Kelly Taylor
Defining happiness through comedy, family & the outdoors Photo by Genelle Amber Studios
In a theatre full of people, Kelly Taylor sat anxiously behind a curtain waiting to take the stage. In Hamilton, Ontario, a long way from his hometown of Prince Albert, Taylor was doing his first show at a theatre. The only comic on the bill, he thought to himself “you’ve made it man, this is it.” Looking back now Taylor laughs, “That was a noon college gig, that was not making it.”
almost full time in his last year of University and barely getting to class but managed to finish school and get his degree.
Taylor started off doing bar shows drinking beer, telling jokes and getting rowdy to connect with the crowd. Always in party mode, he found it hard to transition to corporate events. Different audiences forced Taylor to evolve and write new material. It's not about the Not even a year into comedy, Kelly Taylor was recognition or an ego thing, it's headlining and working about happiness. towards bigger things.
17 years ago, Kelly Taylor started his journey as a comedian and father. A university student at the time, pursuing his Bachelor of Education, Taylor had other visions Everything I love In 2005, with less than for his career. “I always is here. knew I wanted to do three years under his I love PA. comedy. I just didn’t know belt, Taylor placed second how to get into in the Just for Laughs it,” he says. His first Homegrown competition, gig was a corporate function for his which launched his career. “It’s how I mom’s co-workers, a show that’s rarely got my manager. There was interest a comedian’s first. The show went from Universal, Happy Madison and better than expected and led to more Jimmy Kimmel,” he explains. This led to opportunities. At the time, his girlfriend a Canadian college tour where he was and now wife, Karen was pregnant named Canadian College Comedian of with their first child, “I used comedy the Year. as way to get out of the house,” he reveals laughing. He was doing comedy Continued on page 28
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