Clifton Freeman Cash (born 1980) is an American stand-up comedian who was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and now resides in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

His album ''Half Way There'', released on January 8, 2021, on Stand Up! Records, reached No. 1 on the iTunes comedy chart.

Personal life

Cash was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and raised in a conservative Southern Baptist home. He is the younger brother of novelist Wiley Cash. The two have often appeared on stage together. They also have a sister. He attended the

University of North Carolina at Asheville The University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC Asheville, UNCA, or simply Asheville) is a Public university, public Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts university in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. UNC Asheville ...

. He lives in

. He was divorced in 2017. He has made a goal of visiting and documenting all 61 U.S. national parks while on tour as a comic.

Career

Cash's first open mic was in 2011. Before becoming a full-time comedian, Cash worked in sales and real-estate investing for six years, then started a recycling company, Green Coast Recycling. Cash won a Pelican award from the North Carolina Coastal Federation in 2013 for organizing the environmental group Friends of the Lower Cape Fear. His comedy, inspired by

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...

, is often satiric and politically pointed, tackling topics such as

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

religious fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguis ...

, and the MeToo movement. It often reflects his progressive political outlook, contrasting it with his conservative upbringing and Southern cultural stereotypes. He often uses shows as fundraisers for environmental and other causes. Bill Poteat of the Gaston Gazette noted that Cash's skewering of southern conservatism can be sarcastic, "yet the humor is at its foundation gentle rather than confrontational". With two other Southern comics, Tom Simmons and Stewart Huff, Cash launched the Sick of Stupid Tour, which he described as "the unofficial rebuttal" to the more stereotypically Southern Blue Collar Comedy Tour and a different perspective on topics like

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Not ...

, religion and

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians. Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...

to shows like '' Duck Dynasty''. He has performed across the U.S. since 2016, including the Houston Whatever Fest, Cape Fear Comedy Festival, Norfolk Comedy Festival, Altercation Comedy Festival, San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival, and the

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

Treefort Music Fest. He won the Port City’s Top Comic contest in 2013, was a semifinalist and regional winner in

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

's Up Next competition, and a semifinalist on ''Standup NBC''. He appeared on two episodes of the Fox series ''Laughs'' in 2014.

Albums

''Half Way There'' was distilled from four hours of material recorded at Dead Crow Comedy Room in Wilmington in 2016. It begins with Cash in character as a stereotypical "redneck", satirizing conservative attitudes, before segueing into his own voice, which is more observational and left-leaning. Richard Lanoie of The Serious Comedy Site reviewed the album positively, writing "I enjoyed it a lot. I just wish there was more, lots more."

Discography

*Cliff Cash, ''Half Way There'' ( Stand Up! Records, 2021)

References

External links

Cliff Cash official websiteCliff Cash at Stand Up! Records website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cash, Cliff 1980 births American male comedians American stand-up comedians People from Wilmington, North Carolina People from Gastonia, North Carolina Living people 21st-century American comedians Stand Up! Records artists Comedians from North Carolina University of North Carolina at Asheville alumni