We were lucky to catch up with TAYLOR Mason recently and have shared our conversation below.

TAYLOR, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I have worked in show business since 1979 – including television, theater, streaming services, comedy clubs, casino showrooms, churches, synagogues, corporate events, colleges and any person, place or event that would have me. I am into my sixth decade as a showbiz lifer, and although the business of show has changed and morphed and moved during my time as a performer/writer/creator, some things remain the same. Significantly and critically, the constants are: keep writing, performing, creating and working (somehow). Find a way to do whatever it is you do as an “artist.” That means recessions, pandemics, ageism, failures in auditions and key moments do not have any effect on what it is I do: write, rehearse and execute comedy and music in every imaginable venue in front of every imaginable audience.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I began performing live comedy at the University of Illinois in 1976. I had a severe knee injury as a varsity football player for the FIGHTING ILLINI. During my recovery i was forced to wear a hip-to-ankle cast as my ligaments and cartilage healed. I was a DJ at my fraternity (SIGMA CHI) and began acting as a comedian between disco songs – which led to another fraternity hiring me to do the same thing, which led to many more paid jobs, which led to an audition after I had graduated from the U of Illinois. I worked in piano bars in Chicago and was hired by The Second City Theatre in Chicago as a musical director. I also began performing at a local comedy club in Chicago – ZANIES – and that led to being the opening act for a myriad of iconic rock and pop stars: Tina Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Gordon Lightfoot, Joe Cocker, Crystal Gayle, etc, etc, etc. As I was performing I earned a Master’s Degree in Advertising from The Medial School of Journalism at Northwestern University. My wife and I moved to NYC in 1985 and I was the emcee at Catch A Rising Star in NYC before winning the TV show STAR SEARCH in 1991. I then toured the USA doing some 2000 shows at colleges. I did a lot of cable TV comedy specials. I toured with Bill Gaither and the Homecoming Artists in major arenas around the USA, I had a children’s TV show called “TAYLOR’S ATTIC,” followed by another kids show called “CHILDREN TALK.’ I have two Dry Bar Comedy Specials on the Dry Bar Comedy app, and I spent more than 20 years working for Disney Cruise Line.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone in show business for obvious reasons. I did some 200 “streaming” events via Zoom and other platforms for children’s hospitals with an incredible organization called WIN-WIN CHARITIES. I was able to stay fresh, keep working, keep creating and stay sharp during the pandemic and I learned how to use online video.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goals are definite, defined and simple: NEVER GIVE UP. PERSEVERE. FIND A WAY. ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN – THAT PLAN MIGHT BE AN EVENT, A PARTICULAR SHOW, AN AUDITION, A TV OR RADIO APPEARANCE – whatever it is, work to make that the best me there is in that moment. Do not be afraid to fail. Example: I have written more than 10,000 jokes in my lifetime. Maybe 1000 of them got big laughs. Thats a terrible percentage, and the only way to find success is to fail – some call it ‘winning by attrition.’ I have another theory – my own way to look at it. A joke is defined as a set of words, known as a “set up.” The set up is followed by a “punch line.” But my way of attacking the problem – which is “I can never have enough jokes” – my way of looking at the world is this: jokes are defined thus: a set of words, known as the ‘set up,’ which is followed closely by… A PAYCHECK.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.taylormason.com
• Instagram: taylormasoncomedy
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/taylormasoncomedy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-mason-63a2bbb/
• Twitter: @masonites
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9hPuOrwIGig2qU4Yk6vo4A
• Soundcloud: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQiJJYBgc12pdWaRVP0vv