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'''''''''Bill Sohonage''''''''''' 1959-present,'' was a comedy writer and stand-up comedian who eventually became a beloved booking agent and legendary tour manager for many of his contemporaries. He eventually opened and managed several hotel based comedy clubs, which segue-wayed him into a hotel management career. [[(NWS)]]. |
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'''Quotes:''' |
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''"I'm not much of a drinker, uh, and I don't do drugs. Still, I wanna thank management for offering...!" |
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''"I don't have a girlfriend. But I do know one woman who is furious at me for saying that."'' |
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''"I wish I could play little league now. I'd be much better than before."'' |
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''"They say there is one in every crowd...now if that one would just identify themselves and politely leave...it will go a lot easier for all of us."'' |
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''"I'm gonna try to fix that last joke by taking out most of the words and adding funnier ones. "'''' -Bill Sohonage |
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'''Early Career;''' |
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Sohonage went to University of Missouri on a football scholarship, there he began writing comedy for others and doing stand-up at local clubs. After graduating with a degree in Journalism in 1981, he moved to Pittsburgh, PA and continued writing comedy for others and slowly worked his way onto the local comedy circuit working with with such notables as Dennis Miller, Emo Phillips, and Steven Wright and comedic magician Karnak. After losing in the third round of Star Search, he relocated briefly to Boston and became a regular at the famed "Ding Ho" Chinese Restaurant and Comedy Club in Cambridge Square. It was there that he began negotiating club contracts for some of his fellow comedians. - ''''' from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette-1990''''' |
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'''''"Bill wouldn't take any crap from club-owners, on the phone he had a way of strong-arming them but still getting the booking. You could never quite figure out if his tough-guy attitude was real, he would make you laugh but could also kinda scare you. He got a lot of comedians to work with each other to support each-other. In a business full of egocentric assholes and clowns he was a professional salesmen who always looked out for the other guy. He always made follow-up calls after booking dates with the club-owners and somehow forced them into calling other clubs and recommending his acts, saying "We hafta work the damned referrals!" He did this all for no-percentage, he was just always trying to help his friends. I think his business philosophy was spread good Karma but take no shit."''''' -''remembered '''Lenny Clark''' fellow "Ding-Ho" alumni and famed Boston based Stand-up.'' - '''''from the Boston Globe 2001''''' |
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In 1989 Sohonage suddenly stopped doing stand-up, at a point when many thought he was poised for mainstream success. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette he claimed;" I woke up one day and just wasn't funny anymore." |
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Sohonage was offered the opportunity to open a group of hotel based Comedy clubs in Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia. Though he believed the Hotel comedy clubs had reached their peak, his clubs were initially hugely successful, primarily because of the loyalty he had amongst his Comedic friends. The sales and marketing skills that he had honed as a booking agent, quickly rose him to corporate management and he eventually managed 14 Virginia based hotel properties. -''Richmond Virginia's "Style Weekly"'''''Bold text''' |
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Some of his properties were Holiday Inns, and he is noted for starting a hire the handicapped program which was eventually adopted by Holiday Inns worldwide. He helped to create a group tour market in Richmond Virginia and was instrumental in promoting the first Richmond Virginia Visitor's Bureau. He was twice recognized by the Governor of Virginia for his efforts to bring tourism to Richmond according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. |
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Sohonage is linked and quoted in other comedians Bio's but there are no linking article or a bio. He is cited in several comedic bio's as an influence. |
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