Thanks to my grandfather–who didn’t care if I listened to his comedy records as long as I didn’t scratch them, I got to hear Pigmeat Markham, Jackie Moms Mabley, and Redd Foxx before I was old enough to get most of the jokes. 🙂 It would all be considered tame by today’s standards but my young baptist ears knew something sinful was happening! For example, The Trial (the actual comedy bit starts in at 2:40–but listen to the whole thing if you want to hear one of the forefathers or rap…)
Anywho, there was also Effie Smith–she had a comedy album called “Dial That Telephone”. The sketches showcased the characters Ruby Lee and Henry (her husband). They shared a party line with some of her friends, so a lot of the fun revolved around gossiping and eavesdropping. The bits here weren’t really jokes per se, but comedic situations.
Tawanna Sullivan 