Contributor

Brian Copeland

Contributor

If you were to look up the definition of the word 'versatility' in the
dictionary, the name Brian Copeland would be at the top of the list. The
comedian, actor, writer, radio and television talk show host has been a
mainstay in entertainment and broadcasting for more than a decade.
Copeland's incisive, cutting edge standup comedy has earned him spots as the opening act for such legends as James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Ringo Starr, George Benson, Etta James, Gladys Knight, the Temptations, the Righteous Brothers, Lou Rawls and the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.


He has appeared at such venues as Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas,
Constitution Hall in Washington D.C., The Universal Amphitheater, the Taj
Mahal and Trump Palace in Atlantic City as well as comedy clubs, colleges
and concert halls across America.


Copeland's quick wit and probing interview style earned him a five year
stint as the host of the morning show San Francisco FOX television
affiliate where he chatted up stars such as Garth Brooks and Dustin
Hoffman in addition to doing a daily commentary feature called COPELAND'S CORNER. The funny, yet biting and informational pieces captivated the Bay Area leading the San Francisco Examiner to call Copeland, "the best commentator on television".


Nationally, Copeland has appeared as a comic on MTV, Comedy Central, A&E as well as writing and performing a weekly comedy commentary for NBC Late Night called, "The World According to Copeland".


Copeland's work on the stage and television soon caught the attention of
San Francisco ABC radio affiliate KGO which premiered the Brian Copeland Show. It is the most listened to program in it's time slot.
In 2002, KGO debuted a radio version of COPELAND'S CORNER. In 2003, the commentary was honored by the Associated Press with an award for Best Regularly Scheduled Feature Segment. COPELAND'S CORNER also received the Radio Television News Directors 2003 award for best news writing.


In 2004, Brian Copeland wrote and premiered his first one man show
entitled, "Not A Genuine Black Man". The show deals with Copeland's
experiences growing up African American in the Bay Area suburb of San
Leandro, California at a time when the city was considered one of the
nations most racist. The show, originally scheduled for a six week run,
immediately captured the attention of the Bay Area, tapping into the part
of all people who have felt like outsiders at some point in life. GENUINE
ran in San Francisco for 27 months making it the longest running solo show in the city's theatrical history.


From San Francisco, NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN made its way to Los Angeles where rave reviews again followed. The Los Angeles Times wrote: "Copeland's ability to captivate an audience rivals many a celebrated solo predecessor, from Ruth Draper to Spalding Gray to Whoopi Goldberg. This aspect, coupled with the clear-eyed view of racial realities, propels "Not a Genuine Black Man," because Copeland is a genuine discovery." A successful Off Broadway run followed.


"Not a Genuine Black Man" is currently in development as a feature film
and television series to be produced by legendary film director Rob
Reiner. A book version of the show was released by Hyperion in 2006
and immediately became a bestseller.

In addition to the video preparations for GENUINE, Copeland is slated to
appear in Rob Reiner's feature THE BUCKET LIST starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in 2007.

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