danny-gansA great comedic talent has passed away. Danny Gans died on Friday May 1, 2009.

I have talked about Danny Gans before, noting how he had tried the comedy club scene in the beginning of his entertainment career, only to take a different and more lucritive path with his comedy, singing and celebrity impression skills.

Daniel Davies Gans grew up in Torrance, Calif., met his wife in college in San Luis Obispo, and parlayed a comedy and impression routine he developed on bus rides as a minor league baseball player into a fledgling entertainment career.

Danny at that time was just known as a fun guy on the bus.

After Gans hurt his leg playing baseball, he made a first comedy club appearance on a dare. It worked, and he began honing his routine as a variety show performer in Palm Desert, Calif., before touring the country as a banquet performer for business groups.

In 1995, Gans began a one-man show, “Danny Gans on Broadway: The Man of Many Voices,” at the Neil Simon Theater in New York.

“A hardworking, eager-to-please entertainer who does rapid-fire imitations of show-biz personalities ranging from Tony Bennett to Al Pacino to Sarah Vaughan,” AP Drama Critic Michael Kuchwara said of Gans in a review.

I am certain Danny will be missed.

Who do you suspect will fill his shoes in Las Vegas? Those are some really big shoes to fill.

Cheers,
Steve Roye
The Professor of Funny for Money

For more information about Steve Roye, author of this blog and the Killer Stand-up Online Course, click here.


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