Sid Davis grew up in
a small Southwestern Ohio farming town. In his youth, he was
fascinated with old school television sit-coms like the Beverly Hillbillies
and Andy Griffth. He was also taken in by late night talk shows like
Carson and the early Letterman.
In 1974 Sid sat in the studio audience at taping of the Johnny Carson Tonight Show at NBC studios. He was enchanted with the electrical atmosphere in the crowd. He fantasized about someday entertaining and making people bring that much energy to a room.
Early in life, Sid showed
prowess in comic timing. Unfortunately the talent was displayed as a
disruption in a classroom. Modest trouble in school didn't deter Sid
from his other two passions; baseball and golf. His superb hand and eye
coordination made him a high average hitter and a top notch golfer. The first time
Sid
stepped on a golf course to play the game, he won second place in a junior tournament.
"I was able to observe certain activities and knew I could emulate them
successfully." Sid said in a recent interview. "I felt that
if I stayed with something with patience and purpose, I would excel. I
felt that way about
comedy; even in school."
Sid
squeaked through Ohio University's stringent admission requirements of a
transcript, a check and a pulse. He excelled in creative writing and
having fun.
Sid's first job as a small radio station copywriter/ad salesman frustrated
him. He left on a mutual compromise with the company. They said he was
fired....he said, "Okay."
He was free now to pursue the life
in entertainment he longed for.
However, when Sid informed his
young wife of his unemployment; she informed him of her pregnancy.
Providing for a family put Sid’s dream of performing comedy on the back
burner….for over 25 years.
During an insurance sales job that he despised and an airline career that he
loved, Sid moved his family to Charlotte, North Carolina. Sid
began
flexing his creative skills.
During his long breaks at the Charlotte airport, Sid wrote a
script for HBO's Project Greenlight. The humorous twisting tale
about an airline baggage handler who fights back when his identity is
stolen by imposing himself as a connected guy made it into the top 100
stories out of 10,000 submissions. Not bad for a first effort.
Sid later wrote the story in more detailed book form. The transcript circulated through the Charlotte Airport terminal and was enjoyed so much that investors came forward…resulting in the comedy novel; Space Available.
After joining Toastmasters and
quickly winning two North Carolina humorous speaking contests, Sid
joined the Charlotte comedy community. He worked his way into hosting
shows in the area while he honed his comic point of view.
Soon, several A-list comics took notice of Sid’s potential and he began
opening in A-rooms from coast to coast; sharing his hilarious take on
relatable life experiences. That resulted in headlining gigs and
corporate events. "I love doing it all to anyone with a sense of
humor." Sid professes. "It doesn't matter if the audience is wearing
suits or tie-dye t-shirts; if it's funny, they have fun.
As
award winning author Steven Kunes wrote in a review; “Mr. Davis has the
ability to transform everyday events into hilarious comic literature. He’s
the Mark Twain of our time.”