07.11.19

PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
FUNKIN’ FUNNY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39
but then I get to Hollywood and they made me the
family man, the all American. I’m not really that guy,
but give me an opportunity and I’ll take it and go toe
to toe with anyone.”
Indeed, Sinbad ran with the opportunity to be
both a family-friendly comic and an African-American
role model. He earned praise for presenting a
positive portrayal of black fatherhood in the Fox
sitcom “The Sinbad Show,” an image he fought hard
to portray because of his own life as a devoted father
to two children and long-lasting marriage.
The sitcom lasted for one season, but he was
quickly propelled to the big screen, earning starring
roles in movies including “Houseguest,” “First Kid”
and “Jingle All the Way” throughout the 1990s. The
legendary Quincy Jones tapped him to be the host of
the now-defunct UPN network’s late-night talk show
“Vibe,” making him only the second African-American
late-night talk show host, following Arsenio Hall.
While his movie-star run ended in the 2000s,
Sinbad has continued to pack clubs and theaters with
his stand-up act and earned a sitcom comeback last
season with a regular role on the Fox sitcom “Rel” as
the title character’s father.
One other show of interest that he was involved in
was competing on a season of “Celebrity Apprentice”
under Donald Trump. His experiences there led to
some interesting recollections of the president.
“I go further back with him than that, because I
used to perform at Trump Casinos in the ’80s,” he recalls.
. “He’s always been a jerk and selfish. New Yorkers
let him get away with too much, like a baby that
doesn’t get corrected and it grows up a nightmare.
“’The Apprentice’ was supposed to be a joke, picking
a guy who was bankrupt multiple times and letting
him tell people they’re fired,” he adds. “I should
have never done the show but they said it was for
charity. But you get on, and charity was the last thing
on his mind. He just loves the fights and to stir things
up, and to get entertainers he thinks are over around
him, so he can act like he’s better than us.”
Sinbad has emerged victorious in life, with a
three-decade marriage and a ranking among Comedy
Central’s top 100 comics of all time. He loves performing
what he calls “Funkedy/Jazzedy” with his
band including a horn section, but he has learned to
play guitar, bass, trombone and trumpet himself in
addition to currently learning keyboards and how to
use “a foot pedal mixed with deejay technology” to
play many instruments himself.
“The key to lasting is that you look at great athletes
like LeBron James, musicians like Quincy Jones,” he says.
“I think you keep honing it, never stop. I will outwork
you, even in my music. I don’t think I ever catch people on
music but I will out entertain you.
“The good thing about this age if you’re not dead
or a drug addict, all those hours make it easier when
you walk out on stage, so that you can deliver with
ease and not in a wheelchair,” he concludes. “I’m not
jaded. How can I mutate without losing me? How can
you be relevant in this time without losing your own
style? That’s the question to always answer.” n
Sinbad performs at 9 p.m. Friday, July 12, at the Rose, 245 E.
Green St., Pasadena. Tickets are $38 to $68. Call (888)645-5006
or visit wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com.
40 PASADENA WEEKLY | 07.11.19