Al Jackson

Former public school teacher Al Jackson talks to the Gazette about his transition from teacher to a stand-up comedian on Comedy Central. Al regularly visits Billings to perform his real-life inspired comedy. - Billings Gazette

Al Jackson has been doing stand-up comedy for about six years, and he’s played some tough rooms. None were tougher than the classroom where he taught seventh graders in Miami. “You think you’re the funny teacher,” he says, “but when you’re 26 and they are 12-year-olds, they think you’re old and washed up. They don’t think you’re funny at all and they do a lot to undermine your confidence.

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They’re like, ‘Whatever old man!’” Despite the response from his students, Jackson started looking into open mics, but not to satisfy some artistic need. He was simply looking for something to do at night. “I had never told a joke before, never written a joke,” he says. “I went out to the open mic, people laughed a little bit, came back the next week, people laughed some more and some more, next thing you know I’m headed to Cincinnati for the weekend.” Obviously he has enjoyed the career move. “I came up really fast. I was headlining clubs after two and half years. The business has been great to me so far. Not many people can say that about show business.” Al Jackson performs at The Funny Bone on the Levee Thursday-Sunday. $12-$14. Get showtimes, tickets and find nearby bars and restaurants here. - City Beat

Comedy Central's "Friday Night Stand Up" season is in full swing, and HuffPost Comedy has your weekly sneak peek right here. Check back every week for exclusive segments courtesy of Comedy Central's Jokes.com of all the latest episodes of "Comedy Central Presents" before they air.

This week, Al Jackson talks about his former career as a middle school science teacher, including the worst black history month report he's ever seen. He also drops some knowledge about what teachers really do on their nights off:

"You guys ever walk into your classroom on like a Tuesday or a Thursday when you were in middle school or high school, and there was a movie playing for absolutely no reason? That's because your teacher got F***ED UP the night before!"

Watch the exclusive clip below and catch Jackson's half-hour stand-up special this Friday Feb. 18 at
11:00 p.m. EST/10:00 CST on Comedy Central. - Huffington Post

Al Jackson: From Teacher to Stand-Up

February 18 08:30AM by Megan Gray | comments: 0

Those who can't do — teach. And those who don't want to teach anymore do stand-up comedy. It's a natural progression, dating back to when Socrates got tired of Plato and wanted to tell jokes about ethics. For a modern day example, look to Al Jackson, a former public school teacher who is now a comedian. His Comedy Central Presents airs tonight and I give it an A. - Comedy Central Insider Blog

[...] "Teaching's not that bad, except for the kids!" cracks Al Jackson, a one-time educator vying for position on the sixth annual search for the world's funniest comic. "Parents say, 'My son has an F in your class -- why'd he get an F?' Because I couldn't give him a G!" [...] - Waterloo Region Record

Al Jackson, who starred in his own Comedy Central special and was featured on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” will perform Friday at the Courtyard Marriott in Jackson Township. There will be two shows, at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Also appearing will be Bill Squire from The Cleveland Kings of Comedy Tour. To order tickets, $15, and for video clips of each comic, visit www.cantoncomedyseries.com. - Canton Rep

[...] The festival still has at its heart stand-up comedy shows Friday and Saturday night at the Hermit Club. Different this year, though, is the selectivity of the lineup. Sixty comics competed for 24 slots, six in each show. Time Warner Cable is taping the shows and will air some of the stand-up sets later. Viewers on the cable system can then vote for a winner, who will receive $1,000 in prize money. National paid headliners will anchor each show. Al Jackson headlines on Friday, Brad Trackman on Saturday. There's a huge improv component, too, and workshops for aspiring stand-ups and improv performers. [...] - Cleveland.com

[...] A peanut gallery of "experts" and quipsters chime in on short films chosen for their focus on imagination, invention and the extremes of human experience. Look for commentary from actors Amber Benson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Samm Levine ("Freaks and Geeks") and TV personalities Brooke Hogan, Ralph Garman and Josh Gates, best known as host of Syfy's "Destination Truth." Comedians Ben Gleib, Owen Benjamin, Al Jackson, Jodi Miller and Eliot Chang also offer their two cents. [...] - South Coast Today