BarryKatz

I have so many Dave Chappelle stories that they could fill a book longer than Atlas Shrugged. One of my favourite stories since we're live here at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival (Shameless Plug)… is after he did the festival for the first time there was a huge amount of interest in him to sign with an agency that was bigger than where he was at. I remember we took a meeting at UTA (United Talent Agency) who at the time repped Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey, Jack Black and some of the greatest comedy minds of my generation. We go into the conference room and it's a huge marble table the size of Road Island. There are agents with suits and shirts with white ties that you'll never see again as long as you live after the meeting. Some of the most beautiful assistants in the world with the high heels and the short skirts delivering food of all kinds, it was like a Medieval Manor and we're sitting at the end of the table and these beautiful assistants were delivering cookies and popcorn and sandwiches, fruit platters, soda, veggie platters. And you know here Dave and I were sitting at the end of the table, and I"m relatively new to the business, and I'm sitting next to a teenager who wakes up at the crack of 2pm and smokes a bag of weed a day who's a genius. But as more and more agents filed in and the meeting came closer to starting, Dave became more and more anxious, staring at the food in front of him, looking back at me, looking out at what seemed like over 50 agents dressed in the attire of a cocktail party from the 60's and finally the meeting's about to start and Dave stares at the food again, looks at me, stares back at the food, back at me… and right before the meeting starts he leans over and whispers to me

"Barry man… you think they know I'm high?"

No he never has, but that's only because I never wanted him to when he offered it. Louis is a very very special man and long ago when I was in a very dark depression, after my wife passed away in Boston at the age of 23, he invited me to his house on Christmas and when I told him that I couldn't get out of bed to come, he called me every 30 minutes until I picked up the phone and he told me to get my ass out of bed and get in that red 67 Camero and drive over to his house. And for some reason, those calls finally got to me, and his family treated me better or equal to anyone in the family there that night. Had presents for me, a seat at the table, and treated me like a million bucks. I'll never forget that night as long as I live. And it showed me early on what kind of a person Louis CK was then and what he would become later. An extraordinary person, and artist.

Firstly, this clearly is an unexpected source of a question by someone who I love, cherish and revere (smiling from ear to ear). That being said, ever since my dad passed away and I had to witness my mother suffer through my childhood years all I ever wanted to do was stay positive for her and be a beacon of light knowing that she buried two husbands, I guess I figured, what do I have to complain about when she's suffered so much. Then I went on to work at camps for disabled kids and adults and I saw so many young men and women who were dying but were more positive than most of the counsellors. I realized that I had a choice, I could be negative and lose my way like most of the people that I saw in my journey, or I could stay positive and hopefully make an impact on those who were wavering. I wish everyone could feel positive about what's happening in their lives and hopefully through the podcast I can reach as many people as possible to share the stories of my guests that prove that you can overcome anything and have a meaningful and positive life. But, to answer your question, in a concise manner… my balls

Louis CK was the first client I ever managed in my life. And I met him when he was a teenager doing stand up in Boston. And the funniest story I can tell you involving Louis CK, but it wasn't a funny story for me… was when I got to New York City and he started coming with me and got an apartment there. My first car I ever owned was a 67 Chevy Camero and I'd restored and I loved it and when I got to New York I kept it there and garaged it, and I remember I was going back to Boston for a week and Louis asked me if he could borrow my car for the week and I told him no problem. In New York you don't really use a car all that much so there would be times you didn't use a car for 2 months. So I came back from Boston and a couple months and I asked Louis where the car was because I went to the garage and it wasn't there… and he put his head down and put his hands over his eyes, making noises and he says "Barry, you know I really love Sarah Silver, she's so wonderful and beautiful and nice… and she, uh, I just uh, she needed a car and I lent her your car."

So I said "No worries, just tell me where it is."

and he says: "Barry, I don't how to tell you this, but… sigh… the car got towed, and she was afraid to tell me, and by the time she did I went to the tow yard and in New York after 30 days they just sell your car… so, your car got towed and it was sold and it's gone forever."

and then I did an impression of Louis, and I took my hand up to my eyes and made noises not found in nature… but you can never get mad at Louis CK or Sarah Silverman. I just put my head back up and walked off into the distance

Dave Chappelle was and is a genius, and if ever in your life you can figure out a way to work with anyone in any profession who's a genius you have to do it. I was fortunate enough where I had the opportunity to do it, and it was a symbiotic relationship from the beginning when he was a teenager. I never had a cross word with Dave. He never lost his temper with me, and he was always an amazing, amazing gentleman, and it was an honour to work with him. I love Dave Chappelle