Bob Levy (born August 12, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, and former radio personality. He is the host of The Bob Levy Show, Levyland, the Out of the Coffin podcast, and is best known for his regular appearances on The Howard Stern Show.
| Bob Levy | |
|---|---|
 Levy performing in 2012 | |
| Pseudonym | "The Reverend" |
| Born | August 12, 1962 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Notable works and roles | |
Early life
editLevy was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Staten Island at age six.[1] He dropped out of high school after six years and worked several jobs, including landscaping and painting.[1] For a brief period, he was a professional wrestler under the ring name "Heartbreaker" Bobby Slayer.
Career
editEarly career (1990–2001)
editLevy wasn't a fan of comedy until he started listening to The Howard Stern Show in 1990, for which he started to send jokes and song parodies that he had written. Levy then started to attend open mic nights hosted by the show's writer, Jackie Martling.[1] Levy recalled that he was unpaid for the first year of doing stand-up.[1] Later on, Martling gave Levy the nickname "The Reverend"; Levy recalled: "Because I was a filthy fuckin' pig, and he wanted to call me the opposite of what I was doing onstage".[2]
By 2001, Levy had appeared on Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen, performed at Woodstock '94, and had opened for the Edgar Winter Group and Bachman Turner Overdrive.[3]
The Howard Stern Show (2002–2010)
editIn 2002, Levy entered himself in the World's Meanest Listener contest held on The Howard Stern Show which increased his profile. He submitted clips of himself roasting Stern and the staff which were well received and made him a top three finalist.[1] In 2004, he was one of the contestants on "Get John's Job" contest. He was one of the hosts of The Killers of Comedy Tour, a comedy tour featuring several of the show's guests and staffers, which included Jim Florentine, Beetlejuice, and The Iron Sheik.[4] When the show moved to SiriusXM in 2006, Levy was the host of the show's series of live comedy roasts.
From 2006 to 2010, Levy was co-host of the weekly comedy show Miserable Men on Howard 101 on SiriusXM Radio.[1][5]
In December 2007, Levy opened Levy's Comedy Club at the Ramada Inn in Levittown, Pennsylvania.[5]
In 2008, Levy took part in a boxing match with Danny Bonaduce, losing to Bonaduce by a TKO in the second one-minute round of a planned three-round fight.[6]
Post Howard Stern Show (2011–2014)
editIn 2014, Levy was the host of Ears Wide Open with co-hosts Stacey Prussman and Joe Conte. It aired on WILC-AM in Washington, D.C. and WUFC-AM in Boston.
The Bob Levy Show (2015–present)
editLevy started the comedic podcast titled The Bob Levy Show in September 2015.[7] The show moved to the Radio Misfits Podcast Network in October 2015.[8]
The Uncle Rico Show (2022–present)
editLevy co-hosts The Uncle Rico Show, a comical podcast focusing on the hilarious antics of alky-dabbler Stuttering John Melendez, a former minor staff member and call-screener of the Howard Stern Show. Levy hosts this daily long form podcast with three other comedians, Shuli Egar, Mike Morse and Anthony “C.Piggy” Zenhouser. The show also features guest appearances by other comedians who are part of the DabbleVerse. Anthony Cumia, Chrissie Mayer and “Lady” Karl Heberger of WATP. The Uncle Rico Show is broadcast live on The Shuli Network and is streamed real-time to YouTube, Patreon and Free-Speech video hosting platforms Rumble and X/Twitter. In 2024, Levy left the Uncle Rico program, citing conflict with management at the Shuli Network and a controversy in which his wife was not allowed to sit with the stars of the dabbleverse at their Dabblecon event, violating Levy's belief that The Shuli Network should be "a family". Levy elaborated on his departure in interviews with Kevin Brennan, Obnoxious John, and the potato.
Other ventures
editUntil 2008, Levy was a writer and regular on Kidd Chris's morning radio show on WYSP in Philadelphia.[1][5] Levy also opened a weekend comedy club in Levittown, Pennsylvania and three other comedy clubs in Easton, Florida.
Levy is the former host of Rising with "The Reverend" Bob Levy with co-hosts Will Bozarth and John Kensil, on WNJC-AM in Philadelphia.
Since November 2020, Levy has hosted the Levyland podcast. [9]
In 2021, Levy started making regular appearances on fellow comedian Kevin Brennan's Misery Loves Company podcast.[10]
In October 2022, Levy, along with Brennan, opened a comedy club called Brennan & Levy's Comedy Loft in Vineland, New Jersey.[11][12]
Levy is co-host of The BS Show with Shuli Egar. The BS Show is a part of The Shuli Network. The Shuli Network currently provides original content, streamed to multiple video hosting platforms, including YouTube, Patreon and free-speech hosting platforms Rumble, X/Twitter.
Over the course of the early 2020s, Levy has made sporadic appearances on the internet livestream show, Perry Caravello Live, hosted by actor and comedian Perry Caravello, the star of the Comedy Central prank movie, Windy City Heat.
Personal life
editLevy is married to Gina Levy since 2018 and resides in New Jersey.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Darrow, Chuck (31 August 2006). "He's no saint". Courier-Post. p. 12SJL. Retrieved 13 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Eye Weekly Toronto" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "An evening with The Comedy Blast, Inc". The Weekender. 6 June 2001. p. 44. Retrieved 13 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ ""Killers Of Comedy" Concert & Tour History – Concert Archives". ConcertArchives.org. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Reverend Bob cranks up a riveting comedy scene". Philadelphia Daily News. 28 March 2008. pp. 54–55. Retrieved 13 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Danny Bonaduce Gets Revenge for Levy Slap". Dannybonaduce.net. 24 September 208. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Levy, Bob. "The Bob Levy Show's Podcast on Apple Podcasts". podcasts.apple.com (Podcast). Apple Music. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "The Bob Levy Show – Radio Misfits Podcast Network". RadioMisfits.com (Podcast). Radio Misfits Podcast Network. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "Levyland Live". Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ Brennan, Kevin. "Misery Loves Company – Creating Podcasts – Patreon" (Podcast). Patreon. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Steve Trevelise (October 11, 2022). "SNL and Howard Stern Alumni Open Comedy Club in Vineland, NJ". Trenton, New Jersey, United States: WKXW. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "Brennan & Levy's Comedy Loft: Kaycee Ray's". kayceerays.com. Retrieved December 18, 2022.