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Tom Dreesen made over 500 appearances on national television as a stand-up comedian, including 50 appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and 11 with Jay Leno. He was a favorite guest of David Letterman with 50 appearances, and Dave even had him sit in as host when Dave had a case of shingles. He was Frank Sinatra’s longest running opening act and preceded Frank on stage for the last 14 years that Frank performed. He appeared countless times in Las Vegas, Tahoe, Reno and Atlantic City with artists like Smokey Robinson, Liza Minnelli, Natalie Cole and Sammy Davis, Jr. Tom also appeared in numerous television shows—from Columbo to Murder She Wrote, and in motion pictures including Man on the Moon and Spaceballs. He is currently receiving rave reviews around the country for his one-man show An Evening Of Laughter and Memories of Sinatra. Tom will be performing at the Laugh Factory in Scottsdale, Arizona Thursday, March 24 through Saturday, March 26.
Dreesen grew up in Harvey, Illinois, a tough, industrial town just south of Chicago. He attended Thornton Township High School there. While working as an insurance salesman in 1968, he met Tim Reid through a local Jaycee chapter, and the two teamed up as Tim and Tom, the first bi-racial stand-up comedy duo in the United States. Their book “Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White” tells the story of the pioneering duo and how they overcame racism in a tough and changing world.
Dreesen has also made an indelible mark with his philanthropic activities. For 30 years he has donated his talent to over 100 charities, and he also founded a “Day for Darlene” to benefit Multiple Sclerosis Research. He ran 26 miles on three occasions for the event, which is named for his late sister who was afflicted with MS.
He has a street named after him in his hometown. He was a 2005 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 1999. On top of all this, he has a phenomenal memory, is extremely articulate and a first-rate human being. Overall, he’s an inspiring tribute to tenacity in overcoming challenge with class. He is one of the most decent, well-grounded and well-liked persons in the entertainment world.
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