When I was on WHAS/Louisville a few weeks ago, I planned on talking with both Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen about their years as America’s first (and last) interracial comedy team, as recounted in their book, “Tim & Tom: An American Comedy In Black And White.” Unfortunately, Tim couldn’t make it, but Tom and I had a good conversation. Afterwards, he promised me that he’d get Tim to join us another time, which is exactly what happened Tuesday on KIRO/Seattle.
With both of them on the phone, we discussed the genesis of the act, how difficult it was to get booked into nightclubs, and why there hasn’t been a black-and-white comedy team since they broke up. We also discussed their individual careers, including Tim’s years as Venus Flytrap on “WKRP In Cincinnati” (and his attempts to fight racial stereotyping there) and Tom’s career as a touring standup (including many years opening for Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and others).
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