Bobby Collins (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Bobby Collins is an American
stand-up comedian and film actor and has released six comedy
albums: I'm on the Boat, Women and Children First, On the Inside, I Wanna Go Home, You’re Not Coming With Us, Mr. New York and Out of Bounds.
He has opened for such showbiz stars as Frank Sinatra
, Cher
, Julio Iglesias
, Tony Bennett
and Dolly Parton
and was Rosie O'Donnell
's predecessor in hosting “VH-1’s Standup Spotlight.” He has also appeared in numerous television shows and movies, and is regularly featured on XM Satellite Radio
.
Collins was nominated for a CableACE Award
as well as for the American Comedy Awards 1997 “Stand-up Comic of the Year.” His second CD, “Out of Bounds,” was submitted for Grammy consideration. Described as a “perfect fusion of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis” by the New York Post
, Collins is known for his live stage performances, cable TV specials, numerous talk show appearances, feature film roles and comedy CDs.
In April 2008, he release his DVD, “Bobby Collins: Live From New York City,"
, he was raised in Glen Oaks, Queens
. He is the son of George and Margaret Collins and has two older brothers and one older sister. Collins attended New Hyde Park Memorial High School
in Long Island
and then went on to pursue a degree in history
from the State University of New York
at Buffalo
. Collins taught high school in Buffalo as a substitute teacher for one year, then worked in the Garment District
in New York City first at Wayne Rogers
and then at Calvin Klein
while pursuing a career at night in comedy. He first worked at Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club on the Upper East Side
of New York City and then went on to performing all over the city and in New Jersey
. He now lives in Santa Monica, California and he often uses the cultural tension between his two homes in his routines. Collins was named after his father's favorite comedian, Bob Hope
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stand-up comedian and film actor and has released six comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
albums: I'm on the Boat, Women and Children First, On the Inside, I Wanna Go Home, You’re Not Coming With Us, Mr. New York and Out of Bounds.
He has opened for such showbiz stars as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and was Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
's predecessor in hosting “VH-1’s Standup Spotlight.” He has also appeared in numerous television shows and movies, and is regularly featured on XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
.
Collins was nominated for a CableACE Award
CableACE Award
The CableACE Award was an award that was given from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in American cable television programming...
as well as for the American Comedy Awards 1997 “Stand-up Comic of the Year.” His second CD, “Out of Bounds,” was submitted for Grammy consideration. Described as a “perfect fusion of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis” by the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, Collins is known for his live stage performances, cable TV specials, numerous talk show appearances, feature film roles and comedy CDs.
In April 2008, he release his DVD, “Bobby Collins: Live From New York City,"
Early life
A native of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he was raised in Glen Oaks, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. He is the son of George and Margaret Collins and has two older brothers and one older sister. Collins attended New Hyde Park Memorial High School
New Hyde Park Memorial High School
New Hyde Park Memorial Junior/Senior High School is a six-year public high school in New Hyde Park, New York, as part of the Sewanhaka Central High School District. Like the four other high schools in the Sewanhaka Central district, the school is home to grades 7 to 12, a combined middle and high...
in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and then went on to pursue a degree in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Collins taught high school in Buffalo as a substitute teacher for one year, then worked in the Garment District
Garment District
Garment District has several uses including:*Garment District, Manhattan - in New York City*Garment District - in Cambridge, Massachusetts*Los Angeles Garment District, also known as the Fashion District*Garment District...
in New York City first at Wayne Rogers
Wayne Rogers
William Wayne McMillan Rogers III is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S...
and then at Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
while pursuing a career at night in comedy. He first worked at Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
of New York City and then went on to performing all over the city and in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He now lives in Santa Monica, California and he often uses the cultural tension between his two homes in his routines. Collins was named after his father's favorite comedian, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
.