Grace White in "Hippie Heaven"

Now Appearing in Comedy Heaven

For those of you who knew Grace White, Northern California based comedian, producer, friend and self-named “Old Hippie Chick” were saddened to hear on December 3, 2009 that Grace had lost her 2 year battle with lung cancer.

White, who had been given 3 months to live by doctors in November 2007, defied the odds and launched on a campaign to educate and raise money to fight the deadly disease.

White was a classic bohemian with, as she put it, “a mother who stalks her, a father to whom road rage is an art-form, and a stand-up comedy act like no other.” White launched her comedy career at age 50 and opened for many musical acts like Starship, Edgar Winter, and Jethro Tull, and performed with many headline comedians like Kevin Pollack, Jack Mayberry, Rocky LaPorte, and Father Guido Sarducci.

She performed on many television shows, like “Good Morning America” and the “Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon,” and was a regular at San Francisco’s long-running annual “Comedy Day” celebration.

While working as a standup comedian and producer of the comedy tour Women Who Kick Comedy Butt, tour that she took nationwide, she was diagnosed with stage 4 inoperable lung cancer.

During her 2 year battle, White worked with Bonnie J. Addario to get the word out about lung cancer’s underfunding and shot a national PSA that created awareness for the dire need for more funding for lung cancer research and early detection with Dr. Morosini (Dana Reeve’s sister).

White, was one of the most inspirational women in local comedy. Making friends and opening opportunities for herself and other comics where none existed before.

On a personal note, in the late 1990′s, when I produced a “one nighter” comedy room in Modesto, CA I knew that every year Grace would bid on taking over the room. She succeeded for a year and then in 2004, when I again was producing that room, she came to me and offered her “black book” of talent and offered it up unconditionally. I think that is what I remember most about Grace. She gave opportunities to all of the other comics by providing or finding venues for them to perform.

Here is a video of Grace White working a small room…

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