On Sunday, November 29, Boston will celebrate the life of local comedy legend Kevin Knox in a special memorial at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts in Andover. Knox passed away earlier this month at his home in Florida after a six-year battle with stage four melanoma.
Knox, a more than thirty-year veteran of stand-up comedy in Boston, broke into the comedy scene in the late-1970s doing impressions. His brand of high-energy comedy quickly afforded him the title of the "Wild Man of Comedy" and he soon became a regular at clubs in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Famous for his high energy and humor, Knox was even more well-known for his warmth and wisdom.
Always there with a kind word of advice, Knox was widely regarded as a guiding light and mentor to those just starting out in the business, always willing to offer his wisdom and advice to his colleagues.
“That was the role he took,” recalls Boston native John Keating. “He was a mentor and really wanted to see comedy done right. For everyone to succeed.”
“To the veterans of Boston Comedy, he was a tremendous source of knowledge and a trusted comrade, willing to always go to bat for a fellow comic in need,” agrees Boston prop comic Freddie Stone. “He was always the first choice of any comedy booking agent who had a new room that needed to start with a kick ass show.”
But Knox’s legacy goes far beyond comedy – to his friends and family he was often a source of strength, particularly as he fought his cancer, undeterred, through holistic therapies and healthy living. Comedian Jim Lauletta, Knox’s close friend for over twenty years, recalls the strength and inspiration he consistently found in Knox.
“He was and always will be my rock and I his. He has given me hope and motivation to write a one man show and I made this promise to him. My life has been forever changed thanks to his love, care and empathy over the years. He passed away on my birthday which I see as some kind of message to honor his legacy and start to TRULY live my life with out drugs. I will sorely miss him but feel he will always have my back.”
The Kevin Knox Celebration of Life Memorial Service will take place on Sunday, November 29 at 2:00 p.m., at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts, 80 Shawsheen Road, Andover, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.collins-center.com.
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Beautifully done, Ange.
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