Stand-Up, Sketch Comedy, Impressions

Bob Nelson got his start prank-calling customers when he worked for a telephone book ad company—he was a paste-up artist in the quality control department. Occasionally there’d be contradicting information in customer’s yellow page ads, for example, an ad might say “open from 8 AM to 8 PM” in one place, and “open 24 hours” in another. So they’d have to call the customer to determine the correct hours of operation. Instead of letting the secretaries call, Bob would call as one of his characters.

One day, the secretaries had forgotten to dial the area code, so Bob called a local business on Long Island instead of a customer phone number. It turned out that the guy they called by accident happened to be opening a club on Long Island and invited Bob to come down for his open mike night the following Wednesday.

From his first packed out show (everyone from his three jobs came to see him), his career snowballed and he developed his characters and act after ideas from cartoons, old Red Skelton shows, Jerry Lewis movies and whatnot—very physical, very off the wall and very visual—different characters than other stand-up comedians.

From Bob's very first "stand-up" routine on June 14, 1977, he has performed at hundreds of comedy clubs, colleges, corporate events, casinos, theaters and charity fundraisers. He has performed in such well-known places as Radio City Music Hall, Las Vegas, The Ford Theater (for President Ronald Reagan), Carnegie Hall and on Broadway! His television credits range from "The Merv Griffin Show" to "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson"... where Mr. Carson remarked after Bob's first appearance, "You won't laugh any harder in five or six minutes, then you will at that guy... Bob Nelson!"

Bob has many other television credits, including an Emmy Award that he received for a children's show which aired in Philadelphia. Rodney Dangerfield jump started Bob's cable television career by putting him in two of his own HBO specials. "The Ninth Annual Young Comedians Special", where Bob presented his classic football piece and "It ain't Easy Bein' Me," where he introduced us to one of his most popular characters... Jiffy Jeff! Bob went on to do two more HBO specials, this time they would be solo performances, the half hour "One Night Stand" and then his innovative one hour special "Nelson Schmelson." Bob has even showed up on the silver screen in Ivan Reitman's "Kindergarten Cop" with Arnold Schwartzenagger, "This is My Life" the Nora Ephron film starring the lovable Julie Kavner, and we can't forget  Dennis Dugan's "Brain Donors" with the great John Turturro, the incredible Mel Smith.

Recently, Bob has performed and shared at "Come Thirsty" a series of church seminars by Max Lucado and Michael W Smith. He is also being seen regularly on "Banana's," which is a very popular family-friendly comedy show that currently airs throughout the U.S. and Canada. Bob has planted himself and his family in Branson, Missouri, where he has his own show at Justin Flom's Imaginary Theatre.

Enjoy the hysterical Bob Nelson one critic describes as…

"…neither anecdotal, satirist, joke teller or even truly slapstick. He is what I call a skitster. He creates his own characters and develops little routines for them. The kinds of routines that we all try to recreate at social gatherings. Skelton's Freddie the Freeloader or Gleason's Poor Soul.... Gleason is also a fine musical composer. Skelton, a fine painter. If Bob Nelson can sculpt, or cook, or crochet, superstardom is just around the corner."

--Don Usherson, Las Vegas Review

"I was always trying to make people laugh from as far back as I could remember, from when I was a little boy to this present day, as an established comedian. However, as I got older and went out on my own, I became cynical, manipulative, lustful and very disciplined in my comedy career. I became a master at protecting myself—standing right next to people and being miles away at the same time.

"Outwardly, I was doing very well: my career had taken off, I had a nice house, fancy cars, money and clothes, I was blessed with a perfect little boy and a beautiful wife. By the Grace of God, I married a Christian girl. However, my wife was not pleased with the progress of our relationship—on the outside I showered her with gifts and even told her I was born-again, but my heart remained distant, and she could see the rotten fruit in my life.

"As my wife tried to reach out to me, she made many concessions in her own life and noticeably began to lose her peace. I manipulatively confronted her on her lack of “joy in the Lord”—that was all she needed to hear. She refocused her life on Jesus and had her joy back. She no longer responded to my manipulations—I could not reach her. 

"I began to unravel. My career came to a stand still and nothing could satisfy my pains or desires. When my wife asked me to leave our home, I sensed a loss of power. I thought that if I could not control my wife, then I was not control of anything around me, including myself. I began to panic, was at my wits end, and finally asked the Lord to come into my life. The changes in my character have come slowly, yet surely. I now know that if I keep my eyes on the Son of God, my shadowy past will remain behind me.

"It has been a long road to get where God would have me. I had been traveling the wrong way on the road of life for over 30 years. I thank my gracious Lord, each and every day that my wife and son are right at my side making the journey with me.

"You won't laugh any harder in five or six minutes, then you will at that guy... Bob Nelson!"
- Johnny Carson

"It is amazing to watch an audience hanging on every word, totally entranced by a gliding performance... Bob Nelson is a world class performer."

- John Blenn, Good Times Magazine

"Truly a multimedia assault on the funnybone, Nelson not only relies on verbal comedy but visual as well. There's bright stuff here in a performance totally unfounded in reason but soaring on comic invention."

- Curt Davis, New York Post

"I am a fan of Bob Nelson's.  He's a funny, funny man and a Godly example of being salt and light in a world that so desperately needs a sense of humor."

- Michael W. Smith

"Praise God for His great grace!  As you well know, the concert was a colossal success and you had a great part to play, we want to thank you for that.  We loved your ministry and were truly blessed  by the annointing of God on your life.  You made the evening so enjoyable and I don't think Upper Room will ever be the same."

- Pastor Vincent, Upper Room Christian World Center

"Bob Nelson is the consummate professional and entertainer extraordinaire."

- Steve Howard, Vice President and Executive Producer, Guardian Studios

Venues

- Radio City Music Hall

- Las Vegas

- The Ford Theater (for President Ronald Reagan)

- Carnegie Hall

- On Broadway

- Come Thirsty with Max Lucado and Michael W.

  Smith

- Upper Room Christian World Center

- Austinville Church of God

Television

- The Merv Griffin Show

- Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

- Host of the Emmy Award-winning children’s show,

  Double Muppets, Hold the Onions (Philadelphia)

- Rodney Dangerfield’s HBO specials, The Ninth

  Annual Young Comedians Special and It ain't Easy

  Bein' Me

- HBO’s One Night Stand

- HBO’s Nelson Schmelson

- The Emmy Award-winning comedy show, Bananas

Films

- Kindergarten Cop

- This is My Life

- Brain Donors

Performer: Bob Nelson

Travels from: Branson, MO

Performance Fee: Call for quote

Travel Requirements: Airfare and Hotel for (1)