The Zac Clark Show - Rich Vos: Breaking the Rules of Comedy, Sobriety Myths, and Why Recovery is Life’s Best Punchline

Episode Date: December 31, 2024

On this episode of The Zac Clark Show, Zac sits down with comedy legend Rich Vos for a raw, wild, and insightful conversation. With 38 years of sobriety under his belt, Rich opens up about his battle with substances, the pivotal moment that drove him to recovery, and the incredible life he's built since then. Known as the first white comic on Def Comedy Jam, Rich recounts breaking barriers in the comedy world and the lessons he's learned from decades in the industry. The conversation touches on Rich's groundbreaking Amazon comedy special, Rich Vos Anonymous, which made history as the first filmed comedy show inside a Narcotics Anonymous convention. Rich and Zac also delve into the challenges of staying sober in the comedy world, the misconceptions about addiction and creativity, and the importance of giving yourself a chance to live differently. From recovery principles to the realities of mental health, marathon running, family life, and even the changing comedy landscape with social media influencers, Rich delivers wisdom wrapped in his signature sardonic wit. Please tune in to this episode for a powerful blend of inspiration, laughter, and an unfiltered exploration of the journey to recovery. Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release: [phone] releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery

All right. So I want you to listen very closely to today's episode, Rich Voss. He's almost 40 years sober. He's been in the biggest rooms doing his comedy. And I just think it's a great example of what is possible in this life that we get to live when we are sober, when we make change, when we go towards the light. The conversation gets a little wild and nutty and unhinged, but he's unapologetically him. And none of this conversation would be possible without two guys who hold their recoveries close to their. heart. I hope you enjoy. All right. We're back here. Zach Clark's show. We got Rich Voss with us today. Comedian. He's done it all. Lived a long, awesome life. But the most important thing about this guy is, what, 37 years? 38. 38 years sober. 38 years. February would be 39. 38 now. February. Before I get started, look at this setup. This is real. Like my wife and I do our podcast. in a basement, no guests, just two people, you know, completely opposite with a fucking two lights. You guys got like real lights. Like you can make, you can film a movie with your

lights. You know, we have basically a person holding a flashlight above us. Beautiful studio here, the nice brick wall. This is amazing. All the awards behind me. Well, that's just my marathon medals because they look pretty. you've you've ran marathons 15 of them 15 yeah I mean it's one you know what's the longest 25 miles 26 no that's 26 miles that's what a marathon is crazy I do New York every year it's a it's a bus what's like what place you come in for I wish dude I uh I don't know this year there's 55000 people that run it no that many yeah 55000 I mean it's a humbling like you I see people blitz by me that are twice my size and I'm just like

what the fuck am I doing? No, 55,000 and then there's a person in a wheelchair whose dad's pushing him, you know, maybe just hand out water but you know three weeks later, hey look who made it, Billy you know what I'm saying. We had to, we had a guy this kid Mario that works for us

he's a heavyset kid and he was he was his goal was the finish last and he did it so he walked it and did it in like 13 hours he was the last guy to finish i saw a head just it was just ahead and the person behind it would push to head and not bad time you know uh downhill was a lot better uh he walked 26 miles he didn't run at all no walked no i ran showered went to our after party ate a bunch of pasta took a nap and met him at like mile 22 and walked the rest with him i mean it was the longest yeah

this shit was crazy I thought when you said I ran and took a shower, I thought in the middle of your run. You go, you know what? I'd better freshen up here. So when you're like, my daughter runs in those half marathons and, you know. You run at all? You ever run?

No, I, no. What's your excuse, your knees? I mean, I lift, I work out five, six days a week at, you know. And when I can, I play golf four or five days. I saw an 82. I was stalking your Instagram. What the fuck was that? I mean, you're giving me strokes.

That was a good round that day. It's a dumb game. Golf. That's fucking white people problems. Oh, I three putted today. Oh, really? That's your big problem? Oh, look.

Look, we had a way behind a group, a foursome that took too long. It's just dumb white people shit. You know, talk about real problems. Right. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Whatever.

But, uh... Well, dude, I was playing. I mean, I'm like, I'm like you. I mean, I was shooting in 83. two, I'll shoot a hundred and two. I assume that's what you're like. I don't know. Yeah, it depends. Um, I was out playing in Nantucket one summer and I, I, I hit a bad shot and threw my club and the caddy was just like, Lattie, you're just not good enough to be getting that mad. And it just, fuck, it humbled me because he was right. I'm like, I'm not good.

Why do I, I, I should expect to hit bad shots. Yeah, but the fact that he called you Lattie and he's from another country and he's taking your inventory, shut the fuck up, buddy. You're lucky you're on this highland, all right? Stupid potato fuck. I don't mean to curse on me. Oh, you can curse. I mean, look, that's what we're trying to do here. Like, look, we talk about recovery here.

We talk about sobriety. We talk about mental health. And, like, so many people are so sad that they have to get sober. So sad. And so, like, to sit here and laugh with you, like, that's what this is all about. Yeah, let me show you a picture of a show. Why? What is this show and tell?

God, do I hate myself? uh is that wait where here's a picture of part of my gym in the basement damn oh you got the real you got the real setup yeah so you never have to leave your house yeah i mean i'm a member of playing fitness because when i travel right i can go to playing the fitness that's only 20 bucks a month right uh but you know i i bought a we have it on our uh porch we have a screen and poured one person sauna

and it goes up to like 140 degrees I got it on like we snap we put it together in 10 minutes it's wooden it's beautiful infrared infrared with a Bluetooth in it

so you know I'll work out and I'll go in the sauna you know and whatever it's just it's anytime you do something you want to do positive shit at least one positive thing a day or you know what I mean

not and I mean that's what was confused like when I was in rehab there was this whole culture of like and to a certain degree it's true but you know you get out of here and you know smoke your seven packs of cigarettes and eat all your ice cream and the desserts but as long as you stay sober yeah that's a bit you know I used to you know hey today I I robbed a bank I pushed a woman down the stairs you know I kicked my dog but I didn't get high there you're a winner no what shut up right there's this like there's this built-in thing in a like there's a lot of scumbags in recovery and they they use this front that they're like they're at the pulpit sharing their you know story and then you find out that they're cheating on their wife and yeah well that's why they say

principles before personalities but you don't know what the wife did anyhow uh yeah there's you know i mean you go there to whatever you're you know and coffee's here uh Thank you. What? Cream and a sweetener. But take it. No, bro. Yeah.

What do you call it? You know, I, yeah, there's, but in any way you go, in any of it, any group of people, there's going to be some, you know, I mean, I work in comedy clubs. These are some of the worst people on the planet. Yeah. Some of these, some club owners are great. Some of them are just, and some, you know, comics are just as horrible, you know, they, you know, like if a comic's opening for me and they're drinking, I'm like, what are you fucking doing? Right. This is your job.

You can't, no other, you know, job you can go and drink while you're on. You know, it's not, it's stupid, you know. Is it, is it called, I mean, like, there's this whole idea, right, that the comic is like this dark, uh, heady substance abuse. Like, is that culture, I mean, is that, how did you come up? Well, I mean, I see. Because you see it all the time. I mean, like, you know, and then there's people, there's some comics out there that are open about their sobriety. Like, there's two sides of it.

Well, I think to me, a good, a comic that I like, not a good comic. To me, a great, a good, what I like is somebody who's personal. So they talk about their life or how they see things, whether it be good or bad, it's still about them. or original. You're talking about your life. You know, if I talk about my kids or wife or sober or how I feel in

my political view or whatever, you know, I want people to leave my show or when I'm working and going, like you can leave a show and go, that comic was funny, what they say, I don't know. But when you walk out

from my, you know, you're going to know personal things or how I feel about things. Now, yeah, there's comedy, you know, they say, well, you've got to be dark or depressed. That's, you know what, it's like any business. If you work, say, at fucking Apple,

you go and there's, say, 30 people in that office. Six or alcoholics, seven, whatever. Who knows how many people are, you know, looking at what kind of porn? You know, it's just whatever business you're in, people are people. They're either fucked up.

You're either a good person or a bad person, basically. Yeah. To me, you know, and if you do the right things, like, she's a good person. She got to coffee. Grace is a great person. She's a great person. Very proud of her sobriety, very proud, sober woman, you know. Yeah.

How long have you been sober? Two years. Wow. Have you ever been to a Hampton Inn? No, forget it. I don't think so. No, okay. so see you're I came in I guess young she's about what 21 you're about 27 I came in when I was 28 20 I guess

were you doing comedy then I think for like three years two or three years I was you know horrible and this whole like artists that they get to get sober and they they swear that they need their booze or their coke to be creative I mean that's all bullshit that's bullshit I look I think you're more creative. Well, I say I was only doing it three years, so I stunk no matter whether I got high or didn't get high, because three years in, how good can you be? Were you smoking crack and then on stage? I mean, like, you had to be on stage, only thinking about, like, get me off this stage, so I can go.

Do you think that milk looks a little spoiled? I think it's separating because the coffee's really hot. Oh, okay. You got your spoon. What kind of milk? I know milk sometimes can separate. I think it's half a half. Oh, okay.

You want just a black cup? No, no. I mean, don't want to, this is, I mean, I just, what was I going to say? I, you know, I was only doing it for a couple of years, and I, you know, I came from a party background to begin with, you know. Where'd you go out? In Plainfield, New Jersey, in central, you know, urban neighborhood.

But then, you know, I moved around ever since when I was 18, I was out of the house and, you know, live with roommates. What we do was party and business remodeling houses, but I fucked that up because of party. And, you know, you go to the bars, we drink, you know, drink and get high and throw parties at our house. and, you know, picking up girls and just life, you know. It's later on, I don't think, I don't know if I ever didn't start Free Basin if I ever would have got sober. I don't know if I could have kept going just drinking and party and, you know, I didn't really, I didn't feel or see that I was hitting the bottom the other way. But with that shit, you know, it took me to another level.

And I go, I can't live this way anymore. You know, because when we were just partying, there was days or whatever, I didn't party, and it didn't kill me. And, again, freebase is not physically addicting, but, you know, mental addiction, you know, compulsion of sex. is what you're dealing with. Yeah. And it's a very, very compulsive, you know, mentally drug, mentally addicting drug.

You know, when you come off a Coke, you're not, there's no physical addiction. There's no withdrawal from it. It's mental. And all drugs are, I mean, meant, I mean, like, you know, when you're coming off of heroin or barbiturates or more, you know, there's a physical. Oh, the heroin withdrawal, I would not wish that on my worst. yeah i mean it's like yeah it's got to be horrible horrible so i had it all but but compulsion and obsession listen i've you know i might i might be uh alcohol and drug free for 38 years but i still have fucking you know i gamble what you know which i got to work on

uh amazon and all that i mean like yeah yeah yeah you know i'll lay in bed and place slots. Right. I'll play their lotteries. Numbers go through my head. But I always gamble. You know, you know, Amazon is addicting. You could, look what the fuck I'm wearing. Who the fuck wears that much jewelry that's not sucking dick?

You know? So, but I'm responsible. I take care of my family, my kids. You know what I mean? Yeah, you're honest about it too. I mean, like, look, you know, we all have our shit, you know, like my, my, my The nicotine thing has been 13 years of just up and down, and I can have a cigarette at night and put it down for two weeks, and then the Zinn comes, and I'm chewing on the Zin packet, and it's like, you know, it's just, I'm chasing the dopamine hit.

I've been on Nicarat gum for 19 years. I quit smoking 19 years, but no one's getting secondhand gum either. I'm not, but I fall asleep. I can't time many times with gum in my mouth. I'm going to die. I'm going to choke. You know, it's being addicted to instant gratification, too. You know, it's just that rush, that boom, you know, I'll be on the road and my wife will call having a meltdown, you know, whatever and all I want to.

She's over or she? No. No, she's not an alcoholic at all or drug. You know, she have two drinks and I can, you know, anyhow, she'll call with a meltdown. You want to finish that thought? No, no. I don't want to talk about, because it's not true. I was going to say two drinks and like a finger or ass, but we don't even sleep together. You know, so, so call. And all I want to ask her, did I get a package, you know, because I ordered some dumb shit on Amazon, you know,

which I, around the holidays now, you know, I go to buy presents for everybody and I end up just getting me shit. I just bought a biker jack. I put hearing aids on fucking Amazon one night. I don't even need them. It was a good deal. There's these new here. You can put it in and it looks like headphones, but you can tell what language you want to translate. So you can be in your Uber and like the Uber drivers in the front seat,

like I'm fucking driving this asshole. And you're like, really? Do you think that really worked? Because I saw them too. I mean, how the fuck could for a hundred bucks? It's translating every language in the world. We're going to get your new company. Did you look at that now?

I mean, yeah, well. It's pretty. looking yeah i mean is that i don't know that looks like you know my my piss after a night of drinking in the art world that could sell for a lot i was talking to an artist yesterday i asked him the banana yeah it's a true story 10 million dollars some shit was a and a dude who bought it was an asian guy i think he bought it and then ate the banana online yeah what a million dollars he did it to prove the point he said to show you how ridiculous to art were is but you're as ridiculous to prove your dumb eight million dollar point where you could have

taken that money you know and and bought my uh CDs or shirts you know we'll buy some of those we'll buy no no we're going to we're going to be the voss fan club so and you mentioned amazon and your amazon addiction which they're probably thrilled about because you have a special on amazon voss anonymous which is blowing my mind it's on oh yeah it is on amazon which was anonymous yeah yeah yeah not making shit up am I no no no okay go ahead yeah sorry I'm this isn't even me promoting it I'm just my mind is blown around so I'm openly out in recovery like I you know I went on TV and I shared my story and then people are asking me to speak at meetings and all that shit right so it's like I I don't have a choice like people I see like I'm in

I don't know what you want me to say well I can't I can't hide that shit right but I'm always walking this fine line and I get these fucking people that come up my neck online for like speaking about sobriety. I said, dude, I didn't mention steps. I didn't mention God. I mentioned big book. I mentioned sponsor. I just said my I'm in recovery. That can be a very so how the hell did you get cameras in like well here here's it's the first time cameras were ever let into a 12 step convention first time. I didn't I didn't like did you feel okay about that? I mean like I'm just yes because one I didn't show the audience. Two, I just called, said a 12-step program.

I'm 90% sure I didn't bring up what program. Two, a convention's not a meeting. It's a whole separate, you know, endeavor or whatever. Yeah, I kept it where I didn't break anybody's anonymity. I also followed the 11th tradition. you know and that's all bullshit nowadays the 11th tradition because every shitty movie or tv show is mentioning or showing some fucking meeting that's ridiculous there was a show i watched a couple of hours i had to turn it off

milk uh some louder milk something yeah the guy go in meetings or what and it was ridiculous it showed a sponsored drinking and you know it just makes uh you know a 12 step my point though what's that like i got a like i want to make this you look good yeah but you if you're carrying a positive message and you're not breaking the tradition you're doing what you can't you know oh what you went out and got that oh you didn't have to be oh thank you see we need a we need a picture of the coffee just just because we've been chatting about it thank you grace uh look at that two years 10 years she would say go fuck yourself and get your own coffee Yeah, I mean, there's a purpose and a reason for everything.

You know what I mean? If you're doing what you're doing this, because, look, it's arrogant. I do this on stage. I say this. You know, I go, I go maybe, you know, a bit I do it, and it's true, you know, I'm on stage. to carry the message, you know, I go, but then I go how arrogant it is, you know, that, you know, John F. Kennedy, Martin, Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm Axwers, but I'm here, you know, to 150 people, you know, in some, you know what I mean? But maybe in the overall

big picture in life, that's what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't fucking know. You know what I mean? I just do it. So if you have a platform, you know, people on their platforms are talking politics, they're talking who they, you know, and if it's something you believe in it, and if it's helping people, it's not hurting people. You're not, no one's getting hurt. Right. And the only thing that hurts really is when a major celebrity or celebrity is going,

oh, well, I'm in so-and-so, 12-step program. You know, and then two months later you see them drinking or getting high. Right. And then people going, ah, that doesn't work that program. That's a concern. So that's a problem. And that's why they say keep it out of radio, you know. But if someone says, and that same person says, well, I'm in a 12-step program,

no one knows what the fuck, whether they're talking about that or that, you know, A-A-N-A-G-A, they go 12-step program, you know, and that is not breaking any tradition. You know, but you see so many people, A, this. Traditions, by the way, if you're listening, like the steps govern the person, you know, the steps are the program of recovery. The traditions kind of govern the group, the sacred nature of the 12-step fell. So there's 12 steps and 12 traditions just for people. And they don't want a 12-step program to get involved.

They don't get involved in any outside issues or, you know, whatever. And if I talk about an outside issue, if I'm sharing, I say how things affect me, not, I don't get my opinion on the outside issue. Right. What's happening, like as a Jew, what's happening throughout the world with the anti-Semitism in this fucking country and world, how it affects me, you know. So you'll share about that in a meeting and that'll be your experience and you're not seeking feedback. No, I'm just saying. This is, I haven't had in my life probably this much anger since I've had since I've had since last.

October 7th. Not every day, but I'll read or see something or something going on in a college campus that has nothing to do what's going on in the Middle East. And it'll get me fucking angry that whatever, you know, and not going to political, but it's not, it's how it affects me. It's how anything affects me. And what affects me is, can it affect my, my, uh, sobriety or recovery. You know what I mean? Because that comes first, like you said, before anything. Because if I don't have that, I'm going to, you know, what if I'll die in a week. Look, I'll sell this one bracelet and die in a week. And that's what I think confuses people. And going back to your point when you said, you know, free basin coke probably drove you to a bottom and you're not

so sure if the alcohol would have done that. We see that shit all the time. Like these young guys come in. They're like, I know I have a weed problem. I know I got to stop taking benzos to sleep, you know i know i know i got to stop taking by agra to have sex but the alcohol is not really a problem until it is right like you stay on that path long enough and that's why i always say to guys like that guy i'm not going to convince him in that moment that he can drink safely like go go for it dude have a couple pops and see how it turns out you're going to call me oh definitely if you if you walk into a meeting no one walks into a meeting nine out of ten people that don't that don't have a problem.

You don't walk in there at a curiosity. Yeah, well, what? Oh, wow, there's nothing going on at the Barton. Let me go check out this. I mean, you're going in there because something is telling you go to that, or someone's telling you, so they see it that you don't see, you know.

Yeah, I can't go there because I'm not like those people. You're not like that. Yeah, you know what? I don't want to see someone I know. Like, guess what? If you see someone you know, what's going to happen?

Yeah. They're there. the same reason you are yeah because yeah it's don't have a piece and you know what i just gum i got i got to i got to start smoking again and get off this fucking gum yeah uh probably will help you know yeah it's it's i had all the excuses but i didn't i was in in and out one time hold on are you having a heart attack no i just wanted to get my gum away from the mic as i was breaking it in to put it into my upper lip. It's a real pro.

One time I was all night long with Coke. I don't know. It was probably whatever. I smoked an eighth maybe or whatever. Where I got the money for that much, I have no idea. But anyhow. So I went to a rehab. I didn't know anything about it.

I go, I can't do that. I'm going to, and I went to Fair Oaks. It was in Summit, New Jersey. I drove up there. Fair. It's so around or no? Probably. It's like, and I sat in a waiting room, you know, ready to have a fucking heart attack.

And someone finally came out to see me and said, do you have insurance? I'm like, no. You can't get, you know. And I left. And then I had another two years out. But the rehab I went to, which saved my life, It was in Marble, New Jersey, the New Hope Foundation. I lied to get in.

Rehab's the best. I lied to get in. It's the best. And then I finally told them, they go, we don't care, you're here. And it was the first thing I ever really finished in my life. Right. You know, five-day detox, 28-day program. Like, I quit school.

If I was building a model plane as a kid, I would smash it on the ground. I remember smashing a model plane. I remember you're just like your father. I go, well, I haven't left you. You know, so the rehab I went to basically saved my life. I call them every year around my anniversary. I go, I love to come down and speak, but no one gets back to me. And the only reason I could think is because I have too much time

and it might kind of scare a new, you know, someone in rehab going, I'll never get 38 years. You know what I mean? I don't know why they don't get back to me. Well, I mean, maybe they just don't have their shit together. You want to speak to some people. We can get you speaking. Well, no, I spoke at a rehab in Chicago.

I mean, and it was great, you know, I mean. No, they need to hear it. They need to see guys like you who are living, you know. I mean, you're operating at the highest level of your craft and you're 38 years sober. And I know that for you to hear that. But it's the truth. I mean, you look at the places you've been and the people you've done, comedy with and like are you would you say today you're happy like you're happy with your

career you're happy with my career are you on social media like fuck this guy's blowing up or you don't give a shit like there's no well here's you know it's weird because I talked about in a meeting today exactly you know there's people that used to open for me that are selling out fucking arenas or doing whatever right and and like who's the new guys is like the andrew Schultz, the Teobald. These guys are all kind of. Shane Gillis and they're, Shane is as funny as any of them. And so they're, but here's the thing in life, I realize I have enough. I have, in this business, I've done every, you know, and this isn't ego. I'm very well respected amongst my peers, white, black, you know, I've done all that shit. I've done it all from death comedy jam

to Apollo, writing on Oscars, specials, radio, album. I, And so is my wife, who's fucking brilliant. But I've done, you know, I walk into anywhere, and if you're a con, you know, people know who I am. You know what I mean? So, uh, everything else is, is more ego. You know what I mean? It's more like, or jealousy. And I, well, I'm not competing with anybody, you know, I'm not competing with these other comics.

You know, I say, uh, you know, I say. I could do a room with 15 people in there and have as much fun as when I'm doing a theater. You know what I mean? It could be as much fun. I could do an hour, hour to have two hours to 20 fucking people where I'm just sitting down doing whatever. Or you could be in the theater. You know, shit, I was on Burt's tour last year, you know, 15,000 people. I did the Open Anthony tour hosting 12,000, you know, and just theater shows, too.

We've had tours, 2,000 people. And it's a different feel. But there's no feeling like when you're just sitting there in a little club, whatever, 30, 40, 50 people. And just. Is there a community within the comedians? Are you someone that these younger guys will look to for? Or do they know you're sober? Do they know that they can talk to you about that kind of shit?

Oh, yeah. Without names. Oh, yeah. Comics, yeah. There's a lot of sober comics. And just like there's a lot of sober actors, singers, a lot of sober car salesmen, a lot of sober house painters. You know, it's just, you know, if a comic, you know,

I'll never hang up or not talk to somebody about what they need to do if they want to get sober. I don't have tons of them, you know, once in a while, hey, or people will go, you know, for, and not just me, the guys I came up with, comics will come up and go, we used to watch you on Tough Crowd, and that's, you're the reason we're doing, I'm doing comedy, people will say that.

Yeah. And I go, quit bugging me. But, you know what I mean? We're, just like I was influenced by other comics growing up. And so, you know, we influence people are, you know, I mean, we'd sit at a table that would be me, Patrice, Colin Quinn, Bill Burr, you know, Kevin Hart, we brought him into our crew. Keith brought him up from Philly. He was a Philly guy and Keith was our crew and brought Kevin and we accepted Kevin in. You can sit with us, you know, in the back table. and he mentions that that he knew he was accepted when we took him in so yeah but there were guys when I started

I looked up to go you know I was just oh my god that person is great or she's great I wish I'll never be that good you know so yeah but I guess now the generation right now is more internet knowing who's you know big on yeah they're building in their entire career

around social media bits and all that shit i mean they might never have to go to a club no i mean do it all on their camera i worked a club there's a big room and a little room and i was in the little room which was fine because it was a hundred people and i made the money i wanted to make and the big room the comic has been doing it for less than a year less than a year but he has like a million followers plus she's Latino you know such a whole different

you know market that doesn't get to go to as many clubs because there's not as many you know I know this female comics she's Indian

blowing up how many female women comics Indian women comics are her so she's the right person for that audience you know what I mean this world today you know it's just

I used to do I used to get conventions do some conventions you know for for 12 step convention you know in the other fellowship and the day now I just

it's too much look you want me to do it I'll do it this is you know we got to go to this committee that committee then you never hear back from them you know the fucking committees you know so back to that yeah like the cameras in

I'm just going to not let this one go. So the cameras for your special that's on Amazon right now, you get the cameras in there, you set them up, do you tell the room like, hey, none of you guys are going to be on the, because I would imagine there's an old-time

and the room that's like going to come at you and say, hey, Rich, like you're breaking. Well, they knew what was going on if they came into that room because there's, hey, we are filming in here. You know,

there's big signs out. I'll tell you, to the warm-up act in front of me, gave them the rundown you're not going to be filmed yeah this is you know whatever uh so i'm doing it i'm and i'm on stage i guess i'm on it's a little over now it's going well i mean as well as it could be you know and also i saw a couple people leave there more people leave and i'm going what the fuck did i say that offended these people they're leaving you know and now it's and you can't see it because the camera's on but now it's like half the audience and i wrap

it up because i'm already at over an hour and i go i go what the fuck is going on and they go ah the midnight speaker was going on in the other room and no one ever told me to be done before midnight because i would have wrapped it up at like 1145 right so they could go see the midnight speaker which is a great speaker usually at these conventions my i guess what I would love to do one more thing in this business and I would I would love to do world

convention for N.A. I would love to do the world you know, be on the show there because they've used comics. And do they frame it as a something? I mean, I get it's not a meeting it's a convention and so do they frame it on the schedule. It's like it's a comedy show.

It's not a meeting. No, no. The comedy show at conventions. Like I did one in Palm Springs. it's the second biggest convention there's like 5,000 people there they weren't all at the show but at that convention it's a big Palm Springs it's funny I so I was hired to do you know you have the comedy show so you know I have a midnight dance or dancing a comedy show so I get this LA comic to open for me he's got he's in a program a little less time

to me and he brings his girlfriend and we walk in the day through where the pool areas everybody's hanging out and it looked like we were walking through a prison yard. I mean the fucking gang tattoos

the Nazi tattoo you know I mean these are all people trying to get clean and it kind of freaked him out he goes I don't think this is right I'm not going to He left and went back to L.A. And I did the show. I mean, I was headlining anyhow.

I just brought him so we could play golf up in Palm Springs. It was one of the best shows, I mean, the best fucking audience. You know, I did a fundraiser in Boca a couple months ago for that fellowship. And there was someone in a kid in the audience. He must have been 16. You know, what are you addicted to TikTok? Right. but uh well they're they're they're addicted oh yeah i mean they're like the weed the nicotine

the like the gaming all that shit it's real oh my seven turtle is on that fucking phone all all night yeah we got so what do you think like you okay so like real talk you're 38 years sober when you were coming in you know when you were first getting sober i mean it's what i don't even know 1980 is it like 80 right 1990 would be 90 yeah like 86 87 so it's 19 so it's 1980s and so like you're watching newcomers come in I was a newcomer no I know into meetings now I mean like the landscape even for me I'm 13 right so no one's shooting dope any like there's no heroin left on the street really it's not a it's all fentanyl or this xylazine well you know here's you know I just I even talked about people are just dying I even talked about this today

when I was sharing I go I used to go into meetings young people I mean packed in Jersey, you know, young girls, young guys, me then. I go, I go, this is, you know, it was great. It was like a great Monday night meeting. And I look for, you know, we'd go out to the diner. I go, now I go to the fucking meetings. It's all old and gray. And now I'm thinking, well, I'm old. You know, so I just, you know what I mean? I'm sure there's, I think there were more young people coming in back in when I was around in now and they're doing it different ways now I mean like look and this is another line that I kind of go like I was rehab for four and a half months sober living for another four months therapy all the things but the thing that's got me still here

today is is the fellowship and yeah and me showing up there like all that other shit kind of goes away and I think people nowadays there's there's other methods that work quite frankly I mean like there's and then there's the harm reduction and then you know what like harm reduction you know it's like all right you're not gonna you're not medication assisted treatment right like you're a heroin addict you go on a medication like Suboxone and at least you're not shoving a needle in your arm you know six times a day what is that the more the the block it's like you know Suboxone it's a block or the Naltrexone it ble you know prevents you from getting high I you know that that was around Cambridge when I was doing Coke my father

knew a doctor in new york and he had me come in and they gave me something that blocked that that's what it was but this was it must have been just coming out right and i just kept doing it trying to do more to break through it to break through it and then you just stop doing it you know uh that's to me i think it's ridiculous like my wife was she reads up and watches documentaries and all this says people are going to the doctor going to these places and taking mushrooms to get off of drugs i don't know anything about that i'm old school but that she says that works for some people that some kind of mushroom therapy yeah so i mean there's people going that there's people going all yeah all kinds of going out into the desert with a shaman

and doing the ayahuasca and having a spiritual experience and coming out of that and their anxiety the depression all that stuff's cured. I get it. If it works for you, like more power to you for me, I'm going to go do that and I'm just going to want more. Me too. I'm going to try to bang some broad in the desert. I never had desert pussy. It's probably dry. Nobody wants dry desert pussy. What's wrong with me? Yeah, I don't know. It's what works. and I like I don't understand now like if I was I would die because the shit they put into drugs like I don't like people what do they talk about in meetings or they were addicted to it's some kind of a antidepressant antidepressant what what's a pill that people get real addicted to

like the Xanax or the Llanapin or I mean there's well U-Train, there's all different kinds of medication. I was prescribed Kalanapin for my anxiety. Never have I taken, it's always a half if I do do it, you know, less than a half. I mean, I melt it down and shoot it. That's not a nice, obviously, yeah. No, I don't know, some drug that I hear him talk about in a meeting. Like, I don't even know these ones.

Molly, what the fuck is Molly? Yeah, it's a club drug. It is? Yeah, so we had quail-loose. Ecstasy. It's, you know, it's all the same. Oh, yeah. That's the, uh, the pink cocaine thing, you know, like pink cocaine is out there now and there's not even cocaine in it. It's, it's, it's amphetamines and opioids and benzate. It's all mixed up into this, you know. People, like, people just die. Like, but like, not that it matters to me or like, but fentanyl, which are cutting drugs with, right? Fetano, that's why people are dying. Is that, you would just think in Columbia, whatever, they would go, no, send it pure. Why would they want to put that in there and try to kill people? I mean, how much money could they, I don't know.

I don't know anything about that now. Thank goodness, I don't. Wouldn't that scare away drug users not to do it, you would think? I don't know what kind of drug addict you were, but if I'm getting really high off. with something and I don't realize that I'm on the brink of a fatal overdose, I'm probably going to keep doing that. I don't think it's one, you know, it's not necessarily one and done on the first one. I mean, the people that get addicted to fentanyl, they build up a tolerance to it. Wait, you can just do fentanyl by itself? Yeah, I mean, like, that's, so fentanyl is

what the fuck is it? What is it? Like, it's an opium, it's a synthetic opioid that's basically 50 times stronger than, yeah. Really? Yeah. You got to guess what the times here, Rich. No, no, I mean, what? I'm not doing a lecture on fentanyl, but I mean, maybe I should, after my show, throw a little of that in with my shirts. If you buy a shirt, you get a match head of fentanyl. That might be a good. I know I know it kills, and I know they cut drugs with it,

but I'm not doing research on drugs now. I'm breaking your stuff. No, I know. I should get, I'm not hip to a lot of the new language either. My wife or daughter will talk. I go, what does that mean? and they just laughed at me, but that's okay. Right.

I'm okay. You know, I still say psyched. Do you remember when you, like, did your manager, like, did they tell you, hey, Rich, you got to get social media? Like, you got to do this thing and were you like. Well, I have a guy do my social. Once in a while I post shit. I have a guy do it.

But I don't, I don't, oh, I'm going to go on TikTok. I'm 67. Maybe my grandkids will go, I look at grandpa. You know, I mean, they're too young now. They're only two and one. But, you know, Instagram, you know, on Facebook, my wife goes, why are you on Facebook still? I guess I see people I grew up with. She goes, you don't go on Instagram.

I go, well, I don't know anybody. They're all entertainers, not people that I went to school with. Right, that you know. Or that I know, you know, there was a guy on Facebook he posted. And years ago in comedy, when I first got clean, I was dating. girl she was fucking super hot she lived up in a mansion she had a built in a pool

a pool table every I like I hit the fucking lotto with this one she was and prom queen head shear leader I mean the best looking girl I've ever at the time out of her fucking mind out of her mind

right you know at the time she had her problems and I had like maybe half a year clean or a year clean when I met her but that first sober love oh she was fucking beautiful I couldn't believe I'm going what did she you know I had long curly hair fucked up that'll keep you sober fucked up teeth and I mean anyhow so we're at a show or whatever in this comic try to pick her like this comic goes hey I'm into antiques did it uh give me you know number well you know I have an antique store anyhow he got got her her home number because we didn't have cell phones then and he called her and tried to hit on her and he's such a

scumbagg you know throughout the comedy community for you know a thief a hack and i saw him on facebook write something about and i almost wrote to him then i would go this guy which i he would think that he was living in my head for 38 years if i would have wrote something you know like your scumbag what are you doing it which because i haven't been thinking about him but when I saw his face, I remembered what he did. So that's a little bit, like, isn't that kind of sobriety gives us that? Clarity, the clarity to not say shit. People don't know what to do when you say nothing.

Yeah. And they want the response, especially from a guy like you, they want you, they, I'm going to get this comic really pissed off and, you know. I block them. Most of the time, I'll just say your mom's box or I'll block them. But, you know, uh, you know, uh, you know, uh, Yeah, it teaches you to think before you fucking react, you know. And there's times I fucking, I'm fighting.

There's times I was fighting with people I wouldn't even talk to in real life on the internet, on, you know, social media. Yeah. Social media. Look, I believe in the freedom of speech, obviously, the First Amendment on a comic, but the fucking internet gives people a platform that shouldn't have a fucking platform, you know. You should have to pass some psychological tests or something. They'd be able to get the password to be to be on there. Yeah. They do.

And they, it's a perfect storm because it actually gives them a little bit of power. And they can just hammer away all day and they want, they want that one response. I mean, these people out there, they want that one. They want to know that they got rich. And they have. I can show you on my phone. I have it somewhere. I've blocked probably 35.

hundred people. It shows how many you've blocked at least 3,500 throughout my internet career. Just boom. Block by. You're done. I'm like Caesar. Be gone. I kill him. Done. That's a power. I'm a big muter. I'm a big muter because I don't even want to give people the, I don't know what it is. The satisfaction of unfollowing or blocking or like letting him know it all that like because like you just mute them and they just go. Yeah, but then they'll keep posting shit to you thinking you're getting it, right? I don't know. I don't see it. I don't know how it works.

I don't know. Internet. You know, look, and I post stuff, my whatever, club dates or this or that. I have, my wife muted me on Instagram because I was posting a lot of stuff on how I felt what was going on in the world, my opinion on things. And I believe that you, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem in some things. And to me, what was going on in this world, I think is not fair, especially to college students on college campuses. It's not fair at all because they're not dropping bombs anywhere. And I have to post about it.

I have to post, you know, whatever. You know what I mean? No, I mean, that's something that I'm taking away from this conversation right now is that to be a comedian, to be someone, like, you got to have some balls. Like, you got to be able to take some, have an opinion. So for me, you know, the way that I've always presented myself publicly, and this is just the way it's going to be because I don't care to get into some of the other shit. But like it's it's about recovery.

It's about inspiration. it's about hope like if I can do something a little funny or have someone like you on here that's going to loosen it up a little bit that's that's that's what it is for me and trying to just you know be an example to people that are that are that are struggling and so that's what I'm passionate about and that's where I take my opinions and you know there's people I see out there that I don't agree with their opinions and maybe I can do a better job of of you know using that to you know really take a take a stance on some of this shit you know Yeah, it's, yeah, I got, I have a platform.

People go, uh, be funny. I'm not your dancing clown. Come to my show, you want to see funny, I'll be funny. Well, that's the other question I have for comedians. Like, when do you, I mean, I walked in this room today. I sat down with you. We started talking, like, at what point, even when the camera started rolling today? Like, you're just, you're yourself.

I mean, maybe you're just naturally funny. But as a comedian in the world, like, you walk out. and you're, like, looking around to try and make something fun. Like, when does the switch go off, or does it always... I'm just me. I could... I work in a moment. If I walk out and look at the room and, you know, I'll talk about whatever.

How, you know, I was in a small room at this club over the weekend. It was great, but I used to do the big room there. But now it's all, you know, I'm older. Some of my fan base dropped off in that area because it's not a big area market. And, of course, I had to talk about the fact that I'm in this room and my friends are doing arenas. But I'm going to make whatever I do funny. You know, that's my, you know, it's my job. And not only my job.

I love being on stage. I love doing what I do. You know, so I'm going to do it to the best of my ability when I'm, you know, when I'm, you know, when I'm up there. And I work in the moment. There's nothing in this business that I probably haven't fucking done. Right.

You know, from a bar mitzvah to a knife fight. You know what I'm saying? It's just so many years and, you know, so much different shit, you know, big. I hosted Woodstock 99. I read that. One of the stages. One of the stages, you know.

And we were looking at, they were trashed me on radio, the shit I was saying. I go, it was 25 fucking years ago, you know, and we're on radio, and they're smashing me and whatever. But, you know, from urban shows, Devcham, Apollo, to did Rosie, The View, all that stuff, you know. I just like doing what I do. so and the only regret I really have not only but and at the moment and this was like 25 years ago when I did

Deaf Comedy Jam I was the first white comic on Deaf Comedy Jam the show ran for five years it was the biggest show on HBO and they finally you know it was all urban comics yeah and I knew if they were going to use a white guy was me

because I was doing urban rooms besides and if I had it all over to do now I wouldn't have been as pandering to the audience as I was back then I had to wear the clothing they told me to wear Russell Simmons Fat Farm they go Russell wants you to wear this it was his show I know well I guess I'm wearing fat form right but I was you know

this and that on stage I mean I grew up in that environment but I would have been less pandering if I was doing it now I would just walk out sat down and looked people and people you know what I mean yeah so that's not a regret it's just from growing into business but I look back on it I go oh yeah it's experience yeah you know it went well did you walk off oh they go well yeah yeah I mean it was very fucking nerve wracking believe me yeah I've done some nerve wracking things in my career that was first biggest and the second biggest was we roasted I roasted Trump on a

Friars roast at the Hilton Recently? No, this was 20 years ago because I wasn't married It was packed It was at the Comedy Central and the Friars used to do the roast together Then they broke apart

So this was still the friars The Holiday Inn I think or the Sheraton whenever On 6th Avenue 2,000 people in the audience My wife Who was my girlfriend at the time we're up in the audience.

Opie and Anthony when I was on their show were there. Anybody in New York, that meant anything in show business was there. To the club owners, agents, every fucking person. Regis Filman was the host, and Trump was being roasted. So I'm up there. I'm already fucking nervous. I mean, this is, well, the first act goes on. he kills

like no one I've ever seen Kill at a Rose Who was it? This old guy Stewie Stone He was a Catskill Common

No shit But he was Fuck you Trump Fuck this I mean Just Murder People dying

I mean murdered I'm going I'm done I'm gonna end my career I Then I was walking In their back Having cigarettes

You know What do you smoke Huh Were you smoking reds Marbles Yeah Marble Reds Yeah

And I like New Ports No Oh, you're not a black female. You smoke newborns? I'm a crackhead, brother. So, and then I'm going, oh, I'm done.

I'm sitting right next to Isaac Hayes. He was, he'll be fine. Then Susie Esmond goes up. She was on curb, you know who she is? Yeah, vaguely. Slaughtered. Slaughter, I go, this is the end of my career. You're in a three-hole?

I'm in the fourth. Okay. I'm ready. I'm telling me, I'm not, I'm ready to sneak off and just leave and not do it that's how fucking scared and nervous i was and then another comic goes on had a tough time okay so i go on strikes out you're you're up with a man on second and third yeah regis filmin's the host this is maybe four weeks after rodney dangerfield died oh four weeks so i walk out a big hand for regis

I go, originally they asked Rodney, but he said he'd rather be dead. That was my first joke. Kind of silent, right? And then I trash Al Sharpton. He wasn't speaking, but he was on the dais. I did a very racial joke against him. And then I go, look, you people, don't fuck with me. I'll bring the last guy back, the one before me who bombed.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I go, fuck with me, I'll bring him back. And then I finally got them. I mean, I got them. And through all the newspapers in New York, two or three of my jokes were the ones that were printed in all these papers. Unbelievable. I did. This is 20 years ago.

I go, the reason Trump puts his names on his buildings so the banks know which ones to take back, that was 20 years ago. And Michael Cohen, the lawyer that wrote a book on him, put my joke in it with my name. you know he quoted it but that was 20 years ago you know uh and it was the scariest second scariest next to dev sham you know and a lot of stuff in comedy you're you're fucking you're like walking out going oh this is where i fall apart or this is you know this is it you know what i melt down until you get out there 30 seconds you know when i did years ago i did the keenan show keenan ivy way and say yeah yeah the show was taping at like seven o'clock they had me they at two o'clock in the afternoon and that's when my anxiety was really

five hours to think about yourself i'm sitting in a fucking then they're ready to bring me out on stage and there's technical difficulties so i'm backstage for 45 minutes behind a curtain having a fucking anxiety attack now this is an urban audience who was keen in and the intro was our comic tonight was the first white comic on dev jam well his intro was and now our comic from death jam so they think fucking you know shucky duckie is walking out or some guy earthquake and it's some white guy well now i'm on live tv or not live tape yeah tape yeah and i'm fucking it's not going well and i just went i go fuck this plan b and i go to the audience i go look folks all right you and i said this to him on t i go you want to see martin lawrence spend a hundred dollars for free you get me all right and then i just started

doing whatever I wanted, and it kind of worked out. But nervous moments in this, you know, and everything you do like that, you know, a big roast. And that just comes to you. I mean, that's just, that's, I go plan survival. If I said roast me now, do you have that? Do you have that? Do you do that?

No, why would I go after your tight pants where I could see your nuts and a nickel? Okay. You're going to, I'm not going to go after somebody who's going to get a yeast infection during this fucking podcast. I love it. I need it. Bring it on. No, I'm not going to...

No, you do nothing. Anyhow, not in a bad way. You're good at doing nothing. Oh, wow, look, let me pretend I earn my keep. Roche, that's you need to get roast. But all the rewards in this, in my business, you get so fucking nervous, and this is a reward. Like, my wife can do TV.

She's done Fallon. She did back in the day, three lettermen. She never gets nervous doing TV. She gets more nervous in a club, and I, they're not you know i don't get nervous in clubs unless you put somebody in the back that can help me you know what i mean yeah yeah uh but it's crazy i've been doing this for so long so many things and all of a sudden you go oh god why am i getting anxiety then you walk boom 20 seconds and you're it's easy you know or whatever yeah you lose that stuff so and but it all like i mean just to

i mean like you it all goes back to i mean 38 years ago you made the biggest decision in your life right I mean, that's it. Did you have regrets after doing reality TV? May? Yeah, I mean, do I have regret? I mean, there's always shit that like is, you know, I mean, that's probably a whole other episode where you ask me questions. But I, uh, you know, do I have regrets?

No. I mean, look, man, at the, at the end of the day, I was, I was, I'm 40 now, I was 36 when I went on. It was the middle of fucking COVID. Yeah. There was nothing going on. So I get this phone call and I wanted to tell a lady to screw off, like, because my mom and sister kind of did the whole application.

Yeah. And then I, I did this. you know they were doing it no no no i mean i watched a show like once 10 years ago right i mean i didn't really know i mean i knew there were roses i knew like whatever the bachelorette i knew what it was um but i did the sober thing like i hung up the phone and i said all right like let's just do the next thing they asked me to do which is like get on with another producer and then like you know the next thing was like you know you got to get a psychological test and get fingerprinted and and i just kept doing it and i warmed up to the idea that nothing was really good

going on and maybe maybe I meet someone to fall in love maybe this gives me a platform to really help some people but there's been some annoying shit like I mean in some ways you give up your privacy right you give up your I mean like I remember being meetings right after the show and people were talk about anonymity being black

I mean like I had no anonymity you know people well I you know it's just I get when I did I did a reality show what show was that I did last comic standing oh yeah the first season and you know because you never know they could cut one thing that you say then put it in with another sentence

you know you could say I hate hot dogs and then go Asian people do this and they can go they could cut it I hate Asian people you know whatever way they wanted back then because you had no control of what the producers were the storyline they were trying to get

from my show now I for example and I glad I did it bought me a house and it brought me to another level back then reality all you have was MTV whatever and I was going oh they're going to make me look like this whoever my daughter said some guy on MTV I don't even know but like there was what you know I ironed my clothes one day I ironed they said keep ironing you know so I ironed you know like for 45 minutes or whatever well for four episodes they always cut to me ironing and they go oh that's the guy that always irons you know and it was clever what they did you know they go oh they're that's the they'll know me that's the guy that irons and they come but the people are so dumb watching they

didn't realize i was still wearing the same clothes every day i'm ironing you know what i mean even though they thought it was a different day you know so they edited it i mean there were cameras in the house where i was staying up in uh beverly wherever it was and L.A. big fucking mansion You know cameras outside record you know so yeah you're on all the time all the time and it was kind of

scary you know because so I said to myself when I went in there I go look you know it's comedy you go I go fuck comedy I'm going to show myself different sides because back then that's when they were throwing sitcoms around

what's your kid so I would just look at it like it's it's unscripted sitcom and do stuff that I know. Like there was one time we all went on a scavenger hunt on Hollywood Boulevard. Get this, get this, get this, get this, right? And they gave us our slips. I took my slip and my camera crew

and I threw my slip in the garbage and I just walked down interviewing people about I just did what I wanted and that made it in. So it was, I guess, a lot freer than when you did it. Well, here's a deal. And this might be an unpopular, you know, know, take from other people that have been on the show I was on.

But the thing I always say is that, and maybe this was my sobriety or maybe I thought about this ahead of time is they can tell you to do whatever they want to tell you to do. You don't got to do it. No. You don't have to do it. And so if the words come out of my mouth, then they can do with that however they want. But if I don't say it, they don't have shit. And so like when I hear people say, I got a bad edit, has there been people that have gotten

bad at it I'm sure have they made people look unsavory of course but that means they were kind for the most part like my lived experience and that's what we like rely on in sobriety like my lived experience of going on the show was like I was just who I am and I saw myself on TV and I was like that's me and that was it because I didn't try to play up for the thing yeah I didn't I try to be me and funny you know right and you know, fucking whatever. Yeah. Because ours was the first season, too.

So, look, I am so glad I did it because I wasn't going to do it. You were sober then, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. And they let me, I celebrated one of my years when I was in the house and they let me go to a meeting. Nice. Which. Yeah, they let me do some of that stuff.

Not a lot, but they let me do some of it. I just, I only got to go to one, I think. Yeah. And I almost said no to it. And then the host at the time. gig or no oh it was good money it was NBC oh nice yeah it was good money and we don't get paid to do you know

and then we went on tour you know I mean selling out but I wasn't going to do it and the host called me who was hosting it at the time goes are you out of your fucking mind you're going to pay you know we talk because I knew him you know go do it do the fucking show

you know I still have one more audition in Vegas you know because we had to understand him and he goes if you don't have a complete abomination in Vegas, most likely you're going to go to the next level. He didn't say I was. He said, me. You know, and it was funny because I remember in Vegas, you know, everybody had to do five minutes or whatever, and they pick you, and you're in the house. But they know, it's casted. It's basically casted. And I knew Phyllis Diller was one of the judges at the time. So I wore a suit. I don't wear suits. And I wore a suit in Vegas.

and she goes, you're the only one that respected Vegas here, you know, after she was going over my set. She goes, you show a lot of respect for this showroom. I go, oh, you know, I just would imagine everybody would wear a suit. Somebody, you know. Ah, yeah, you fucking stuck it to them. It's, you know, but look, everything you got, I got, this whole thing is from not picking up a drug or a drink.

Yeah. It all goes away. Yeah. I have three daughters and three grandkids. I'm the reason, part of the reason, there's six people on this planet. If I never got clean, I would have never got married to my first or second wife, and those kids wouldn't be here because it's just how life works. Right.

You get married, you have kids, you get divorced, you remarried, have another kid. And the only reason I got married to all these, because I just, do not pick up a drug or drink you know yeah that's why i mean that's why we have these conversations you know we just chatted for whatever an hour in 10 minutes hour and 15 minutes and we talked about a lot of funny shit a lot of life experience some cool stuff that we've been able to do but at the core at the root of all these conversations is is recovery and that's why i talk about it so much because people don't see they they miss that part that you actually you're going to live a life that you never thought was actually possible you just got to take this moment this is the

worst moment in your life and realize that it can actually be the best thing that ever happened to you and you would think it after talking that long i only got hard twice yeah you would think yeah you're right people people i guess you just got to give it give yourself a chance in life you don't have to live the way you're living yep you don't have to live your post for 38 and it said something along those lines you can be right in this post too You can be writing this same thing if you just give it a shot. Did I say, yeah, really? Yeah, I mean, I was stalking you a little bit.

I have a ghost writer. No, that one, I write all my stuff. That's hilarious. Well, Rich, I, dude, I hope we do some more stuff together, make some impact, fundraiser, whatever it is. But most importantly, man, like, I just appreciate you paving the way. 38 years, no joke. Day at a time.

Thank you. I don't know. Thank you. Thank you for having me. go to my special Rich Voss Anonymous. Rich Voss Anonymous on Amazon. Fuck, he's still on my job.

No, that's all right. Rich Voss Anonymous, Amazon special. You got to see this. They get TV, they get cameras into an N.A. convention. I don't know who, the girl who's in recovery set that all up. I had nothing to do with it.

They came to me and said, do you want to do this? Of course. I've done conventions without being filmed. I mean, shows and the best audience is an audience that appreciates what you're doing without being fucked up or drunk or high that just enjoy and you know stuff I could say that only they can relate to

not only but they you know what I mean there's material I could do in a convention that if I did in a club they go what the fuck is you talk about no idea you know I talked about the committees and whatever oh look who's working overtime uh well this has been a uh this is fun man i made a friend i'd go on for hours but i i'm i don't want to bring everybody down and no this is great this is great and we want to get you back to jerseys the other side of the river and uh you can fight some rush hour but appreciate you yeah amazon uh rich boss anonymous i stink no you don't stink man we're going to come out to your next show thanks for coming

wrong that's good