Brad Upton (comedian)
Brad Upton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brad Upton Richland, Washington, United States |
| Education | Spokane Community College University of Montana Eastern Washington University |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, track coach |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Brad Upton (born 1955/1956)[1] is an American stand-up comedian based in Seattle, Washington. He is known for his stand-up special produced by Dry Bar Comedy,[2][3] and for performing with other acts including singer Johnny Mathis and comedian Joan Rivers.[4][1] Upton has also performed at the Grand Ole Opry since 2019.[5]
Career
Comedy
In 1984, Upton performed for the first time at an open-mic at the Comedy Underground in Seattle.[6] After seeing his performance, comedy promoter Laura Crocker invited him to compete in the Seattle International Comedy Competition.[6] Although he did not win the competition, he quit working as a schoolteacher two years later to pursue comedy full time.[6]
Over the course of his career, Upton has performed over 6,000 shows worldwide.[6] He is a previous winner of the Las Vegas Comedy Festival.[7][1] He was an opening comedian for Johnny Mathis from 2008 until Mathis' retirement from touring in 2025.[7][8][9] He has also opened for the late comedian Joan Rivers.[10][11][12] Upton has been seen in concert with Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, and Pam Tillis.[5][10] Upton has also performed at the MGM in Macau, in Israel in 2014 as part of the Comedy for Koby Mandell Foundation benefit.[12][13]
In June 2018, a video clip of Upton's stand-up produced by Dry Bar Comedy was posted online. It became a viral video and reached 36 million views in ten days.[14] He made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2019.[5]
Upton performed on an episode of the CBS talk show The Talk, which aired on May 17, 2024.[15] He also performed at Caesar's Palace as part of the HBO Comedy Festival.[7][16]
Track & Field
From 1980 to 1986, Upton was a track coach for Pasco High School.[1]
Upton volunteered as an assistant track coach at the University of Washington from 1988 to 1994, and a full-time assistant coach from 1994 to 1997.[1]From 2007 to 2022, Upton was the hurdles coach for Shorecrest High School’s track and field team.[17] While coaching for the Washington Huskies, he placed athletes in the NCAA finals and US Olympic Trials.[18]
Personal life
Upton suffered a heart attack in 2022.[19] Upton is married to his wife Julie[1] with whom he has two children.[8] He currently lives in Lake Forest Park, Washington.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "No joke: Stand-up comic Brad Upton is one of area's finest hurdling coaches". The Seattle Times. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Stand-up star Brad Upton talks rise to fame ahead of Friday's McDonald Theatre set". KMTR. 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Senior comedian Brad Upton hits his big break, thanks to the internet". king5.com. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Union-Bulletin, the Walla Walla (2021-06-17). "Comedy headliner Brad Upton set for two performances in Walla Walla". Union-Bulletin. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ a b c Staff, TO Acorn (2024-02-22). "Comedian Brad Upton is ready to vent at March 1 Scherr show". Thousand Oaks Acorn -. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ a b c d "His First Time Onstage, This Comedian Killed It. Then He Nearly Died". KNKX Public Radio. 2018-05-12. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ a b c Maginnis-Honey, Amy (2017-01-27). "Brad Upton has found longevity in the comedy business". DailyRepublic.com. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ a b "Brad Upton will coach hurdlers at EWU and riff at Spokane Comedy Club". Spokesman.com. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Positive Living". Women's Lifestyle Magazine. March 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ a b "Brad Upton reflects on comedy career, looks forward to Empress gig". beniciaheraldonline.com. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Comedian Brad Upton". KATU. 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ a b "Stand-up comedy night live comes to Bainbridge". Bainbridge Island Review. 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Laughing matters". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Obiero, Gladys Mokeira (2024-07-23). "Meet the cast of Dry Bar comedy: Who is the funniest of them all? - Tuko.co.ke". www.tuko.co.ke. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (2024-04-25). "'The Talk' On CBS Launching First Ever Comedian Series; Standups To Perform Each Friday". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ Grable, Tim (2017-10-09). "Meet 3 of the Best Clean Comedians in the World". The Grable Group. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Comedian Brad Upton headlines benefit comedy show at Shorecrest Apr 9". shorelineareanews.com. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Daily, The (1996-03-29). "Olympic potential featured in opening meet". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ "Comedian Brad Upton has 'significant' heart attack despite normal cardiac stress test: What to know". Fox News. 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2025-06-06.