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Cherry Bañez
Steve Harvey’s career has transcended
mere stand-up. He is one
of the “Kings of Comedy,” had a
hit television show and has appeared on
the big screen.
And now that he’s working on radio
with the top rated syndicated Steve
Harvey Morning Show,” which reaches
8 million people daily, the comedian is
flexing his funny muscle an even wider
audience. But the road to radio has not
been easy for Harvey, who has had to
endure whispers that his high-profile
career had taken a nosedive.
“I’m sure it’s been perceived me having
a radio career as a step down and
I’m perfectly comfortable with people
feeling that way about me,” said
Harvey. “But please understand, at no
point in my career have I ever been
happier with where I am. And I understand
people thinking it’s a step down,
but if they really understood the business
that I’m in, all of those people
would quietly be trying to seek a radio
career. I’ve heard people whisper
behind my back ‘His career done fell
off.’ But if you look at how I started out
and what I asked God to create for me
is to become one of the premier standups
in the country. I was not born to be
a TV star or an actor or a movie star.
The movies I’ve been in, I accepted
those roles, I never read for them. The
TV show I got, somebody picked me.”
Why radio?
The demands and expectations of a
successful, syndicated radio morning
show – waking up before dawn – can
be grueling. Plus, making time for
movie and TV role auditions or actually
filming movies or taping shows can
be almost impossible.
“I knew I had to reposition myself if
I wanted to keep my career alive.
Television is so political. I saw that
happening. African Americans and
Latinos and any other minorities are not
treated fairly on TV. There’s not fair
representation of us on TV today. So I
knew I had to start making some moves
and getting into a position to control my
life. And radio gave me the opportunity
to control my life. I could get into radio
and get as big as I work hard enough to
be and I can make a living to support
my lifestyle. And because of radio, I
look at my stand-up career, it is bigger
than it’s ever been because of radio, it’s
a lot healthier now.”
Harvey considers his radio show an
“unexpected gift” from God.
“I didn’t have one defining moment.
I just woke up one day, and said, ‘Hey,
man, I made a lot of stupid decisions
here. I’m not happy here, man. I’m
going to start talking to God to see what
He got in mind for me.’ In a couple of
years I’m going to be 50, I’m not going
to have it together. And at 50, hell isn’t
just an option anymore. So I said, ‘Hey,
man, I’m going to start checking myself
to get over to that gate!’”
It appears the internal make-over has
also made Harvey change with his hair.
He’s cut it all of.
Harvey said it’s not a sign of a middle-age
crisis. He said he cut his hair
because he is happy. He takes nothing
for granted.
During a recent comedy show,
Harvey got emotional. He said he could
not believe his tour, “Still Tripping,”
was selling out around the country.
“People take for granted too many
things now. They take for granted that
their careers are supposed to be booming
at age 51,” he said. “They take for
granted that people should come see
them. Well, I don’t see it that way. I get
emotional sometimes because I’m
grateful. I’m grateful to God that He
has allowed me to thrive this long. I’m
grateful to God that he has given me
fans like I have, fans who continue to
support me over the years. If it wasn’t
for these people supporting me, who am
I? My job doesn’t work real well if I’m
not famous, then I’m back in the pack
of comedians. But these people lift me
up, man, with e-mails, ticket sales and
that’s an amazing thing to me. I don’t
know of another Black guy who is 51
and selling these many tickets.”
Harvey attributes his newfound happiness
to his home life and his individ-
ual businesses taking off – his ringtones,
foundation, clothing line, radio
show and concert tours. More importantly,
he credits his current wife,
Marjorie, for her ability to “blend” his
and her children into one family. For
the first time, Harvey, Marjorie and
their seven kids, ages 25-10, are all living
together in Atlanta. Harvey and
business partner, Rushion McDonald,
have also relocated the Steve Harvey
Radio Network and home from
Hollywood to New York and now
Atlanta.
Apparently, through radio, Harvey
has found his purpose in life.
“I’m in the process of living out my
purpose. I used to wonder the same
thing too. Through talking to God on a
daily basis and starting to confer with
Him in all of my decisions. I’m going to
give you an unexpected gift, I’m going
to give you a radio show, but in this
radio show I want you to tell people
how you got it. That’s why every morning
I start of by saying, ‘Steve Harvey
got a radio show’ and then I tell them of
my personal experience to God as to
how I came to this point – 12 minute
inspiration in the morning – the gospel
song. No other secular show opens that
way, nobody closes that way, nobody
throws a gospel song in the middle of
the show. Right now, I’m doing my job,
I’m supposed to wake up and remind
8.5 million people first thing about
God. That’s 8.5 million people that may
not have had that opportunity before to
think about God.”
Harvey keeps it real when it comes to
his comedy. Some of his jokes can be
hurtful.
“God gave me a gift, my gift is comedy.
That’s what I do. Now, my jokes
can’t be happy Christian jokes, it ain’t
how I make my money.”
Harvey’s comedy tour, “Still
Tripping,” will come to Philadelphia
on April 19 at the Liacouras Center. He
T
will be joined by Mo’Nique.
Cherry Bañez is an entertainment writer
for the Tribune Magazine.
TRIBUNE MAGAZINE APRIL 2008
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