to tune in
and to give everyone the link to purchase sideshow.
Speaker 4 (58:20):
No, thank you, thank you, thank you for Okay, So
when I have my premiere, we're going to be working together.
Speaker 3 (58:25):
So absolutely, yeah, yeah we get it. Thank you for
the do over, thank you for giving me another chance.
Speaker 1 (58:31):
Absolutely absolutely we have to give each other grace, right,
we have to. We have to have a great day. Ricky,
you have truly made my day, all right, thank you,
Bye bye bye bye bye
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