CBS’ Late Show host David Letterman said on his show last week, ”After all these years, you’re telling me there’s no presence, Jerry lewis has no presence on his own (show)?”

“If this is the way we’re going culturally, then we should go all the way and just tell grandpa we don’t need him for thanksgiving,” sarcastically informed comedian Larry Miller.

Another group of comedians who lobbyed the MDA extremely hard to have Lewis reinstated have decided to create an award in the hosts honor. The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood will sponsor a fundraiser on Labor Day, Sept. 5. for for those comedians who plan to hand out the award. The owner of the club, Jamie Masada, hopes to make the event annual until MDA is finally cured.

“This Jerry Lewis Award will be annual, like the Nobel Peace Prize,” Masada said. “An icon was treated dishonorably by the corporate charitable structure. Maybe it’s time to stress how an individual can make a difference.”

For interested fans who want to participate, the event will stream live from the Laugh Factory at 7 p.m.

Click here to watch a touching video that features Jerry talking about his life, MDA, and hosting the telethon:

As Chairman, Lewis was a fan favorite among the viewers and celebs who participated in the telethon. In fact, Lewis had so much respect from his peers that last Friday afternoon a number of fellow comedians held a press conference at the Laugh Factory in his support.

According to the San Diego Reader, “Taking to the stage to voice their discontent with the MDA’s decision were Paul Rodriguez, Larry Miller, Tom Dreesen, and French comedian Mustapha El Atrassi.” The website also reported that Dave Chapelle and Kevin Pollak wrote emails voicing their displeasure with the MDA’s decision.

Lewis’s co-host Norm Crosby called the MDA’s actions “abrupt and cruel.”

Rodney Howell, the Chairman of the Board of MDA, said in a statement that Lewis “is a world-class humanitarian and we’re forever grateful to him for his more than half century of generous service to MDA.”

Check out this clip from Jerry’s 2010 telethon. Who would have guessed it’d be his last?

Bobby Slayton

The legendary comedian/actor known worldwide as the “Pit Bull of Comedy” will be joining the benefit Thursday night to help raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Slayton is booked to play Tommy T’s all this coming weekend, but has added an extra night to take part in the MDA event.

Slayton will join Sacramento wheelchair comedian Michael O’Connell in a show where 100% of ticket sales will be donated by Tommy T’s to the MDA. Michael O’Connell tee shirts will also be sold to raise monies for the charity, a charity near to O’Connell as he suffers from Muscular Dystrophy himself.

Per his bio, Bobby Slayton “has been performing his own intense style of stand-up comedy for over 20 years, becoming one of the best known, respected, and energetic comics working today. Audiences around the country may recognize Bobby from his scene-stealing roles in movies such as ‘Get Shorty,’ ‘Ed Wood,’ ‘Bandits’ and most recently ‘Dreamgirls.’ He’s been seen on dozens of television shows including ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Politically Incorrect.’ Bobby’s many appearances on HBO have included ‘Comic Relief ‘& his own stand-up special. He was a series regular on the HBO series ‘Mind of a Married Man,’ and played ‘Joey Bishop’ opposite Ray Liotta and Joe Mantegna in the critically acclaimed film ‘The Rat Pack.’

Slayton’s distinctive gravelly voice has often been heard on animated shows like ‘Dr. Katz’ and ‘Family Guy,’ as well as many popular radio shows across the country including Howard Stern, Kevin & Bean, and Tom Leykis.

The NY Daily News called Slayton ‘Armed and Dangerous’ and the Las Vegas Review Journal pointed out that ‘Slayton’s refusal to comprise his art has always made him worth a special trip.’”

Michael O’Connell is a comedian new to the comedy scene, but has achieved much notoriety in his young career for his unique disability-themed humor. After winning an open mic night at Tommy T’s his first night on stage, he went on to compete in the Tommy T’s Talent Search Finals, advancing to the final round and finishing second overall. He’s gone on to play clubs and comedy rooms all over Sacramento, has been featured in the Sacramento Bee and local radio, and is in talks to appear on the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon in Las Vegas. His comedy has caught the attention of such celebrities as comedian/singer Dan Finnerty (of “The Dan Band”) and actor Adam Baldwin (“Chuck”, “Firefly”), both of whom have linked his videos on their Twitter pages.

Tickets for the event are $10.00 and are available at the door or through the Tommy T’s web site. The show begins at 7:30 PM.

Headlining May 27th For One Night Only!

Sacramento wheelchair comedian Michael O’Connell will be headlining “A Night of Accessible Comedy”, an MDA benefit show at Tommy T’s Comedy and Dinner Theater in Rancho Cordova, this Thursday, May 27th at 7:00 PM. The show will feature other local comics to be announced, and 100% of the ticket sales will go directly to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Michael O’Connell, who himself has Muscular Dystrophy, has been making news with his unique brand of disability-themed comedy around Sacramento, having been written up in the Sacramento Bee and interviewed on Capital Public Radio. He reached the final round of the Tommy T’s Talent Search Finals, finishing second overall, and has been playing clubs and rooms all over the city. He’s currently in talks to appear on the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon in Las Vegas this September, and has caught the attention of such celebrities as comedian/singer Dan Finnerty (“The Dan Band”) and actor Adam Baldwin, both of whom have posted his videos on their Twitter pages.

Tickets for the event are $10.00, either at the door or through Tommy T’s web site.

Click here for Reservations and to buy tickets!

Tell them you saw it on SacramentoComedy.Com!