Laughing comes naturally to comedian

Originally published January 14, 2016

Grab a ride with Bill Brady, who drives for the Orland Township senior transportation services department, or just meet him, as I did, and you’re bound to come away laughing.

With a motto of “Live, Love and Laugh,” Brady, a professional comedian who for 33 years owned Bill Brady’s Comedy Capers in Senese’s Barrel of Laughs in Oak Lawn, starts his story by noting that he is No. 7 of 10 children, the “original” Brady Bunch.

With that many siblings, he had to be funny to get noticed or fed, he said, good preparation for how comics tend to look at everyday situations differently. Anything that happens in their life can become five to 25 minutes of comedy material.

Brady believes that “laughter is God’s hand on the shoulder of a troubled world,” he said. Due to marrying later in life than many, he had the chance to spend quality time with his parents and other older family members, who fed his comedic appetite. His parents were “great role models who were fun-loving people; they had to be with 10 children,” he said. “They had to have a sense of humor.”

His parents taught him to be family-oriented, and that tradition carries through for the current Brady Bunch. It isn’t unusual for them to turn any occasion — birthdays, holidays, weddings — into an opportunity for getting together and a big production.

He and his wife, Bette, met at his comedy show when he decided to pull her from the audience and give her a hard time. He isn’t the only one with talent in the family, though. His wife was a dancer; his son, Sean, graduated from Columbia College in Chicago and is a disc jockey; and his daughter, Megan, is a dance and journalism double major in Wisconsin.

Brady’s comedy reputation goes back almost four decades. During his years in Oak Lawn, he introduced the likes of Drew Carey, Arsenio Hall and Tom Dreesen, to name just a few. He touts Chicago — not only the downtown clubs, but this South Side gem — as the place where many comics got their start. In 2015, NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” finalist Mike Palascak credited his time at Barrel of Laughs as his first time on stage.

Brady is known as a “clean” comic, although “clean” does not mean prudish. He can easily entertain a crowd from ages 18 to 80. Some of the funnier moments in our interview derived from discussing topics such as his death-defying accident, making his funeral funny, and even his heart attack.

Brady uses a lot of impromptu audience participation stemming from these topics. His “audience” these days ranges from the Boy Scouts he mentors (beginning at 13) to the seniors he transports for the township — making him the “old guy” to the Boy Scouts but the “young pup” to the senior group.

“Stand-Up Comedy in Chicago,” a book Brady co-wrote with Vince Vieceli, details the history of comedy in Chicago from the 1970s through the 1990s and is available through Arcadia Publishing (www.arcadiapublishing.com). Photos in the book highlight the club, Brady and some of the talents who performed there.

Having joined the Orland Township senior transportation services team four years ago, Brady not only entertains but also acts as an advocate. Transportation personnel are sometimes the people to whom senior citizens open up, and in Brady’s case, humor helps to aid this process. The drivers may sense some changes in their clients and can intervene with appropriate actions by contacting necessary personnel.

Transportation is not his only township gig. Brady hosts Dancing with the Senior Stars, Senior American Idol and other speaking engagements. He still is performing at numerous venues, and you can check out where he’ll be entertaining next by visiting www.billbradycomedian.com.

Orland Township provides transportation for those 55 and over who live within the township boundaries. Rides are available to shopping and service venues and senior centers, plus to medical appointments outside the township.

Local rides are $4 per person/round trip. Medical transportation outside of the township is $8 per person/round trip. Call (708) 403-4222 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for information/reservations. For more information, visit www.orlandtownship.org.