TCB Infomercial: Rickey Smiley

Ready to bring your competitive spirit to the table?

Global Poker is packed with social poker and slots games, plus regular tournaments like the Global Poker Championships and fast-paced series you won't want to miss.

Challenge your friends, play poker or slots, and experience the thrill of competition from anywhere.

Sign up now for your free welcome offer and play for your chance to redeem some serious prizes.

No purchase necessary.

BGW Group, void where prohibited by law, 21 TNCs apply.

building a portfolio with Fidelity Basket portfolios is kind of like making a sandwich.

It's as simple as picking your stocks and ETFs, sort of like your meats and other topics, and managing it as one big juicy investment.

Hmm, that's pretty good.

Learn more at fidelity.com/slash baskets.

Investing involves risks, including risk of loss.

Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, member NYSC SIPC.

The next episode of the Commercial Break is coming up soon.

But first, I wanted to tell you a little story.

The year was 2000 and something.

My 12th child had just been born.

It was late at night.

I was feeding her, and she lovingly looked into my eyes and said, Daddy, you're so very handsome.

And I thought to myself, I will never know love like this again.

And the only thing that could make this moment better would be a sweet blue and white trucker hat with an embroidered Commercial Break logo on it.

And now, many years later, I've made that dream come true.

Well, not me, Astrid, but you too can know love like this by going to tcbpodcast.com for our very first limited edition merch drop.

Pre-order now at shop tcbpodcast.com and you too can know what it feels like to be loved by exclusive TCB merch.

Next year, I'm having Thanksgiving with some white people.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, I need a break.

We be doing too damn much.

White people keep Thanksgiving simple.

Here's their man.

Give me some white people Thanksgiving music.

Here we go.

Turkey.

Stuffed with stove top stuffing.

Honey baked ham.

Libby's cranberry sauce in the can.

Mashed potatoes.

Green bean casserole.

Pumpkin pie dinner rolls.

Tab and fresco to drink.

Four to eight people.

Dinner start at four o'clock.

That's it.

Why we can't do that?

Why we be doing the most on Thanksgiving?

Can I get some black most Thanksgiving music?

Can I get some

Say what?

Fried turkey, baked turkey, roasted turkey, roar turkey, barbecue turkey, smoked turkey wings, honey glazed ham, baked ham, cushion ham, green eggs and ham, fried chicken, baked chicken, barbecue chicken, lemon pepper chicken, smothered chicken, rotisserie chicken, funky chicken, chicken gizzards, chicken tenders, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, cornish ham, Irish chicken,

British ham, roast beef, stew meat, beef stew, torque and gravy, beef gravy, chicken gravy, pork gravy, onion gravy, shepherd's pie, macaroni with yellow cheese,

macaroni with white cheese,

Candy yams.

Candy burgers.

Sweet potato soup.

Oxtails.

Pigtails.

Ducktails.

Chillins.

Catfish nuggets.

Whitey.

Salmon patties.

Flamme.

Snapper.

Trout.

Baked tilabia.

Bracken tilabia.

Fried tilabia.

Deer meat, barbecue ribs, meat loaf, turkey meatloaf, country fried steak, smothered pork chops, fried pork chops,

bargain beans, green beans, butter beans, navy beans, kidney beans, pork and beans, nigger jelly beans,

tarot greens, collapse greens, mushroom greens, baked cabbage, boiled cabbage, raw cabbage, brussels sprouts, asparagus chips,

fried squash, minispag, baked potato,

sweet tea, Kool-Aid, Mini Maid, Fruit Punch, Dr.

Thunder.

Somebody had to go to the Dollar Tree.

On this episode of the Commercial Break.

I watched 20 minutes of it and I watched that part.

That part of it was part of the 20 minutes.

It is so fucking funny, and it is so fucking true.

Stovetop stuffing, that's what we like.

We don't want any oysters or old bay seasoning.

We just want stove, bland stovetop stuffing.

Come on now.

Man, when I tell you that, that, that about white people out, I talk about my 600-pound life TV show.

That's my favorite show.

That's his favorite show.

That's my favorite show.

Bro, yeah.

That's his favorite show.

All the women, all the women that's on there, they all got a man.

Yes!

Everyone, but all the men over there don't got a woman.

None of them, not one of them has a woman.

It's weird.

It's so strange.

The next episode of the Commercial Break starts now.

Yeah,

boy.

Oh, yeah, Cows and Kittens.

Welcome back to the Commercial Break.

I'm Brian Green.

This is my dear friend and the co-host of this show, Chris and Joy Hoadley.

Best to you, Chris.

Best to you, Brian.

Best to you out there in the podcast universe.

Thanks for joining us.

It is a TCB Infomercial Tuesday.

We are very excited to have radio legend, local hero, and overall good guy, Ricky Smiley, here in the studio with us.

Two, well, three,

radio legends meeting together for the very first time.

Me, of course, WWLG The Legend.

Chrissy, of course, one episode of WWWG The Legend.

And some SimCole, Scam Cole FM, if you don't mind.

That's right.

I was on there a little bit.

Yes, you were.

And then Ricky Smiley, who has been in 162 radio stations for 30 years.

But let's not talk about details because it's just legend to legend to legend, having a conversation about what it's like in the world of radio.

He is a

biz, as they say.

The radio biz.

We would call it Hollywood, but it's more like Hollywood, Florida than Hollywood, California.

But you get the point.

No knock on Hollywood, Florida.

Lovely place.

I can't wait to talk to you.

If you're looking for Crystal Mouth.

Okay, I can't wait to talk to Ricky either.

And here's why.

Will you share?

Why?

Why are you excited?

Well, I mean, exactly.

Local radio legend.

He's just, he's been around forever, has deep ties to Atlanta.

I know he's originally from Birmingham, but just, I can't wait to pick his brain and just see what made Ricky Ricky.

Yeah, absolutely.

So, Ricky Smiley has done a syndicated morning show forever.

I think for like 24 years.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I think 2000 is when he started

station out of Dallas, and then he took off.

And I think, I believe, and we can ask him, he's syndicated in almost 100 radio stations currently in the morning show.

And he's been just like a solid foundation of Atlanta radio for a long time, including when Chrissy and I worked in radio.

And one of the things I want to share with him is...

Even when we worked at Clear Channel, he was not on Clear Channel.

I think he was on maybe V103 at the time.

I think so.

I think so.

Radio 1.

Is that V103, Radio 1?

Okay, we'll ask him.

I don't want to get it wrong.

So that's Odyssey now, right?

That is Odyssey now.

That's right.

Is he on Odyssey?

No, I don't think he is.

I think he switched to a different station here in Atlanta.

I don't think it's V103 anymore.

Yeah, it's not the same company throughout the whole country, right?

That he's syndicated on no, he's syndicated on a bunch of different radio stations.

Yeah, I mean, with a hundred and some odd radio stations, there's no way it's just one company, but

he was talked about in our building,

even though he didn't work at our company.

And when you kind of get that kind of cachet, you know that it's a big deal.

Like the syndicated big, big boys and girls of radio, Ricky is one of them.

So it's exciting to talk to him.

He's also a very funny human being.

He's got a brand new book out.

Not brand new.

It's been around for a while, actually.

I'd say brand new.

It's brand new to you, the listener who hasn't heard of him.

It's about grief and life being Ricky Smiley.

He lost his son.

at 32 years old from an overdose.

He was an addict.

He was struck with the terrible sickness of addiction.

As many people in this country, unfortunately,

have relatives that that happens to.

Yes.

And one of the things that I've read about Ricky, and that's part of the reason why I'm grateful to have him here, is that he's been very transparent about his grief, about his son's passing, about the circumstances and the addiction that his son had gone through.

He's also gone to NA with family members.

He talks about that in his book.

That's spoken about.

He's just one of these people who likes to

shower the world with his own perspective, regardless of how easy or tough those conversations might be.

He has a connection to people.

I think that's why he's got an audience that

is huge and stuck around for a long time.

He's also on tour.

I think he does a number of shows a month or a year.

We'll ask him more about that, but you can go to the links in the show notes below.

We have have a link to all of Ricky's information where you can find the book.

He's got a special on the hook.

Which looks really funny.

I watched the trailer.

I'm going to watch it because it looks hilarious.

I watched 20 minutes of it.

So I just kind of didn't have enough time to watch the whole thing.

So I just kind of

jumped in.

And at some point, he starts talking about the differences between white people Thanksgiving and black people Thanksgiving.

And he says that he likes white people Thanksgiving because they come in, no must, no fuss, you know, turkey, stovetop tupping, stovetop stuffing,

cranberry in a can,

and just get on with life, say your hallelujahs, and leave.

And then black people, there's 75,000 different versions of food.

It lasts all day.

There's three different feedings.

People carry on in drama.

And he said, I kind of like the white people Thanksgiving.

Get in, get out.

Real simple, straightforward.

Everyone does it.

And I...

having been to both black Thanksgiving and a white Thanksgiving, he's right.

And I think really more than white and black Thanksgiving, it should be Thanksgiving for most people and then like a deep South.

I was going to say that it's something about the South.

Something about the South.

Because I have to say, growing up, I remember us having a ton of different dishes too.

And it being an all-day affair, you're watching football, you're eating, you're watching more stuff at the parade.

You're eating.

When you put mussels or oysters in the turkey stuffing, it's a different kind of Thanksgiving.

Do you know what I'm saying?

And I have been to those versions of Thanksgiving, and then I have had my own, what I grew up with, very bland Irish Catholic Thanksgiving.

You know, amen, holy shit, let's eat the dinner and hit it and quit it.

Amen.

Holy shit.

Eat the dinner and get the fuck out.

So anyway, it was really, really funny.

And I look forward to seeing the rest of it.

So he's got this special on Hulu, this book about grief and growth.

And then, of course, he is very popular on the radio.

Morning show for a lot of people.

I'm excited about this one.

So let's do this.

Why don't we take a break?

And then through the magic of telepodcasting, we'll have Ricky right here in our own studio.

Why we did not ask him to come and be with us in person, I have no idea, but we'll fix that for

us.

We must ask him.

He's in Atlanta.

He's

we should have just had him here.

Let's take a break.

And when we get back, Ricky Smiley, the legendary Ricky Smiley.

Let's do it.

We'll be back.

Hey there, cats and kittens.

It's Rachel.

I have a terrible cold, but Brian wanted me to pass along the message that TCB's exclusive merch drop happens Friday, August 8th through the 22nd.

You can pre-order your limited edition commercial break, hat, hoodie, university sweater, or t-shirts, and get an exclusive TCB sticker free with every purchase.

Go to ShopTCBPodcast.com Friday, August 8th through the 22nd to pre-order your merch because when the window closes, it closes for good.

So mark it on your calendars Friday, August 8th through the 22nd, ShopTCBPodcast.com.

Now I'm going to go take some dayquil and feed Axel more pork chops.

Best to you.

Planning a trip this year?

Imagine how much richer your travel experience could be if you could speak the local language.

Whether you're traveling abroad, planning a staycation, or just shaking up your routine.

What better time to dive into a new language?

With Rosetta Stone, you'll gain the confidence to have real conversations and create deeper connections wherever you go.

Rosetta Stone is the trusted leader in language learning for over 30 years.

Their immersive, intuitive method helps you naturally absorb and retain your new language on desktop or mobile, whenever and wherever it fits your summer schedule.

With 30 years of experience, millions of users, and 25 languages to choose from, Rosetta Stone is the go-to tool for real language growth.

Don't wait.

Unlock your language learning potential now.

Listeners of this podcast can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off.

That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life.

Visit RosettaStone.com/slash RS10 to get started and claim your 50% off today.

Don't miss out.

Go to Rosettastone.com/slash RS10 and start learning today.

Hello, it's Lena Dunham.

I host a podcast called The Sea Word with my dearest friend and historian of bad behavior, Alyssa Bennett.

What is up?

It's a chat show about women whose society is called crazy.

We're going to be rediscovering the stories of women society dismissed by calling them mad, sad, or just plain bad.

Listen to and follow The Sea Word with Lena Dunham and Alyssa Bennett, available now wherever you get your podcasts.

This summer, healthy habits could lead to big prizes during Symbiotica's summer giveaway.

It all starts with supplements that fit your lifestyle, making it easier than ever to stay consistent with your health goals.

Not sure where to start?

Try out this powerful antioxidant duo.

Symbiotica's liposomaglutathione and vitamin C packets support natural detox, brighten skin, and promote lasting energy.

It's a simple, convenient way to give your body the support it needs during those long, busy summer days.

And the exciting part is, right now, Symbiotica is hosting their biggest giveaway ever for 16 lucky winners.

You could drive off in a 2025 Rivian R1S, escape to a luxury wellness retreat for two, or win a year's worth of Symbiotica products.

Don't miss this amazing opportunity.

Go to symbiotica.com/slash summer sweepstakes for your chance to win.

That's symbiotica.com slash summer sweepstakes to enter today.

The legendary Chrissy, Ricky Smiley, here with us now.

Hi, Ricky.

How are you?

Hi, Ricky.

Hey, man.

Thank you so much for having me.

How y'all doing?

Yeah, we're good.

Fantastic.

We're better now that Ricky Smiley is here because, as Atlanta, not natives, but we lived here for a long time.

Me, 30 plus years, Chrissy, 30 plus years.

Yep.

You have been in our ears and a part of the culture here in Atlanta for a long time.

Share with me a little bit about what Atlanta means to you because I like when Atlanta natives come on and talk about Atlanta.

Man, you know, I know you're not native, but you're a big part of the

culture.

Oh, no, no, no.

We almost native.

Everybody that lives in Birmingham went to Atlanta every weekend when we were able to get in a car and drive.

We partied in Atlanta.

We grew up in Atlanta also.

We love Outcast also.

So we also, we go to Lake Lanier to go to lenox and green brown mall also yeah

yeah yeah i remember going on stage at birthday bash uh at the uh uh uh what is it the uh state farm arena yeah half of the half of the audience was from birmingham really you know yeah oh man man if there's a big a big a big concert in atlanta they run advertisement in birmingham everybody's on the highway we're gone it's such an easy drive it's such an easy drive over yeah

yeah once you get past past six flags, you're in the game.

You're there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And actually, yeah, I, the Atlanta and Birmingham do share, there's this like sinew between the two of us, this thread between the two of us.

So many people from Atlanta go to school over there and party over there and hang out over there.

It's an easy drive.

Jump on Interstate 20.

Yeah, that's true.

All right, let me let me get one thing straight because I see people in Atlanta wearing these hats.

You see this right here?

Yes.

That's the Braves.

That's the Crimson Tide.

Yes.

Yes.

Braves.

Yes.

Row tide.

Go Braves.

Row tide.

Let's be clear.

Thank you.

That's right.

Thank you for clearing that up because a lot of people, you know, here's a funny thing.

So it was like

my brother-in-law, who's Venezuelan, lives in Houston, works in Indianapolis, came down to Atlanta.

He likes to rock his Atlanta gear because he loves it.

And he came in with an Atlanta, an A shirt one time.

And I was like, and he goes, look at my Atlanta shirt.

And I go, that is not an Atlanta shirt.

And he goes, it is an Atlanta shirt.

It's got an A on it.

And I said, no, that's an Alabama shirt.

There's There's a big difference.

And the big difference is the swoop at the top.

There you go.

Look at that.

Get them together, my friend.

Yeah, correct.

How have you managed to keep yourself so in, you are like a radio legend.

You have been around for so, I mean, I don't want to date you, but you've been around for so many years rocking that radio show.

How have you weathered so many storms that so many other people have not?

As radio, as former radio people, we have seen a few of these storms come and go.

You're just good.

That's really a good question.

And you know what the answer is?

I was talking to

one of my co-hosts yesterday, Alfreda's, about that.

Mastering the art of being funny.

Yes.

Of being funny.

People want to laugh.

I found out.

uh through research and through morning show boot camps people want to be entertained in the morning they want to be uplifted they don't want to talk about heavy subjects all the time you got to have a good balance on the show and uh you have to have somebody that really knows how to number one stir the pot number two make it about the listeners and not me uh you know taking phone calls getting the audience involved audience participation uh you know the the the pv is gonna always program the music but like for example uh this week i'm doing uh blonde hair blue eyes soul week right I'm going to do it for two weeks.

So these are white artists that was played on black radio stations.

So cool.

What a good idea.

Yeah, I did Tina Marie.

I would play two songs at the top of the hour in the eight o'clock hour, like Tina Marie.

And

when the show becomes unpredictable,

and I cannot miss.

the Ricky Smile and Morning Show because I might miss something because they're crazy and they're outside of the box.

And we just don't allow,

you know, we just kind of do radio.

And I have a good feel of the audience because I'm a performer, right?

I perform on the weekends.

So when you perform on the weekends and you do karaoke shows live during the week and in comedy clubs, you get a sense of what the audience want.

What they're talking about, what they're feeling.

It's like an energy in the room and you can feel it across the radio waves.

I know that sounds weird, but you know know you got your finger on the pulse.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

When you're getting text messages while you're on the air, that means that, and you're getting messages on Messenger, on Facebook, people are talking, they're talking about the show.

So it's really important to have your,

you know, finger on what people want.

That's very interesting.

You know, so I used to listen to Stern for years when he jumped over to Sirius and he was, we didn't have him in Atlanta until he went to Sirius, but we, I, I listened to him, started listening to him when he came on Sirius.

And I've got really invested in this show.

And I noticed that a bunch of other people also were invested in the show, had to listen to it.

It was kind of like a must-listen type thing.

And I asked myself one day, why am I so invested in this show?

And here's why.

It becomes like a family.

It's a soap opera that you want to keep up with.

It's unpredictable.

It's something reliable, right?

It's something I can rely on.

I can rely on them to entertain me, make me happy, maybe even occasionally make me cry, but I can rely on it every morning and I'm invested in the characters of the show.

I'm invested in who's telling me what.

And it's like a little soap opera that you just keep up with.

It's not, you know, over dramatic, but I think you probably have a very similar relationship with your audience.

You're reliable.

You're there.

You're funny.

You know, you're open.

And I think that's part of what you're known for also is that you are transparent, right?

You're not

absolutely.

You have to be transparent.

Like we laugh, uh, we cry, uh, we talk about things, we talk about autism, we talk about we have a partnership with Saint Jude where we raise money for the uh, you know, the kids uh, that's battling cancer.

God bless you.

Uh, we do a lot of stuff on the radio, man.

And uh, and and I just always try to make it about the listeners and make it about the people, yeah, and you know, and uh, you know, not myself, but I get a kick out of it.

I have a great team,

um,

I have Gary.

I have the world famous DeBret.

Yes.

Oh, yeah.

Co-host.

Brad is the first female rapper to sell over a million albums.

You know, and I have a really, really great team and great producers.

So putting a show together is a lot of fun.

How many, how long will you do this, Ricky?

The audience wants to know: will you do this until they literally drag you out of the studio?

Is that, do you feel that kind of passion for it still?

Or is this something

they might have to drag me out?

I like it.

Do y'all know that

I'm up around 3:30, 4 o'clock every morning, no alarm clock, never my whole life.

Whoa, your body's just built that way.

But I was like that as a kid.

I was raised by grandparents, so I'm up drinking Sanka brand coffee with my grandma.

I remember saying that.

Sanka.

My grandfather used to drink that too.

I remember those commercials.

I remember the smell.

The instant coffee.

Remember, at first, everybody was drinking Taster's Choice.

And then they went to Sanka brands.

Yeah, that's it.

Sanka came along and it's just.

I remember Sanka and Sweet and Low.

Sweet and Low.

And your grandma, your grandma would give you a little coffee in a bowl.

And

while you have your little coffee in the morning up, watching.

watching TV with your grandma.

Yep.

So I have been an early bird, a natural early bird my entire life.

So since I'm up, I might as well do radio.

Yeah, there you go.

You know what I'm saying?

Keep getting your name out there and your brand out there and working Monday through Friday, whether you perform or not, you get up and go to work.

You get up and go do radio.

It's a lot of fun.

Well, I think you're smart too, is that, you know, like a lot of people who have been on the radio, who have gotten successful careers on the radio, you parlay this.

You've got almost like a huge megaphone to promote the other things that you do.

Also, you've made a little cottage industry out of Ricky Smiley, right?

You're on tour, you've got the book, you've now got the Hulu special.

You do these things, and then you can go on five days a week and you can tell people about it.

And you've got this built-in audience for what you do.

I think that's where I'll tell you.

I'll tell y'all something y'all might be interested in knowing.

You know how I got?

Well, I started on a local station in Birmingham, but you know how I got the job in Dallas?

Oh, yes, no, that was your flagship for a while, right?

Dallas, yeah, Dallas, Texas.

And so I get a phone call from Steve Hardy.

Steve Harvey.

Yes, Steve Harvey is one of my mentors, and he's my fraternity brother.

We're all omegas.

We're all in the same fraternity.

DL, Steve Harvey, Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Anthony Anderson, Joe Torrey.

We're all members.

That's all members.

Yeah, we are Charlie.

I can go on and on.

Charlie Ward,

the two live stools, we are all members of the same fraternity.

And,

you know,

a wonderful organization founded at Howard University in 1911.

Yes.

Famous HR.

So Steve, I was open,

opening up for the Kings Academy.

I got really, really close with Steve.

And Steve called me one day.

And he said, hey, I'm getting ready to go to Clear Channel.

I'm leaving Radio 1 and I'm going to Clear Channel.

He said, I recommended you for this job.

And I told him, I said, eh, you know, I just bought bought a house in birmingham let me think about it or whatever so uh

he handed the phone to his bodyguard boomerang who's about six eight

i love it

boomerang cursed me the hell out no way

he said let me tell you something ml

yeah he said he said you don't tell nobody like steve harvey what you're gonna think about he said he said if you don't have your skinny black ass in dallas by tomorrow morning we ain't effing with you no more

and hung up in my face

did you get in the car and start driving to dallas

i was i was sitting on the back of on the last row of southwest airlines

with tears in my eyes because i felt like I never lived anywhere outside of Birmingham.

I knew I was going to probably get that job and end up there.

I didn't want to disappoint them.

And

Steve was still on the air when I landed.

And when I was walking up, the radio station was inside of a mall.

So when they saw me walking, they all looked and they were shocked.

Like he really showed up.

And I went and did the interview and got the job.

And

I did my last, I did Stephen Harvey last two,

I did the last two weeks.

with him on the air to make a smooth transition.

Yeah.

Smart.

So,

yeah and and uh and that's how it happened and i won in dallas and then the owner decided that he was gonna uh syndicate me he put me on all of his stations and then i went on a lot all the mr perry stations out of oklahoma and then next thing you know i i ended up on cogs the miami stations and And when Tom Jonah retired, they slid us over into that slot.

That's right.

So now I'm at like around 100 affiliates.

It's crazy.

That's

insane.

There are very wildfire.

That's a wildfire.

And I know that just from my understanding of the radio business, my small understanding of the radio business, having worked there for a while,

like to be syndicated in five stations is a big deal.

Very few, like Ryan Seacrest, Howard Stern, Joyner, Ricky Smiley, Steve Harvey.

These are names.

Casey Kasem, when he was alive, those are names that get syndicated like that.

It's very difficult.

Delilah.

Yeah, Delilah.

Delilah.

I know Delilah.

Why do I listen to Delilah almost every night and wait for her, some guy to call up and talk about he's in love with a chick on the third grade with eight kids and he still wants to marry her and she plays and she plays air supply.

It's so good.

It's so good.

It is woven into our fabric.

If you grew up in a certain time and you don't know who Delilah is, your parents were not raising you correctly.

I mean, Delilah is amazing.

also has been around for, and listen, then there's other, you know, radio cucks that we can talk about, like Dr.

Laura and Rashim Limbaugh, but syndication is very difficult.

And you have done it very well.

100-plus radio stations is amazing.

Your longevity speaks to how

the connection is.

You get tuned in that your audience is with you.

In Atlanta, you're legendary.

I mean, people would talk about you at Clear Channel, even though you weren't at Clear Channel.

And

so

that's quite amazing.

Do you enjoy

for you?

Is it the microphone or is it the stage that pulls you a little bit more when it comes to like being with the audience?

I'm sure you're more familiar.

Like it feels.

It used to be the stage, but now it's the radio microphone because,

man, when I tell you, I am like, I have a studio.

This guy named John Matthews built a studio in my house, right?

Oh, yeah.

So, but wait a minute.

People like, oh, you can do the morning show in your pajamas i'm like no

yeah we i would never disrespect radio to walk in here and do the show in my pajamas i get up take a shower get dressed cleaned up walk down the hall cook my coffee on the stove no curate

no kirig i have it i have your grandmother's percolator yeah you got the sink up

yeah yeah

i make my old school coffee you know i might order some donuts from krispy cream or duncan or whatever they put it on the porch or whatever.

And I got my little fruit and I'm in there watching way too early on NBC.

And I got the other TV on ESPN.

I am ready to roll at 15 to 5.

My show starts at 5.

I'm looking over my script, making sure everything is straight.

And I'm ready to go.

And I really enjoy that job on radio because...

you can sit you don't have to get on the plane train automobile to get there and it don't give me the anxiety that i get when I get ready to perform.

Because while I'm on stage, people pay money to come see you.

So the expectations are like right here.

Yes.

Radio is free, but when people pay $40 to come see you perform, so now you got to get on the plane, you got to check in a hotel, you got to get dressed, you got to memorize your act.

I'm on stage like an hour and 15, hour, 20 minutes.

That's a long show, Ricky.

Yeah, blood, sweat, and tears.

Like I mainly do casinos now instead of comedy club venues theaters and casinos so you got to give people what they paid for and you got to perform like yeah like yeah yeah so uh we've talked to us less pressure we've talked to a few comedians and they have said something very similar is is that you know they get excited when a special comes out and it can kind of live and breathe on its own for a while because there is always this expectation.

You don't want to ruin somebody's Saturday night that they paid, you know, $100 with them and their loved one to come see you.

You don't want to let them down.

They get dressed up, they come out, they go out to eat, they make a night of it, and then they come and you have an off night and they go, uh, you know, but when you're on radio, we feel the same way.

When you do four days a week, it pays to be mediocre, right?

You just be mediocre and just, I mean, not that you are, but we are.

Just be, just be funny enough.

If you can, if you can make them laugh once or twice during the show, you'll do it again tomorrow and they'll get another, they'll get another shot at it.

But, you know,

but But it's good that you have the audience to go out there and fill casinos and theaters because that's an extra, you know, hey, listen, let's be honest about it.

It's an extra revenue source.

It also gets you out of the house.

Gets you out of your rifle, gets you out of your Sanka routine.

How often do you do those shows where you're getting out?

Probably

now, three or four times a month.

I just did the casino, something big casino in Phoenix, Arizona.

And

I ran off stage and jumped on on that red eye into

Atlanta airport.

You know what?

I found out that even if you die, if you die, you have to go through Atlanta airport to get to heaven.

It's true.

Yes, it's true.

Atlanta Airport takes you to hell.

I was just there the other day.

All roads lead to Artsfield, Jackson.

It's 100% true.

Yeah.

Well,

it's because Delta.

is you know it's just delta that's that's the reason delta the world's largest airline delta it's everybody goes to delta when um

i i got to say something about you know you being a part and omega and and the hbu and all the very famous amazing entertainers that uh have gone with you uh dl has become my favorite instagram account ever i just got to say that right now ever he knocks out of the park and i know it's probably not him posting every single time but i i'm sure you follow him on instagram that guy is on top of it i love it i love his content.

It's great.

He is a big brother.

D.L.

Hughley is a big brother.

D.L.

Hughley is a mentor.

Dale Hughley is a friend.

D.L.

Hughley is a genius.

There have been times where I found out D.L.

Hughley was performing somewhere.

I just want to go and be quiet and sit in the dressing room and watch him sit over there

with his...

uh night one of the nice one of the cleanest nice most nicely dressed comedians in the country oh yeah cross his legs, have him a drink, smoke a cigar.

I remember when he was opening up for the Kings of Comedy, man,

I would copy his style.

Like, that's where I got a lot of my style from because I've really gotten into fashion now.

Uh, you know, checking out D.L.

Hughley.

I remember when he had the twist with the fade.

I went and got when I became the host of comedy, I had to twist with the with the little with the fade on the side.

Yeah, like uh, D.L.

Hugley is a mentor.

D.L.

Hugley challenges, uh he will challenge you to be better he will i remember we went to houston's restaurant we were having lunch and i i just wanted to sit with the bodyguards or whatever but no dl's like nah we're gonna go sit over here and i was like oh damn i already know i already know what's gonna happen because if i sit over here with him he's gonna grill me yeah

him and steve they're so much alike when it comes to

having someone to challenge you and to make you better and to make you uncomfortable

that's where the growth happens that's where the

absolutely i had a friend who said if it's uncomfortable lean into it yeah that's where you need to be absolutely yeah yeah and uh and i remember after that dinner sitting in my car for 20 minutes and that's when i started the ball rolling for that comedy special wow uh that uh david e talbert and lynn talbert uh directed uh produced it but it was dial that put that fire under me and was just getting on to me about a lot of stuff a lot of things that i could be doing that i was not doing and i just have so much respect for that yeah it's easy to tell somebody hey man you're doing a good job whatever but when you get somebody say hey man you ain't doing nothing and you could be doing it uh he named about 25 things uh and was grilling me and i felt like a dumbass sitting there he wasn't trying to make me feel that way but like i really needed that challenge and uh and uh and i'll tell you what if you don't hit him up and check in with him here and there, I can feel when it's time for me to send a text message or call or whatever.

I'm always in a group text with him and Steve or whatever, but

I check in.

I check in with Martin Lawrence.

You know, I send

courtesy text message and check in and just a hump.

I went on tour with Martin Lawrence.

That was the biggest thing I ever done since the Kings.

And to have Martin Lawrence hosting D-Ray Davis, Adele Gibbons,

Bruce Bruce,

Michael Blaxton.

Michael Blaxton.

Wow.

Yeah, beasts in arenas where the NBA teams play.

But I'll never forget

Ashley Larry, Donnell Rollins.

We had Donnell a couple of weeks ago.

Yeah.

Oh, my God.

He got a standing ovation in front of me.

And I was enjoying, I was laughing at him.

And I was like, oops, I'm next.

I got to follow that.

You're in Atlanta.

All the bloggers on the first three rows.

All the celebrities on the first three rows.

You cannot have a bad show in Atlanta.

If you do, your career is screwed.

Yeah.

But

I apply Alabama football to everything.

I'm a big fan of Nick Sabin.

Guess what?

I have.

I have a playbook.

Oh, wow.

For your action one.

For your act.

Yes.

Wow.

I have like six different acts, right?

And I'm watching Donnell Rollins on stage, and I go and I get my playbook.

And I say, well, I can't do what I was going to do because he literally killed the audience.

And I know what they had a taste for,

right?

The audience is not going to have a taste for what I had planned.

I think they, he has swung the audience in this direction.

So I need to be over here

where they are.

Yeah.

I tore it out of the notebook.

And when he got a standing ovation, my role manager ran in front of the stage and took took that piece of paper and laid down my one through 10.

I only got 20 minutes on stage, but I did that one through 10.

I had enough sense to say, Hey, let me put this together.

I think this is the act that's appropriate for this particular audience, especially after what he just did.

Yeah, and I went out there and got a standing ovation also.

I love it.

Yeah, it's a lot of preparation go into comedy because you just can't, it depends on the audience and where you are and who you're you're performing with.

That decides what you're going to do on stage.

You know what I mean?

You have to switch it up.

Yeah, that's so smart.

We had a comedian on, and he said to us

that it's like a choose your own.

When you get good enough at comedy, we've done it a long time.

You've got a lot of material, you got a lot of resources in your brain and in your back pocket, that it's like a choose your own adventure.

And depending on the vibe, it's like you're walking through the forest and you're moving left and right, right?

You're choosing your own path as the audience.

You feel them out and you see how it is.

And I imagine, like, reading a putt, I'm sure you do some golfing, like reading a putt, you read Donnell's putt and you said, okay, I gotta, I gotta hit it this way.

Yep.

Super.

The experience is everything.

Uh, I've been performing for 35 years.

This November, it would be 36 years.

I started November 13th, 1989.

That's incredible.

That's when I went on stage for open mic night.

And listen, I tell you,

that experience in those years and years and in those comedy clubs and had people to train.

I used to open for Rita Ruttner.

I used to open for Ollie Joe Prater

and

Jeff

Foxworthy.

I used to open for those guys.

You opened for Jeff Foxworthy?

Yeah, at the comedy club in Birmingham.

That's what did.

That's crazy.

Yeah.

Yeah, I was a young.

How old were you

about 20.

when you got on stage for the first time you were about 20 years old yeah probably about 20 yeah what made you do what made you want to do this yeah you always knew you wanted to do this i went to a comedy club with a guy uh

that was on campus at miles college i was finishing up college at miles college he said hey i'm a comedian he said i knew him you know from being on campus hey come ride over to the comedy club with me i didn't have a car i was like sure i didn't have nothing to do i went over to the comedy club and i saw him on stage I'm like, if they're laughing at him doing those jokes, which he was funny,

I know, I know, I could do that because that's what we do.

We I would charge people to come in the dorm room and roast, and we would have roasting such.

We had the first wilding out in the dorm,

like, yeah, I would sit on one bed, and somebody on another floor down the hall would sit on another bed.

We would face each other and we would roast, just go at it.

And so, and I was, I was always known for telling funny stories and doing funny things because one of my classes, I was doing music in a music class.

Zebedee Jones, he's also a member of Omega South.

Wow.

And that was my music teacher.

And he was like, hey, why are you late?

I said, listen,

everybody's froze.

I said,

I had death in the family.

He said, oh my God, he said, I am so sorry.

Go ahead and have a seat.

Mr.

Smiley, if you need anything, let us know.

He said,

you know, he said, I feel bad for you.

He said,

who was it?

I said, it was my uncle.

We were really, really close.

I said, but they got him a hearing aid now, and I think he's going to be fine.

Yeah, the deaf in the deaf.

It took him about three minutes.

Three minutes that

thing started hitting like microwave pop on pop.

How about he dismissed class?

Oh, no.

He took the class down.

Oh, my God.

That's too funny on a deaf in the family.

That is dad joke level funny.

All right.

So here's a question.

And we're calling back to the beginning of this interview.

You know, call back.

You've been on radio for a long time.

I'm calling back for a second.

Holland Oates, on your blonde-haired, blue-eyed, even though I don't think either of them are blonde hair.

Oh, no, I guess

Daryl would be blonde-haired, blue-eyed.

Holland Oates, they're early stuff.

Like, I mean, I'm not talking like they're poppy 80s shit, but they're early stuff.

Do you consider that?

Do you consider that good RB?

Was that?

Yeah, yeah, they played all of this stuff on.

Like,

I grew up listening to a radio station founded by Dr.

A.G.

Gaston.

Okay.

You got to Google Dr.

A.G.

Gaston.

He was a

grandson

slaves and he a self-made millionaire he lived not far from my grandparents but he lived in a big mansion and uh

that uh i would listen to win radio station and they would play those songs by daryl hall and john oaks and they would play i remember growing up as a kid uh they was playing fleetwood mac on black radio station oh yeah It's good.

You would hear Christy McBay singing, You Make Loving Fun.

And you would listen to dreams by Stevie Nicks.

Oh, they played all that stuff in between Marvin Gaye and the Commodore.

And then when MTB came out, you had to watch all the videos to get to Michael Jackson thriller.

That's it.

That's it.

I was just watching, you know, this is crazy.

Like earlier this morning, I was watching a real, I mean, Instagram.

One of the Instagram accounts I watched is like found footage.

And it was found footage of Michael Jackson and his choreographer doing the smooth criminal dance work, like figuring that out and this choreography that he had used.

And listen, we all talk about Michael's personal life till we're blue in the face, but the truth is that he blessed us with some of the best music and some of the best dancing that has ever been seen on earth.

And watching him figure all of this out with this choreography is like watching Van Gogh paint.

It's like quite crazy how he moves his body.

And

I have, you know, I don't have admiration for some of the things he was accused of of doing, never found guilty, but I don't have admiration for that, obviously.

But I have admiration for the way that he just

used his mind and his body and his voice to create these works of art.

It's quite frankly, it's crazy.

One of the best of all time.

You better believe it.

So you have a book out.

What's the title of the book?

I'm sorry, I don't have the.

The name of the book is called Sideshow.

Now, I don't know if you know anything about,

I think the group is called Blue Magic.

They had a song called Let the Side Show Begin.

Hurry, hurry, step right on in.

Yes, can't afford to pass it by, guaranteed to make you cry,

right?

So, that song is about a clown that's sad.

And if you ever listen to the songs, a sad show, sometimes that's a story of a lot of our great comedians.

Our job is to make people laugh while we're crying on the inside.

Yes, Donnell Rawling said the same thing while he was here.

Oh, man, listen.

I lost my son on a Sunday.

Wednesday, I was back on the air.

I was back on the air Wednesday.

Tuesday night, I picked out his clothes,

put the clothes in the car.

Wednesday, I did the morning show.

And I went to the funeral home to do the help with final arrangements.

But I have a job to do because

this is the reason why I've had a lot of success in radio because I had to realize that I'm not the only one that lost a son.

There's a lot of listeners that have lost a son also that can relate to what you're going through.

And your job as a human being is to use your situation and not as a human being, as a Christian, is to use your situation.

to bless others.

It's not about you.

It's not all about you.

Somebody in Chicago, somebody in Charlotte, somebody in South Florida, somebody in Decatur and Bankhead and Buckhead.

And, you know,

somebody in Dallas, Texas, and Houston have lost a son or daughter also.

Yeah.

And my job is to get on the air and get people motivated and encouraged and let them know if I can make it, you can make it also.

And remember, everything that we all go through as human beings is only a test.

But it don't feel like a test when you're you're going through it, but it's a test.

God watches us and

say, hey, I really like the way he's handling that situation because if you can't handle this, you're not ready to go to the next level that God has for you.

And so we have to always be mindful of that, of having a successful podcast, having a successful radio show.

We have to sometimes make it about, make it not about you.

And let's find out how can we find a way to help other people, share your story to help other people and bring people closer to God and save lives.

Because my son died from an overdose.

But like my mom said, I would go to NA meetings with my mom.

And one thing I learned in ENA meeting is some have to die so others can live.

Now, if my son died and I saved a lot of lives because he died.

Wow.

And,

you know, that's the responsibility that we have as radio personalities is to have these real conversations about things that really hurt us in order to make the world a better place.

It's a very powerful reminder.

And

I think it's a very powerful reminder, too.

We get a lot of email, like you do, a lot of emails, a lot of text messages.

Most of them, hey, great job.

Love the show.

That was funny.

This is interesting.

But some of them are really powerful that, hey, having a bad day and you made it a little brighter.

Or

some of them have even been more intense, like, hey, having a bad life, and you made it a little bit better.

And thank you for that.

But

for you to use your experience and share that shared experience, that really is what being human is all about.

And I do think that God has found in those moments when we can use our own experience to comfort someone, make them more wise, give them a different perspective, or even just have the ability to hold space for them.

Like, you know, you're going through this too.

And I just want to tell you that I'm here with you.

And I see that pain and I feel it.

You're not alone.

Yeah.

And that's.

When I went on that book tour,

I was because that's my, I wrote my, that was my second book.

I'm thinking, I'm thinking you're going to sign the book and go to the next person, sign the book, go to the next person, sign the book.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Oh, I can imagine.

These people have lost.

I had a lady.

I'll never forget it.

Nashville,

two that stick out, with me was a couple

because I found a sense of gratitude.

There was a couple that lost their three-year-old son.

He drowned.

And they were sitting in the back of the book sign and they were both in tears the whole time.

And I'm sitting here like,

well, their son was three years old.

They didn't get to see their kid get on the school bus.

My son was 32.

Yeah.

Their son was three.

Man, like, like, and

how is it that I was able to find gratitude from that?

Yeah.

The fact that they did not get to see their son graduate middle school, elementary school, high school.

I was able to take my son, drop my son off, you know, off to college.

And,

you know, when I met a lady that said she lost her son and her husband, and she said, I don't want to talk about it.

She had tears in her eyes.

She just stopped talking.

I said, ma'am, are you okay?

She just shook her head.

She wouldn't say anything or she wouldn't speak another word.

I grabbed her and I stood her behind me.

I said, I want you to wait.

I don't want you to just, I want you to wait.

She had purchased a book.

Yeah.

I politely, I say, is there a therapist in the room?

And it was like two.

And the fact that I was able to connect her to a therapist to get her,

you know, the help that she needs.

That was so important.

That's just my responsibility as.

a radio personality, as a human being, as a Christian, as a comedian, is to put people in the right place.

So, you know what I'm saying?

Everything is orchestrated

by God anyway.

And

I have to let God allow God to use me, you know, in order to

help people, whether it's on the radio or in person.

So I just give God all the glory for

if

I was able to help anybody with my situation.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Well, serendipity is the kiss of heaven.

Yeah.

And it's like, it is inspiring.

And there is,

we do often find purpose in the depths of darkness, right?

That is,

you know, I used to say this very simple phrase.

I thought I was wise at the time.

I was probably 15 when I thought it or said it for the first time.

There is no light without the darkness, right?

It's just you, you don't know what it is.

You don't know what it is to have a good day unless you've had bad.

Now take that and put it on your worst day.

And you know, that's those are the times when I think you can find some real purpose and be grateful for all of the things, times, and other things that you've got.

I think you're really brave to talk about this so openly, to be so transparent about it.

And I think it's probably why you have such a dedicated and loyal audience, and they're going to have to drag you out of that radio studio.

Right.

Ricky Smiley has a brand new Hulu special.

I'm not brand new.

It actually came out in May, didn't it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

But man, let me tell you something.

It's still new because a lot of people have not seen it.

Listen, listen.

Yeah.

Tell us.

I tell you what,

you're going to be laid out.

It's solid funny.

When I talk about the white version of Thanksgiving versus the black version, too.

Thanksgiving.

I watched 20 minutes of it and I watched that part.

That part of it was part of the 20 minutes.

It is so fucking funny and it is so fucking true.

Stovetop stuffing.

that's what we like.

We don't want any oysters or old bay seasoning.

We just want stoved, bland stovetop stuffing.

Come on, Devil.

A little bit.

Man, when I tell you that, that, that about white people out, I talk about my 600-pound life TV show.

That's my favorite show.

That's his favorite show.

That's my favorite show.

That's his favorite show.

All the women, all the women that's on that, they all got a man.

Everyone, but all the men over there don't got a woman none of them not one of them has a woman it's weird it's so strange i agree with you oh we should i talk about that for probably about 10 minutes oh i'm gonna go watch that part i'm gonna go watch the rest of it yeah i i got to about 20 minutes of it I go through every single part of my 600-pound life.

I am obsessed with you.

Me too.

I mean, you found a brother everywhere.

Yeah, me too.

We should have a watch party.

We'll get on Zoom.

Next time you're in Atlanta, we'll do a watch party.

i love it

i love it that dr nazardan you know you know hello hello his voice is

he said she said he said i can't stay here he said i have to eat something

he said you have ate enough to last you the next four years i know he told one lady she said but i can't i can't do the diet i'm i find myself starving he goes you could not starve in the next 10 years you've eaten enough food for 50 people.

He does, he calls it like he sees it, and it's not like Dr.

Narzard is like, you know, two pounds sopping wet.

The guy has got a little weight on him, too, but he just calls out all of their bullshit.

But I guess when you're 90 and you've seen it all, you've heard it all.

Yeah,

that's my show.

You know, I had this little span about little people.

That cranked people up.

That had people like in tears.

Wait, do you watch the seven little Johnstons?

Yeah.

You have found your TLA.

I used to watch Little Women Atlanta.

Little Women Atlanta.

I watched that for a while.

Little People, Big World.

I'm fascinated.

I'm fascinated by all of them.

I used to call them the baby housewives.

They were.

That's like what it was.

They were flipping small tables.

Yeah, so yeah, my comedy special on Hulu is crazy.

If you have not seen it, make sure you go to Hulu and watch it.

And just go to Hulu.

And when you go to search, you can pull up Ricky Smiley or Foolish.

Foolish.

Foolish.

Or links in the show notes as they always are.

Links in the show notes to the books.

Links in the show notes to find Ricky on a syndicated radio station.

You're you.

He is legend.

He is comedy gold.

I feel really honored to have spoken with you after so many years of knowing about you and listening to you.

And it's the myth, the legend.

Yeah, they say sometimes don't meet your heroes, but this has turned out just fine this has been great you haven't spent enough time with us for either of us to screw it up so congratulations yeah i gotta come hang out with y'all man we're gonna play all soft rock you know uh

played aha she played aha uh yesterday she played take on me oh take on me

my my kids was in the car they love aha they love they know all of the words and that video speaking of videos from back in the day is that the one where they it was drawn

half drawn

and they move move in and out.

That was amazing technology for the time.

Yeah, because you know, someone had to draw a ball by hand.

I have kids and grandkids, and they are all in the kitchen.

They love Benny and the Jets by Elton John, and they love, I've been waiting

for a girl like you

to come into

my life.

I've been waiting.

That's foreigner, isn't it?

I think that's foreigner.

Foreign.

Yeah, foreigner.

Yeah, man.

Yeah.

So

yeah, yeah, we got to catch up.

Let's hang out

in a couple of months when you're in Atlanta.

I know you come here often.

When you're in Atlanta, we'll coordinate because we uh, we're right down the street.

We have a studio right down the street for you.

I mean, I'm downtown, and so we'll do it.

Ricky Smiley, Hulu, book, tour, radio, legend.

Thank you, Ricky.

Thank you so much, Ricky.

Pleasure.

Thank y'all.

Thank y'all

so much for having me, man.

Y'all be blessed.

Anytime.

Bye, Ricky.

You make this rather snappy, won't you?

Somebody got me thinking to do it before 10 o'clock.

Hi, cats and kittens.

Rachel here.

Do you ever get the urge to speak endlessly into the void like Brian?

Well, I've got just the place for you to do that.

212-433-3TCB.

That's 212-433-3822.

Feel free to call and yell all you want.

Tell Brian I need a race.

Compliment Chrissy's innate ability to put up with all his shenanigans.

Or tell us a little story.

The juicier, the better, by the way.

We'd love to hear your voice because Lord knows we're done listening to ourselves.

Also, give us a follow on your favorite socials at the Commercial Break on Insta, TCB Podcast on TikTok.

And for those of you who like to watch, oh, that came out wrong.

We put all the episodes out on video.

Youtube.com/slash the commercial break and tcbpodcast.com for all the info on the show.

Your free sticker, or just to see how pretty we look.

Okay, I gotta go now.

I've got a date.

With my dog?

No, seriously, Axel needs food.

Today is pork chop day.

Ready to level up?

Chumba Casino is your playbook to fun.

It's free to play with no purchase necessary.

Enjoy hundreds of online social games like Blackjack, Slots, and Solitaire anytime, anywhere, with fresh releases every week.

Whether you're at home or on the go, let Chumba Casino bring the excitement to you.

Plus, get free daily login bonuses and a free welcome bonus.

Join now for your chance to redeem some serious prizes.

Play Chumba Casino today.

No purchase necessary VGW Group Voidword Prohibited by Law 21 Plus.

TNCs apply.

Ready to level up?

Chumba Casino is your playbook to fun.

It's free to play with no purchase necessary.

Enjoy hundreds of online social games like Blackjack, Slots, and Solitaire anytime, anywhere, with fresh releases every week.

Whether you are at home or on the go, let Chumba Casino bring the excitement to you.

Plus, get free daily login bonuses and a free welcome bonus.

Join now for your chance to redeem some serious prizes.

Play Chumba Casino today.

No purchase necessary.

VGW Group.

Voidboard prohibited by law 21 plus.

TNCs apply.

Well, that was an interview I won't soon forget for all the right reasons.

Yeah, so inspiring.

I mean, he just had a smile on his face the whole time.

And what incredible energy.

Yeah, you can feel it coming through the screen.

Like, I just don't know how to explain it.

Ricky was

a breath of fresh air in

a room that is is dark and full of wires and black curtains.

And Brian, it was good.

It was good.

I really liked Ricky.

I look forward to the follow-up interview where we have him in person.

Yeah, I kind of felt like I want to give him a hug at the end, like high five him and give him a hug.

And

I don't know.

I'm going to invite myself over to his Atlanta home to watch my 600-pound life and Seven Little Johnston

when the new season comes out because it's coming out soon.

It is?

I think so.

Yeah.

I suspect my

spidey sense tells me my TLC ameter

tells me that there's a new,

well, they do like half seasons.

They'll do like eight episodes at a time.

Yeah.

They record, I think, 16 or 20 of them, and then they put them out 10 at a time so they can stretch it out throughout the year.

Same with my 600-pound life, and I think both of those are coming back.

When the kids go back in school, new episodes come out because people aren't out fucking around.

Parents like to watch that.

That's right.

I'm so happy.

He's a my 100.

I'm so happy.

I'm so happy.

Ricky Smiley made me smiley.

I have a new Starbucks boyfriend, even though he drinks Sanka.

I have a Sanka boyfriend and a Starbucks boyfriend.

There you go.

All right, Ricky Smiley, all his information is down in the show notes.

His Hulu special that just came out a month or two ago.

Go watch it.

Ricky's funny.

Read his book about grief and forgiveness, gratefulness.

I think we should get a copy of that quite frankly.

I'm going to check it out.

And then you can go see him on tour.

Again, links in the show notes.

As always, much thanks to Ricky and all the people who made that happen.

Really grateful we got the time with him today.

Really grateful we got the time with him today.

All right, the window is ajar for our merch.

So now that we've talked about Ricky, let's talk about us for a minute.

Let's get back to the important part: legend to legend to legend.

Let's get back to the other legends.

967, the legend.

Shop TCBPodcast.com.

That's shoptcbpodcast.com.

Available now.

Go get your TCB merch, please, and thanks.

We would appreciate it.

Pre-order now.

The merch will be on its way very soon.

Chrissy and I wearing our merch as we speak.

Yes, I love it.

University sweaters, piggyfronting t-shirts, commercial break t-shirts, hats, and a free sticker with every single order.

Go there, support the show, rock your gear.

You know, because we've been talking to you incessantly about it for two weeks.

So there you go.

Go now.

Buy it.

Now.

Links.

Buy now.

Links on the website at tcbpodcast.com.

Text me if you need me to send you the link.

212-433-3TCB.

That's 212-433-3822.

At the Commercial Break on Instagram.

TCB Podcast on TikTok.

And youTube.com slash The Commercial Break for all the episodes on video, including this one right now.

Okay, Chrissy, that's all I can do for you today.

I think so.

I will tell you that I love you.

And I love you.

I will say best to you.

Best to you.

And best to you out there in the podcast universe.

Until next time, we will say, we do say, and we must say.

Goodbye.

This episode is brought to you by Nespresso Virtuo Coffee Machines.

Ready to enjoy the bold flavors of barista quality Nespresso iced coffee at home?

Simply fill a glass with ice and press the brew button on your Virtuo Pop Machine to enjoy rich double espresso roasted to stand up even when chilled.

Refreshingly bold iced coffee.

Refreshingly easy to make at home.

Visit Nespresso.com to shop now.

Jif Peanut Butter.

It's that Jiffing Good.

It doesn't really need advertising.

So instead, enjoy the calming sounds of the ocean.

Jif.

It's that Jiffing Good.

Get your GIF at GIF.com

Lowe's knows that no matter your paint project, saving is at the top of your list.

That's why when you shop today, you can buy one, get one free.

Select Valspar and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams One Coat Coverage Interior Paints via rebate.

Shop these deals in store or online today at Lowe's.

We help you save.

Selection varies by location while supplies last.

Discount taking the time of purchase.

See Sales Associate for details.

Offer valid 821 through 93.