“I started out as a folk singer,” he said. “I wanted to be a handsome, romantic chick magnet, but it turns out I’m just funny. Life has a crooked path.”
Banks was playing at venues and restaurants where no one was paying attention. He began creating silly songs to sing about the audience that was less than enthralled. He said he did this for years for little money.
“I started writing things like ‘Your Forehead is on Fire,’ just to see if anyone looked up,” he recalled. “Eventually, my wife made it clear that the kids would like to eat.”
He revamped his act and auditioned with just his “funny stuff.” He ended up bumping the headliner. He went by his real name, Stuart Mitchell, but he began experimenting with different characters.
“There comes a point when you have to differentiate yourself,” he said. “I was doing characters to annoy the wife and kids. My wife said, ‘that’s funnier than what you do on stage.’”
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Banks went to a thrift store and began to look for the parts necessary for his character. He found a plaid polyester leisure suit and silly glasses. He employed a cheesy combover. He performed as the character and it killed. Heywood Banks was born.
Banks has appeared on A&E’s “Evening at the Improv,” MTV’s “1/2 Hour Comedy Hour,” CNN’s “Hollywood Minute,” “Caroline’s Comedy Hour,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “Showtime Comedy Club Network,” “Dr. Demento Show,” “12th Annual HBO Young Comedians Special with Paul Rodriguez,” and is a frequent guest on the national Bob and Tom radio show.
One of his most famous songs is used by banging forks on a toaster. It’s aptly named “Toast.” There is one song that Banks actually wrote on stage at Jokers Comedy Club that features a former prominent holy statue in Monroe that caught on fire in 2010. The song is called “Big Butter Jesus.”
“I went on stage and asked, ‘O God what the hell was that? It looks like it’s carved out of butter.’” he said. “I started singing the song. As a journalist (or a comedian), you have to have your antennae up. You need to see and hear what people are saying.”
Banks said he is working on a Halloween song he’s hoping to perform at Wiley’s and on the Bob and Tom Show. He has also recently finished his first-ever Christmas album, which features old and new songs and will be for sale at this weekend’s show.
Beyond singing and writing, Banks enjoys shopping for antiques and keeping things around the home in order.
“Yes, antiques. I have chickens and ducks. So basically, you acquire stuff in your 40s, and you become a maintenance worker in your 70s,” he said.
HOW TO GO
Who: Heywood Banks
Where: Wiley’s Comedy Club, 101 Pine St., Dayton
When: Oct. 14 and 15; 8 p.m. Friday; 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $25
Tickets or more info: Visit www.wileyscomedy.com
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