James P. Connolly is an American comedian and tv/radio host known for his frequent guest appearances on ''Larry Charles' Dangerous Word of Comedy'' on Netflix, ''America’s Got Talent'', and on several SiriusXM Comedy Channels. In 2002, Connolly was named Grand Comedy Champion on Next Big Star, a television talent show hosted by

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the American Bro ...

. He is one of the most played comedians on Sirius XM Comedy and a sought after host for Fortune 500 companies and global events.

Early life

James P. Connolly was born and raised in San Mateo,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He graduated from Aragon High School. He attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

on a Marine Corps ROTC Scholarship.

Military service

After college, Connolly was stationed at

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

, rising to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, and served in

Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

. There, his commanding officer, commissioned Connolly to write jokes for an officer's roast, which Connolly credits as the start of his comedy career.

Career

After a short stint as a karaoke DJ in San Diego, Connolly relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he began his comedy career at the World Famous Comedy Store in 1995 and worked as a Tour Guide at Universal Studios. Connolly began his career with a hipster onstage persona before losing the white jacket and the hipster style for a more contemporary look. Connolly has appeared on Comedy Central and HBO. He won Grand Comedy Champion on Ed McMahon's short-lived talent show and has made multiple trips overseas to entertain the troops. He is a go-to for Fortune 500 companies and travels the world for events and meetings. Connolly hosted VH1's "Movie Obsessions" and "Live From Here" on XM Radio for National Lampoon. In October 2013, he recorded the SiriusXM Blue Collar Radio Comedy Concert at SirusXM's

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

Studios.

Awards

Connolly was named Grand Comedy Champion on Next Big Star on TV Talent show hosted by Ed McMahon. He was awarded "Best of the Fest" at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival and four times in a row at the Burbank Comedy Festival. He was a finalist at the San Francisco International Comedy Competition (twice), Comedy Central National Stand Up Comedy Competition and the Boston Comedy Festival (twice).

Discography

* *

Television, film and radio

Television appearances

*Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy (2019) *America's Got Talent (2017) * Comics Unleashed (2015) *Bob & Tom TV Show WGN (2008) *An American Thanksgiving with Bryant Gumbel (2006) *Latino Laugh Festival: The Show – Si Tv (2004) *Movie Obsessions (2002) *Next Big Star, w/Host Ed McMahon (2001–2002) * Jerry Lewis Telethon (1997, 1998) *Comedy Central – "Make Me Laugh" (1997)

Film

*Holding Lucid (2014) *The Act (2004) *Boxing's Been Good to Me (2000)

Radio

SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...

Blue Collar Radio Comedy Concert *Audible A Journey from Combat to Comedy *Live From Here *The Dork Forest with Jackie Kashian *The Mother Funny Show by Kira Soltanovich * Bob and Tom Radio Show

References

External links

* *James P. Connoll
official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, James P. Harvard University alumni American male film actors American stand-up comedians American talk radio hosts 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Living people United States Marine Corps personnel of the Gulf War People from San Mateo, California Comedians from California 20th-century American comedians Year of birth missing (living people) America's Got Talent contestants