We have all heard the line that laughter is the best medicine. And for good reason. Laughter brings us together. It lessens the negative effects of stress. What better way to get healthy in this new year than by sharing laughter?
As Danielle Williams, the Comedy Diva, says, “We laugh at the things that connect us all and that is where the story begins and ends. It’s our stories which bring us together and through humor, our stories can, at times, be our saving grace.”
Comedian Sidney Smith agrees.
“Comedy is a great vehicle for bringing people together. Hearing those laughs is like hearing your favorite song,” he says.
Sidney Smith
Sidney Smith grew up in the small rural town of Capac an hour north of Detroit.
“My siblings and I found some memorable challenges and great experiences, growing up as the only black kids in the school system,” he says.
From an early age, Smith loved being onstage, where singing and performing was a say to quell his stutter.
After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he moved to Arizona to join the Phoenix police department, but then discovered comedy.
“I walked into an open mic one night in Chandler, at the long-gone Bongos, and I have never looked back,” he shares.
Comedy is something that comes naturally to Smith.
“I don’t think you pick comedy,” he explains. “It picks you. It has to be in you … you have to be called to it.”
He moved back to Michigan for a couple of years but returned to the Valley a little more than a decade ago to host a charity show at Stand Up Scottsdale.
“It was during that time that my now wife and I reconnected, and she became the main catalyst for me to move back to Arizona,” he says.
Smith credits the community with his success, saying, “Through it all, my fan base has taken the ride with me. It is so humbling to have people who were there when nobody cared and they just stayed true to what I was trying to do, when they didn’t have to. And that means the world to me.”
He arrives for shows about an hour before the performance to get a feel of the room and the crowd.
“I want to feel the energy as the room fills and get a good read before the show starts,” he explains. “I want these folks to feel heard and to take this ride with me. And I want everyone to walk away with something positive.”
Smith, who calls Stand Up Live, Tempe Improv, and CB Live his home stages, also performs regularly at Mic Drop in Chandler. He travels frequently and has shared stages with greats such as David Spade, Sarah Silverman, Joey Diaz, Whitney Cumming, and Adam Carolla. But Smith has so much more planned for the future.
“I never wanted my comedy to pigeon-hole me,” he says.
And there doesn’t seem to be any risk of that. He recently launched the You Hear Good Thingspodcast network and currently produces three podcasts: “Now That’s Debatable” with friend and comedy brother, Deon Curry; The Murderess Podcast; and “Running in Slow Motion” with his wife, Tamra. He is also producing films and comedy specials.
Danielle Williams
Danielle Williams, the Comedy Diva, is known as fun-loving, outgoing, positive, and energetic. She serves up family-friendly comedy that she calls observational and relatable humor.
“Like the best girlfriend type of funny, it revolves around good stories and situations,” she explains.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Williams worked in radio jobs in California before taking a job at Power 92.3 in Arizona in 2002. While working with comedians through the radio, she received some solid advice to make sure she had some life behind her and stories to tell. She heeded the advice until 2014, when she first tried her hand at an open mic night in Scottsdale.
Williams has performed across the country but enjoys her work at Mic Drop Mania in Chandler. “I enjoy performing and making people laugh,” she says.
She also works with various nonprofits and aided the Chandler School District in helping fifth-grade students understand public speaking and storytelling as a way to boost their confidence and understand the power of their voices. Williams uses her comedy to show the power of telling stories with comedy.
Recently, Williams—a non-smoker—fought back against Stage 4 lung cancer, which she says was one of the best things to happen to her.
“It opened the door for me to share the positive side of going through a difficult life situation,” she explains. “When you can laugh in the face of near death and see the good in what this could mean, it’s life changing.”
“Comedy is a great vehicle for bringing people together. Hearing those laughs is like hearing your favorite song.”
