Sly Foxx: Jamie Foxx Performs Comedy and Music Over July 4 weekend

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Jamie Foxx parlayed his Oscar win into not only more major acting roles,  but a respected musical career — and he still kills with his stand-up skills.

By Lori Hoffman

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jun. 30, 2011

Jamie Foxx

Before his Academy Award-winning performance in Ray, Jamie Foxx was a well-liked comedian, both as a stand up and from his TV roles (In Living Color, The Jamie Foxx Show). His film career was part of the package (Any Given Sunday), but was mostly in supporting roles. 

In 2004 he broke out with both his Oscar win as Ray Charles, and opposite Tom Cruise in Collateral, a film that earned him a second Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. 

Sometimes an Oscar win can be a jinx (just ask Cuba Gooding, Jr. how his career is going), but Foxx did not fall into that trap. While Stealth was a forgettable follow-up, he was now on the A-list and better roles continued in Jarhead, Dreamgirls, Miami Vice, The Kingdom, The Soloist and Law Abiding Citizen. Foxx also seized the opportunity to advance his career as an R&B singer, a career that was stalled after he released his first album, Peep This, in 1994. Taking advantage of Oscar’s golden glow, he released a top tier R&B album Unpredictable, which went to No. 1 on the R&B chart. His latest album is Best Night of My Life, released last December. 

He’s coming to Atlantic City to host the Foxxhole Comedy Jam at Caesars on Friday, July 1, which features a comedy line-up that includes Earthquake, Aries Spears, Tony Roberts and more top comics. On Sunday, July 3, he’ll express his musical side with a performance at the House of Blues. 

In a phone interview with Atlantic City Weekly, Foxx talked about his double shot of shows in A.C., and his plans to eventually slow down and enjoy his life away from showbiz. 

What will your comedy show be like? 

I have a group of the funniest comedians in the world. I’m going to host it and keep it moving along, but the comedians are absolutely fantastic. Come out and get your laugh on; if you’re just feeling okay, we’ll make you feel great. 

Since you said you’ve done shows where you combine your comedy and music, do you like this opportunity to do comedy one night and then concentrate on the music? 

[Comedy] is part of my DNA. Even in my musical show there is always some comedy sprinkled in. I let the songs that I choose tie in with a story, a little personal stuff, because some of the music speaks to me personally.  

Can I assume your going to have some party time on the day off between your two shows? 

It’s going to be party time the minute we fly off to get there. We are going to be partying the whole time. It’s July 4th; we have to bring that edge, but not too hard because I don’t want to wreck my voice. 

You’ve had such a versatile career. What was your first passion? Was it the comedy or the music — you played piano and earned a music scholarship. And you played quarterback in high school. 

They all happened simultaneously. Because of my grandmother I started playing piano at five. Then the stand-up came along in second, third and fourth grade. My teacher would give me some minutes at the end of day on Friday to entertain the kids. And at that time, being in Texas, football was everything. When I was a senior I was a quarterback. By having that background, it really worked out in my professional life. I played a football player in Any Given Sunday, I played Ray Charles and the comedy chops, that led to In Living Color and everything else that’s I’ve done. It all sort of worked out. 

Going back to the night you won the Academy Award, what was going through your head when your name was called? 

That night, just before my name was called my daughter leaned over and said, ‘Dad, even if you don’t win you’re still a good actor’, so right off the bat, no matter what happened after that, the only thing that really matters is how your kids perceive you. 

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