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Comedy show performers have similar background as students

This Wednesday was the annual TigerFest Comedy Show featuring comedians Terry Tee, Willie Lynch Jr., and Jeremiah “JJ” Williamson.

With Terry Tee as the starting act and host of the show, along with DJ Twin, junior DeQuanna Alexander was picked on stage to help announce him.
Terry Tee is from the small town of  Bessemer, Alabama and eventually moved to Birmingham where he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham and also played football.

“My football coach actually got me into standup,” says Tee. “I actually wanted to go to the NFL but he said nah Terry I think you should keep doing standup. Apparently I was a terrible football player so I just stuck with comedy.”

The second act to the stage was Willie Lynch Jr. (and don’t forget to bounce when you say the Jr.) who is not your normal comedian. Lynch is originally from East St. Louis, Illinois and obtained his bachelor’s degree from Fisk University majoring in history, received his master’s degree from Tennessee State University and is currently working on his Ph.D. from Howard University. Lynch is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Lynch says, “My first time getting on stage was when I was 13. I’ve always wanted to be a comedian, but before I left for Fisk I had gotten sick and had a stroke from smoking and having it laced.  After that I stopped comedy for a while because at the time I could barely hold a conversation, but once I got better and kicked my bad habits, one of my friends and I went to see Conan O’Brien is St. Louis and loved it.  After that I told myself I would keep coming here until I got better and after two months the sky had become my limit.” Lynch was also the winner of the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition in 2012.

The headliner of the show was Jeremiah “JJ” Williamson, who also goes by “JJ From the Sipp” Williamson has been featured in the hit film Johnson Family Vacation with Cedric the Entertainer, BET’s Comic View, Showtime at the Apollo, and has worked with other big comedians such as Chris Tucker, Rickey Smiley, DL Hughley, and is currently still working with Cedric the Entertainer hopefully to release a Johnson Family Vacation 2.

Williamson was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi and attended Alcorn State University where he was in the band and a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and received his degree in industrial technology.

“As you can see I clearly do nothing with it but I but yes I DO have a degree for real,” says Williamson jokingly.

Williamson says comedy was a childhood dream of his and eventually took his talents to Atlanta to achieve his fame. Some of Williamson’s comical influences include Richard Pryor, Redd Fox, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, “and of course the late great Bernie Mac, may he rest in peace. Those cats right there helped make my career what it is today.”

Something that JJ lives by is to definitely live life to its fullest. “I always try to preach enjoy life while you’ve got it. There are so many crazy things that go on in the world today so I just keep a smile on my face and enjoy life while I can.”

Like Lynch, Williamson was also a winner of the Bay Area Comedy Competition in 2000 and is someone both Lynch and Tee look up to in the comedic world.

All three comedians got lots of laughs and giggles from the student body at here at Grambling and Terry Tee will go on to host the concert Thursday night with Kevin Gates and Dej Loaf.