For any Opie and Anthony fans out there I met Jim Norton yesterday when he came into the restaurant I work at. The place was empty except for him and I suppose his manager. I recognized him right away and told him what a huge fan I am of his. I've never heard the radio show but his recent HBO special is pantheon good. I told him that but he was like, "No way." He's playing at the Improv in my city this weekend and I told him how I was thinking about getting tickets. At that point his manager just asked for my name and said he would leave tickets for me at the window. Pretty sweet. I was dying to ask him a bunch of questions but resisted and let him eat his lunch. I walked by many times hoping he would engage me in conversation but he and his manger seemed to be talking business.
His manager asked me if I listen to O&A but I told him I was a Stern disciple and that Stern was the only radio personality that I've ever listened to long term. I felt like telling him what a crumby job he is doing with a talent like Norton. Norton should be much bigger. He is physically funny too so it's not hard to imagine him doing films. Not starring but at least something.
Good story. Many will say
Norton makes the O&A Show (although it was gold before he became a regular and before they had a regular 3rd mic.) I enjoy him a lot and think he's a riot live. Also seems very down to earth and always makes time for the fans.
Norton is also faithfully loyal. He wasn't one of the comedians that did Stern's show during O&A's forced sabbatical (Patrice O'Neal, Colin Quinn - that's right. He was with O&A long before he started doing Stern's show). In addition, he's best friends (and former roommates) with Jim Florentine, a Stern regular and even then, he never bailed on his loyalty to the O&A Show.
Nice to hear you had a good experience and you didn't try to rile him up in some way.
Tell you the truth it probably isn't the best career move to not do Stern. If you become a regular it can be a real boon for you career.
Norton is a tremendous stand-up comedian while Artie is just average. Artie is doing shows in front of 2-3k while
Norton could not sell out the Improv I was at the other night. 300 people maybe which is a real shame. Becoming a regular on the Stern show would definetly help and whoever gets Artie's seat will probably take off too. Pretty sure it will be Fitzsimmons, he's terrific on the show.
While I agree that Stern used to have the bigger audience and that
Norton could have benefited from it, he's doing just fine while staying loyal to his buddies (unlike the guy that introduced him to O&A, Andrew Dice Clay, but that's another story...)
Norton is doing just fine w/o having done Stern. He may not have done a big gate at the Improv, but he does 4-8 shows every weekend across the world (including a sellout at the Borgata on New Year's Eve). He killed as the headliner of O&A's record-breaking "Traveling Virus Comedy Tour" last summer and will headline again. He had a starring role on HBO's Lucky Louie. He's working on his 2nd full-length HBO special. And most of all, staying loyal kept him as the official 3rd mic of two ultra-popular and successful radio shows (O&A on terrestrial and XM Satellite).
Now you compare Artie's crowds compared to
Norton's and you may have a point. But I'd argue that
Norton is a far more successful stand-up comedian than Jim Florentine, who isn't a member of the show but a Stern regular. You may overestimate what a Stern appearance can do for a career. You really think people are knocking down doors to get Rev. Bob Levy or Yucko the Clown?!?