A recipient of life saving heart surgery, John Roy grew up an only child in Chicago's ethnically diverse Rogers Park neighborhood.
John's parents were an ex-Jesuit who worked for Chicago's urban Loyola University, and a psychotherapist, who infused a love of the arts and philosophy into the boy from an early age. He repaid their efforts by becoming a stand up comedian.
John began his career performing in independent rooms in Chicago. After honing his act in clubs around the Midwest, John competed and was crowned the first champion of CBS' Star Search, in 2003.
He has performed stand up on numerous television shows, including The Tonight Show, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Last Comic Standing, where he was a semi-finalist. He made his debut on Conan, in 2012. His web series, "Marc Maron in Space" with Marc Maron and James Adomian, premieres in 2013, produced by IFC. John's second album will be released on AST Records in 2013. He has appeared numerous times as a panelist on cable networks like VH-1, Fox News, and Fuel TV.
The FUNNY OVER EVERYTHING comedy showcase is a monthly series showcasing some of the best, most innovative up-and-coming stand-up comedians that the nation has to offer. Past performers include Moshe Kasher, Ron Funches, Hannibal Buress, Ian Karmel, Timmy Williams, Sean Jordan and Shane Torres.
The Pacific Northwest is becoming a comedy hot bed, and thanks to the Bridgetown Comedy Festival and the nurturing environment of the city, Portland is a scene on the verge. The goal of Funny Over Everything is to put together an entertaining show, but one with a curatorial eye towards the comedians involved. This isn’t an open-mic, and nobody is getting booked because they’re nice.