Barry Brewer’s journey as a comedian, actor, and musician is unique and inspiring. His multi-faceted perspective brings humor and thought-provoking reflections to every performance. In this blog post, we take a look at Barry’s career, from his Chicago home to working with Hollywood and media superstars like Tyler Perry, and see just how Barry Brewer is a star in his own right!

Barry’s Background

Barry is from the Southside of Chicago, Illinois. He found himself growing up between the church and Southside’s notoriously violent streets. During his tumultuous upbringing, he found stability with his grandfather, Big Jim. Until his passing, Big Jim made sure Barry was in church regularly. His involvement in church inspired his love of music, and he learned to play the organ, piano, drums, and saxophone. After being on his own from the age of 17, Barry decided to move to LA when he turned 21 to pursue an entertainment career.

A Unique Perspective

With a fresh, unique perspective drawn from his black heritage and personal experiences, Barry seamlessly combines humor and poignant cultural commentary. He delights audiences with funny jokes that are also reflections of lived experiences. This transcendental comedic experience sheds light on the nuances of Black life in America. He has an unparalleled ability to connect with audiences through shared feelings and relatable experiences. With his unique authenticity, and willingness to tell the jokes many others wouldn’t, he has developed a style in niche in comedy that is rare and serving a niche that has long gone underserved.

Comedic Style

When Barry started spending time in LA, his pursuit of a career in entertainment was ready to take off. Comedy is his first love, and he has truly mastered the art of stand-up—at least as much as anyone can. He has a command of the stage that exudes comfort and puts everyone in the audience at ease. He refers to Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence as two of his most significant influences. Another influence he frequently refers to is actor, musician, and comedian Jamie Foxx.

Notable Work

Barry has performed in many televised stand-up comedy competitions and released his debut stand-up special, “Barry Brewer: Chicago I’m Home,” in 2019. Also, in 2019, Barry produced a sold-out nationwide comedy tour, “When the Whole Crew is Stupid,” originally conceived by his counterpart on tour, Jahdai Pickett. Bigg Jah, Minks, and Barry worked together on the tour, and there may even be more of the crew to come!

Barry was cast in a recurring role on BET drama “Games People Play” and has been featured in Kevin Hart’s “Guide to Black History”. Working with Tyler Perry gave Barry a big career boost. His work on Perry’s creation, “Bruh”, gave him an expansive, worldwide audience and inspired him to do more writing and producing of his own.

A Rising Star

Although Barry started his career in comedy over 20 years ago, he made national headlines this year during his appearance on “America’s Got Talent”. His stand-up act about white and black churches made the live audience and streaming viewers roar with laughter. He just performed and recorded his second stand-up special, “Almost Jaded.” In a recent interview with Jeandra Lebeauf, Barry discusses “Almost Jaded,” explaining how circumstances in life have tried to bring him down, but he has continued to rise above. His new special is sure to be funny and meaningful, true to his signature style.

And of course, BlackOakTV has partnered with Barry Brewer in the past as well. We hosted his two-part comedy series, “The Next Generation of Standup“. We also partnered with Brewer on the BlackOakTV Original “Jack and Jill“. The show is no longer on BlackOakTV, but we’re sure you can find it on a streamer near you soon!