ST. LOUIS — In St. Louis, people love to laugh.
There have been some big-name comics that have called the Lou their home including the late Red Foxx and current Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Redd.
But you should keep an ear out for Rafe Williams. He’s funny, but comedy did more for him than just get him some laughs - it may have saved his life.
Williams grew up in a small town in Illinois. It’s called ‘Dowell.’
Comedy served a purpose in his life.
“Grew up in kind of a tough home,” Williams said.
Being funny was a coping mechanism for him as kid.
“I realized I could make my mom and my brothers laugh and that was kind of an escape.”
Comedy became a lifesaving focus in his later years.
“I kind of had some struggles with alcohol,” Williams said.
He quit drinking in 2011 and has put his attention towards his childhood dream. In third grade, he wrote a letter at the beginning of class that said he wanted to be a comedian when he grew up.
Rafe's comedy career seems to be taking off.
“It was either time to go for it or put it to bed forever,” He said.
Rafe has just released his first album ‘Young Grandpa.’
“I just don’t want it to flop. I want it to do well,” He laughed. The title is another reflection of his real-world experiences. “I became a grandpa at 36 years old.”
It's funny stuff. Even without an audience in the seats at the Improv Shop.
“It’s almost like a video. Every laugh like a mushroom powering me up,” Williams said. “Doing it in an empty cavernous room alone, it’s like am I even good at this.”
Williams said it took him a long time to get to where he is now. He believes he’ll go even further.
“SNL is always hovering in the back of my mind,” Williams said.
If you’d like to see Rafe perform live, he’s at the Helium Comedy Club on Wednesday night opening for Todd Berry.