Shayne Michael was born Shayne Michael Whitehead on May 5th 1971. His first performance as a stand-up comic was ay a high school talent assembly called the Senior Varieties. There were two assembles. One show the went excellent. During the second show, someone yelled out liar during the dating material. The Heckler was likely the other comic named Skip who also auditioned for a spot on the show. After graduation Shayne made his nightclub debut at Fun Seekers in Scottsdale. He meanwhile began attending ASU.
While attending ASU Shayne majored in Journalism and continued to both write and do comedy on the side. Towards his last year of college he joined with Louis Anthony Russo's star theater and continued training in stand-up and improv comedy. He would never be a particular favorite of Russo. But several tapes of those shows would find his way onto Shayne’s website. And much of what Russo taught, are the comedy principles, Shayne adheres to today. While still at college, Shayne joined the San Francisco Comedy Invasion staring Roger Heater Shayne began touring the state of Arizona, playing small towns like Douglas, Winslow, and Flag Staff.
Upon graduating from ASU in 1997 Shayne joined the Psychiatric Comedy Tour, replacing Keith Hertz and Mark Weitz. Later he would be joined by feature act Chris Hughes. As the tour continued throughout the North West United States, Shayne began to help book the tour, taking a place in both the entertainment end and the business end. When he realized the headliner's abusive attitude would never end, Shayne left the tour just before it began to play Missouri. From that point on, Heater was the only comic on the Psychiatric Comedy Tour's bill who would actually show up, as Shayne was not replaced and Heater would eventually move to Nevada with a bartender from a show in Wyoming, that he would later marry.
When Shayne returned, he was very much out of favor with the Star Theater, only booked once. Despite a good showing at his return show, he was never asked back again. Of course, this happened to almost every performer that started at the Star Theater who went onto their own things.
From that point on he focused on his website, Shayne-michael.com. This had always been a resource for comedians and comedy fans. As it became better, Shayne got tired of competing with Rob Twohy's similar site. The two sites, Shayne-Michael.COM and HeyLady.Com merged creating Laugh Support and an unprecedented open mic database for comics. Most comics were unimpressed and spent little time reading Laugh Support and the majority of their time whining that it was no longer free. This later lead to the very unpopular venue San Genarro, where comics whined we have to bring people but almost never said thanks for being paid.
San Genarro was the first to fail. Ultimately the site was doomed and forgotten as comics forgot HeyLady and flocked to cheap. free knock off sites. But then, after Joe Braza left the Comedy Squared team, Shayne realized the HeyLady.COM/ Shayne-Michael.COM partnership was doomed. After a year of Laugh Support for fans and two years of Laugh Support, there was no alternative but to divide the sites again. Shortly afterwards Ari David {whom Shayne use to run a show with at the Malibu in} turned him onto MySpace as a promotional tools. Shayne currently uses the blog feature to publish a daily humor column, thus returning to his roots as a comedy writer. There are also mirrors now at Blogger.COM and MSN Blogs.COM.
About that time Shayne really got into comedy. Unfortunately one bad real estate investment forced him to take an extended break. It wasn’t until two years later that Shayne could begin performing again with any consistency. Today Shayne still is a weekly performer at the Coffee Haven in Long Beach. Those shows are often posted on this site. He has written nearly one new humor column per day since November 2005. Those blogs, which began on MySpace, ironically began with an internet favorite, 50 Signs Your Contractor is A Moron. 1208 lists, columns and original jokes later, Shayne has barely let up for a single day, creating what is likely the largest collection of original humor on the Internet. This April he also created the audio blog Fridays at the Coffee Haven, which shares the best of local shows with a world wide internet audience, since these days gas costs more than the average person’s car.
To date Shayne has performed at the Improv, the Ice House, Second City, Zanies, Improv Olymic, the Chicago Comedy Festival, the LA Cabaret and other venues to numerous to count. In addition to being a comic, Shayne has worked as an educator, a custodian and a composer. Examples of his music can be found under the link called MIDI clips, though they have nothing to do with comedy. Shayne has also released two eBooks in PDF format. 101 Unpublished Lists Volume 1 & 2. Both books are available free to download to registered members or can be purchased via donation through paypal. Current projects in the work include the ongoing Podcast On Point For Love, a weekly comedy show on sex, love and relationships, produced for friend and fellow comic Rosee. Shayne is also working on an hour special and an comedy album to be released soon.
Testimonials
Who are you and how did you get on this stage? - Comedy Store Patron
Right, you're gonna be someone important in Hollywood, now bring me my meal. - McDonalds Patron
I know Jack Seinfeld. You sir are no Jack Seinfeld. - Some obnoxious guy who kept trying to sell me on a show about nothing.
You get what you pay for - Owner of the Loonie Bin Comedy Club
Let me know when you steal a better comic's identity - Jared from the Subway Commercials
Some Comedy Club Appearance
- Hollywood Improv
- The Irvine Improv
- The Ice House
- West Hollywood Comedy Store
- Tempe Improv
- Zanies Chicago
- The Chicago Comedy Festival
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Q: Do you really think you're funny.
A: No this site is really just here to piss off those who don't.
Q: Where are you performing next?
A: Nowhere. I never invite people to my shows.
Q: If you could die and come back as anything what would you come back as?
A: A really bad open mic comic.
Q: Are you attractive?
A: Yes but I have low self esteem so I'm just lying to myself.
Q: What's your day job.
A: Comedy, I just use the income it generates to renew my teaching certificate.
Q: How much money does this site generate.
A: Tons, I sleep on a mattress of fives and twenties every night.
Q: Can you recommend any up and coming comics?
A: Yes.
Q: Except yourself.
A: No.
Q: What do you look for in a girlfriend?
A: Someone who thinks I'm always right.
Q: Have you ever found one?
A: No.
Q: I like your comedy, but your songs suck.
A: Your wrong, my songs are marginally average and my comedy sucks.
Q: If I ran for president, would you vote for me?
A: No.
Q: Why do you include resources for comics?
A: Because there is nothing more professional and worthy than an open mic'r who was just passed up for an insignificant Comedy Store audition.
Q: Does it burn when you pee?
A: Occasionally, when I'm trying to put out a camp fire.
Q: Have you ever been arrested?
A: Yes, but only in Yellow Stone National Park.
Q: Do you have any recommendations for an up and coming comic.
A: Yes, bookers only hire assholes.
Q: What was your favorite movie of all time?
A: Terms of Endearment.
Q: Do you have a medical condition that explains your attitude?
A: Yes, but my health insurance takes care of it.
Q: What did you do with all the cash you made from the short lived heylady/ shayne-michael partnership?
A: I laundered the money and bought an island of the coast off the Caymans.
Q: Were you dropped on your head as a child?
A: No it happened when I was 32.
Q: Will you convert to my religion?
A: Only if you worship a false God like real estate appreciation.
Q: What site is better for comics heylady.com or shayne-michael.com?
A: Chucklemonkey.
Q: What do you think of sircomedy.com?
A: Who?
Q: I'm a business man thinking of starting a comedy club, what do you recommend?
A: A second opinion.
Q: Are you in love with anyone right now?
A: Yes, but she's trying to talk me out of it.
Q: I'm a webmaster. How can I get listed with Yahoo?
A: Buy 51% stock, attend a shareholders' meeting and pretend you have turrets.
Q: Can you think of anything else that would piss me off?
A: Yes, this site has outlasted every single site that has criticized it.
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The New Shayne-Michael.COMedy
