Mindy:
Greetings and welcome.

I am Mindy B of the What’s Funny Comedy Festival.
I have the pleasure and the honor to speak with the legacy of black comedy not only here in Chicago, but across the country.

The woman who most would say is responsible for the launch of many of our favorite black comedians that we see today.

She’s known as the mother, the nurturer of comedy, countless recognitions and features but today, this feature is very special because not only do we get to give her flowers due to the role in black comedy, but we have the honor to honor her for the very first what’s funny comedy festival by Real and Knowledge Beckham, the one and only Ms. Mary Lindsey.

How are you?

Mary Lindsey:
I’m good.
Thank you.

Mindy:
Well, I really thank you for taking the time, and just since I’m mentioning this festival, Mary, how does that feel?
Just the emotion behind Rell and Knowledge, a comedian that you helped to catapult in his field, bringing a festival here to Chicago, and honoring you in that process.
What is the emotion behind that?

Mary Lindsey:
Well, basically, people don’t think that I’m shy, but I am. And so, I do not really like interviews and stuff like that.
But because it is Rell and Knowledge and Rell is like a son.

He is, my son. And I love him and Knowledge.
I was like, okay.
I will do it.
So, at any rate, but typically, I just stay away from everything now. There’s been so many articles and these kind of interviews on me and I just, you know, approaching seventy, I just need to chill. You know?

Mindy:
I understand, I definitely understand.

But back to the beginning, if I may, you were in Corporate America, Mary.
That transition, and had you not made that decision to go into entrepreneurship, how did you use your corporate skills in pretty much male dominated industry, to go into entrepreneurship?
What was that like for you?

Mary Lindsey:
Well, it just sort of happened by accident, but, you know, being in Corporate, I was a vice president of the membership department, at the Chicago Board Options Exchange.
And, so I handled compliance and, you know, regulation and things of that nature.
And having that experience when I did decide to go on and open the club; that’s where the strong will and direction and came from with the comedians.
So that’s how I was able to teach them.
“No.
These are the things you need to do to be successful.
Be on time.
Dress for the job.
Have your material done and not skanky street stuff.”
“Have good material”, and that’s what I always loved about Rell.
He didn’t do the street stuff.
He always did something more, professional and, to the ear.
And I like that.

Mindy:

Absolutely, absolutely.
I love that too.
And how would you say you were able to utilize your circle of influence, Mary, to assist these comedians? You were in charge of, obviously, running the club, but also drawing in the traffic and bringing people out to see them.

Mary Lindsey: 

Well, what I would do is reach out to, people like Just for Laugh Festival and Agents, you know, and New York and LA, and, I, you know, cultivated relationships with them.
And so when they would be doing their festivals and things, they will be like, oh, we know who we could call! Who can you recommend for this or that?
And so, you know, I would ask them questions about the festival, so I would know how to select the talent to recommend to them.
And, and it just kind of escalated from there and went on, which was very good in my opinion because it gave, Chicago Comics a huge opportunity because there was no one here to do that. And me being the 1st Black woman to own a comedy club, not throw a show, but Own a comedy club, and direct it and work at it, it was, I think, you know, monumental to the neighborhood, especially in Bronzeville. I wanted it in a Black neighborhood.

Mindy: Absolutely, and what went into when you picked your location in the neighborhood? What went into where you decided you would open the club?

Mary Lindsey: I did not have any thoughts about it, but I knew it was right across the street from the Harold Washington Cultural Center. And I love that.
And, Dorothy Tillman was the Alderman.
And I noticed that she didn’t have anything like that in the neighborhood, and I thought the neighborhood could use that sort of opportunity to bring to the community
And show that Black people do care about Black people.
I didn’t want to go and open it in a White neighborhood ,and act like we don’t exist or have any, you know, places to, you know, make these things successful.
And so that’s what I did. That’s how I picked 47th and King Drive, and I like that.
I used to go to a restaurant on 47th and King Drive, on the corner,
And so that’s how I was, like, not uncomfortable with the neighborhood.

Mindy: Absolutely, That’s phenomenal, Mary.

Now you were able to form these amazing, impactful relationships with these comics, many that we see on TV and love today. What was your method of love, Mary?
A lot of people will say Mary did not play! (Laughing)
She was about business and you had to be about business too.
How would you describe your method of love that you gave?

Mary Lindsey Like a mama.
Like a mama telling them, look, if you don’t do this, if they showed up late, I was like, “you’re not going on the stage!”
Next time, you’ll be on time for your job. I instill the discipline in them to understand that this is a business for me. This is not me waiting for you.
This is not a 4 hour show, It’s a 2 hour show.
You get 10 minutes up there, do 9:59 and impress me.
And, if you want to make it to the festivals, so you get the recognition around the country from agents in New York and LA, you will appreciate my tough love.

Mindy:

Indeed!

Mary Lindsey
And that’s why they used to call me mama Mary.
Mindy:
Mama Mary! 

Mary Lindsey: You know it! You know it.

Mindy:
So, Mary, I can name so many comics, Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Sommore, Monique, Rell, of course, Cedric the Entertainer, and I would still leave people off the list!

Mary Lindsey
Steve Harvey?

Mindy:
Steve Harvey!
Like, how could how could you name everyone and so many comics that you’ve been able to touch their lives and help to catapult them!
I would love to have 1 or 2 stories that impacted you, that stuck out to you because you saw them at the very beginning way before we did.
Does anything any stories stand out to you?

Mary Lindsey
I thought that Rell’s story stuck out to me because he went on the stage and he wasn’t  doing the street, comedy. He was he was actually doing comedy that said something that influenced you but made you laugh at the same time.

Mindy: Yes!

Mary Lindsey:
You know, Steve Harvey would get up there, and he would act a fool, but that that was his thing. And I would be like, man, you know I love you, but you have to stay within in your time. You know?
And he would be looking at me like, “I came here to help you!” lol and I would be like, “no, consider me helping you.” You are going to get to some festivals and meet agents that you would not, especially with that attitude. And when I would say that to them, they would be like, okay. This chick does not play. We are not messing with her! And, LA, talent, you know, they were like, oh, no. We really like her because, I lived in LA for a brief period, and met comics and participated with shows. And then people start calling me asking me to recommend their lineup and would have to call the comics because they would not be able to get through to the comics.
But if the comics saw my name, they would pick up because they would know it is about business. It is an opportunity and pick up the phone.
And, that has how it kept escalating.
It went on and on with, a lot of, huge names.

Mindy: So, Mary, during your tenure of entrepreneurship at Jokes and Notes, were there other opportunities that you were able to embark on during that time?

Mary Lindsey:  Yes. My grandson used to, come to the club, you know, on week, during the day when I would be cleaning and working. And he would be running through the club, and he went up on the stage one time and pulled him up a chair and got the mic. And he was just talking nothing in the mic. And I thought that was funny in itself. And I was like, I should start a children’s show. You know, that would be fun. So, at one of my night shows, I got on the stage and mentioned it, because Rell’s son was on my stage as well.

Mindy: Wow!

Mary Lindsey: Yep. I called and I asked my daughter what she thought. She thought, well, it is a good idea. You know if that is what you want to do. I was just like; it just would be interesting. So, for a while, I did produce a children’s show, and, I mentioned it to my audience, and they all were so impressed with that and loved it. I used to do it once a month. I would have all the comics come to Jokes and Notes, and I would order pizzas and give them a free drink. And we talk about comedy issues and comedy things that they should focus on when they travel all over the world. I would tell them “You got to have a passport if you want to go to the Just the Laughs Festival.” “You can’t just take your license.”  “Because that’s not in this country.”

Mindy:
That is so powerful, Mary, because of all people, you being the owner, you know all the struggles.

Mary Lindsey
Exactly.

Mindy:

All the pain.

Mary Lindsey: I have seen it all. You know? And that was one of the reasons why I started it. I was like, the white clubs are not, I forgot to tell you this earlier, but the white clubs were not hiring the Black comedians. It was only laugh, factory and Zanies, and they were not hiring any black comics at all.

Mindy:
Wow.

Mary Lindsey: Yes. And I was like, do you know what? I am a show you all something. And then before I knew it, the owner of Laugh Factory and Zanies, not all the same at the same time, but they both showed up at Jokes and Notes to see what all the hype was about.

Mindy: Wow! Just Wow That just go that attributes to you even more and to your legacy because you were determined to help. It seems like the helping is at the core of your heart. 

Mary Lindsey
It is. It really is. That is a Virgo for you, though!

Mindy:
I love it! A comic that you provided pizza and a drink to, that you fed when they were just starting off! A lot of these comedians, they do not know where their next meal is even coming from, or their next paycheck is coming from and seeing them now? I cannot imagine. How does that feel? What does that warmth feel like?

Mary Lindsey: It well, that felt good to me because it gave us, an opportunity to bond. And they that that and when I say bond, bond in a good way, because that’s why I think I never had any altercations at Jokes and Notes outside or inside because we all bonded, and they all looked out for me in that club because they were like, she’s all we got. We got to protect this. And so, they did.
They really did, and it was nice. And I didn’t allow, you know, a bunch of comics to be standing outside when the shows were going on because I wanted it to look like a professional business.

Mindy:
Absolutely.

Mary Lindsey: Not, you know, a crap and a bunch of guys outside talking nonsense.
And the neighborhood loved that.
I went to a neighborhood town hall one time that, Dorothy Tillman invited me to.
And when I heard those people say that, that they were very skeptical about at first, the club opening, and then when they saw how well it was being ran and all the stories and the paper and material they were reading, they were impressed that there was a black woman from the West side of Chicago and their neighborhood trying to make things better for them.

Mindy:  And you know what? Your goals and the standards that you set, you proved everyone wrong. You set a whole new standard of class.

Mary Lindsey: Yep. You are right about that because they I think they had to see it to believe it. And when the Black comics start seeing all the White agents and stuff travel to Chicago to come to a show, I would invite them and say, “Come.” I want you to see my talent. That is how a lot of them also got opportunities as well.

Mindy: Absolutely!
So, Mary, over with over 30 years in this comedy game, when did you know or when did you feel it is just time to wrap it up?

Mary Lindsey:
When I was on 47th and King Drive, and I started noticing that other people were opening, what they were not opening at first. They were producing their own shows, and so it started to take away from my audience, and so as I saw my audience reduce, I was like, okay. I cannot keep doing this because all the money that I saved from working at the, I put into the club. It is not like the club made me the money. I gave the club my money.
And I was like, okay. I do not have any more, savings to put into this, venue. And, you know, when I, decided to close it, I explained that to Dorothy Tillman.
I was like, “You said the rent would not go up,” but it did.
And, you know, of which is normal. That is business. But the neighborhood itself wasn’t, flourishing to support my business, you know? And I built out that whole space, you know, from front to back. And, I was like, no. It is time for me to go since, people do not want to come here. And then when I announced that I will be closing, oh my gosh.
Everybody was like, “oh, no!” “You can’t close!”
And so, that’s why at the shows, a couple times I went on stage and said shared that with my audience that people were wondering why I was closing.
And I told them because a lot of my friends, kept me in business too because they came to the club and none of them even wanted to be on 47th and King Drive.
But they came anyway. And they knew that I would run a good business, and I did.
And I had a skilled staff, and there was no joking around. And I had, security, so there was no fights or anything at Jokes and Notes.
It was actually operated in a very professional, good way.

Mindy Remarkable!
And that kind of brings me to a bonus question that I’m thinking of.
When people talk about Chicago, its sometimes in a negative light, but it is also so much love in Chicago. You are one of the people who can this, but a lot of people say, well, there is just no love here in Chicago. They feel they must go elsewhere or to Hollywood and become successful. You have witnessed several comedians leave, right? Can us as Chicago, can we stand in our own way sometimes?

Or do you feel like no, Chicago is a supportive city?

Mary Lindsey: Yeah, Chicago is a supportive city, but I think the reason people start going other places is because it gave them more opportunity. They did not have the opportunity here and that was the reason that I, opened the club is because there were no Black owned clubs. It was last factory. And then little hole in the wall rooms. And I was like, well, they are not going to get nowhere with them doing that. So maybe I can make a difference in the community.

Mindy
I love that.

Mary Lindsey:
And, you know, me coming from, CBOE membership compliance, I was the first Black woman there in that position. And all those White, traders, I would hear them out there saying, “no. I don’t want to talk to nobody.” “I want to talk to Mary Lindsey.”
And then when they will walk through the door and see I was not White, I could see an eyebrow raising. It was funny. And once I said it to one of the potential traders.
He said, I’m just surprised because you didn’t sound like you” Wow.
On the phone, you know, it is interesting how, you know, we can be portrayed.
And so it was my goal to step outside of that and show them and demonstrate that a White man hired this Black woman to sit in here at this office, and I started as his assistant out there at the desk, and he promoted me to this position.
And, then when I would go down on the trading floor at the CBOE, they would all ring the bell a lot.
They would, the traders, would clap because I went out of my way to help them.
And, you know, they didn’t expect that.
You know so when Black people start saying, “what does she do”?
And I was like, “this is what I do” I take care of people.
I was the oldest child of 6.
And so I was strong enough to do it and, focused enough.
And that’s probably where the hardcore Mary came from because I was raising 5 other kids.

Mindy:
Well, we’re just going to leave that right there! That was a great response!
So in closing? How does that release feel? Do you feel at peace?
Are you happy?

Mary Lindsey:
Oh, I do. I do. I’m happier because people I run into people all the time at comedy shows and, you know, afterwards, you know how you when you’re outside socializing or after the show talking, they’re like, you seem so different.
I said, I know you’ve never seen this calm, laid back, you know, soft voice.
And, and many comics have told me, when they’ve seen me at shows, they’ve said that to me. You know?
They’re like, you seem really different and happy.
And I said, I am, and that’s why I don’t let, the new comics, it’s a lot of new comics coming up, and they got my name from somebody else or whatever, I told comics, if you give my number out to somebody, you’re going to hate me because I’m a blast you. lol
So you have my number because it was private.

Mindy: Yes, ma’am!

Mary Lindsey:

Don’t be passing my number out. But these, comics was like, oh, but, Mary, we need you. We do not have anybody out here doing what you used to do for comics.
I said, and I am not thirty-five either.

Mindy: Okay?! 

Mary Lindsey:
I need to do me at on my floor, as I always call it, my floor. Talking about ages.

Mindy:
And I can relate to that though because even, you know, listening and it’s like, wow, how these comics must have really felt having figure out “what are we going to do without her?”
But believe me, I understand that peace for you as well. You know? The health and the mental alone.

Mary, I really, really, really, truly want to thank you not only for your legacy and your tribute to comedy, but also here in Chicago.

Mindy:
I’m highly looking forward to meeting you myself and I can’t I cannot wait for your night to shine, AGAIN!

Mary Lindsey
Thank you so much. I am looking forward to it too, because I know it is going to be a lot of comics there.

Mindy
Like a reunion! Right?

Mary Lindsey:
And that is exactly how it feels.
Like, when I go to the shows at Riddles to see, Hot Sauce because he is like a son. Ever since he has known me, he calls me TT. He has never called me Mary or any of that.
He calls me TT. And so, he is so sweet.
And so I live in Berwyn, so I will drive out to Riddles because it is an easy, Harlem and left, and I am there. And I feel comfortable with that, but I’m not out at night just given my age and the climate and culture of the city.
But when I go to the shows and we are all out there talking, they it’s so funny because they can’t wait to say what I used to do!  And I am like, okay!

These are the stories I am trying to tell them.