Fancy Ray

Last updated
Fancy Ray McCloney
Fancy Ray McCloney - The Human Chocolate Orchid.jpg
McCloney in 2018
Born
Ray McCloney

Claims to be "ageless" [1] or 29 [2]
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation(s)Stand-up comedian, advertising pitchman and producer
Years active1989–present
Website fancyray.com

Fancy Ray McCloney is a stand-up comedian and advertising pitchman from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is known for his flamboyant comic persona, once described as "gleefully narcissistic," [3] blending elements of Little Richard, Muhammad Ali, James Brown, Prince, and a tent-revival preacher. [4] He is known for producing and starring in low-budget TV ads for local businesses in the Twin Cities and markets across the U.S., [4] including a Taco Bell ad aired during the 2016 Super Bowl that played off his status as a "local legend." [5] [6] Rarely breaking character on stage or off, Fancy Ray is a buoyantly self-aggrandizing, larger-than-life personality given to spontaneous poetry (about himself) and mock-boastful proclamations including his oft-repeated [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] characteristic catchphrase "I'm the best-lookin’ man in comedy."

Contents

In 2020, he released the career-retrospective stand-up album The Best Lookin' Man in Comedy on Stand Up! Records. Writer/producer Diablo Cody, who wrote the liner notes for the album, calls Fancy Ray a "subversive" and "bombastic character (who) looms large in the collective psyche of the Twin Cities ... a nontraditional, nonconformist guy" whose "shtick is almost like a spell." [4]

Early life

The youngest of four boys from north Minneapolis, McCloney attended Central, Marshall-University and West high schools, graduating from West. As a second-grader, Ray did a ventriloquist act with Rev. Billy Graham's traveling show. [4] [2] His nickname came from his grandfather, William M.L. "Fancy" Wade, a sharp-dressed ladies' man and professional athlete who also introduced McCloney to the music and style of Little Richard, a major influence. [5]

Career

Stand-up comedy

McCloney's career began in 1984 when he won a lip-sync contest at Minneapolis' First Avenue nightclub impersonating Little Richard, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and James Brown. This led to spots on the nationally syndicated lip-sync TV show Puttin' on the Hits . He began performing stand-up in 1989, performing locally and opening for Richard Pryor, Little Richard and Chris Rock. [2] [4] [5] [11] Fancy Ray's comic persona includes a flamboyant sexual ambiguity and style of dress, and a theatrical mock-arrogance and vanity once described as "a cross between Little Richard and Ethel Merman" [12] and a "carefully crafted ... naughty alter ego with goofy, winking innocence" that gives him the "ability to soften life’s seedier edges with campy joie de vivre." [13] His penchant for bombastic nicknames also includes "The Human Chocolate Orchid." [8] [3] He has sometimes been disparaged for merely being "famous for being famous," which he acknowledges with the joke "I'm like Paris [Hilton] with a pretty tan." [2]

Get Down With It

Also in 1989, McCloney debuted a talk show, Get Down With It, on local cable-access Minneapolis Television Network. [14] [15] The show cemented his status as a local celebrity in the Twin Cities, interviewing guests including Ron Jeremy, Bootsy Collins, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Green, Bo Diddley, George Clinton, Carol Channing, Kevin Garnett, and Gloria Steinem. [16] [11] [4] Though focusing on comedy, the show also had a serious side; McCloney interviewed white supremacists during the Los Angeles riots, as well as civil rights activist Spike Moss and (in his final interview) HIV-positive Minneapolis City Council member Brian Coyle. [5] A reviewer for the St. Cloud Times noted that despite his reputation for outrageous self-promotion, "Fancy Ray's true calling is as an interviewer. He's sensitive, prepared and interested in what other people have to say." [12]

Television advertising

McCloney runs a one-man ad agency, Chocolate Orchid Productions, [4] which produces, writes, edits and stars in television commercials for local businesses in the Twin Cities and other markets including San Jose; Phoenix; Memphis; St. Louis, Missouri; and Jacksonville, Florida. He also appeared in a Taco Bell ad aired during the 2016 Super Bowl that played off his status as a "local legend." [10] [6] [11] [5]

Political career

In 1998, he ran for governor of Minnesota on the third-party People's Champion ticket, stating that "the whole election was a joke so why not have me, a professional comedian?" Beyond novelty value, he also wanted to be a spokesman for issues affecting blacks and poor people. His running mate was his mother, Toni McCloney. He received 919 votes, losing to Jesse Ventura. [1] [11]

The Best Lookin' Man in Comedy

On March 27, 2020, McCloney released The Best Lookin' Man in Comedy, on Stand Up! Records. Originally recorded in 2014, the album features highlights from 30 years of his comedy career and liner notes by Diablo Cody. The mayors of both Minneapolis and St. Paul officially proclaimed the date "Fancy Ray McCloney Day" in his honor. McCloney was also named grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Minneapolis, though the parade was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] [16]

Other appearances

McCloney stands in front of a mural of himself on Lake Street in Minneapolis Fancy Ray Stacy Quast 2015-07-02.jpg
McCloney stands in front of a mural of himself on Lake Street in Minneapolis

Fancy Ray has appeared on a number of nationwide talk shows and reality series, including The Tonight Show , America's Got Talent , Last Comic Standing , Entertainment Tonight , The Maury Povich Show , and The Jenny Jones Show . [7] [16] [4] [5] He moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to establish a Hollywood career, but returned to the Twin Cities in 2008. McCloney appeared in the 2008 direct-to-video comedy The Junkyard Willie Movie: Lost In Transit as "Crazy Revival Preacher." [5] [17] He contributed guest vocals to the 2003 song "Parrots" by indie-rock band Hymie's Basement, and stars in a promotional video for Sleeping in the Aviary's 2010 album You and Me, Ghost, described by the Minnesota Daily as "a tongue-in-cheek homage to all those late night advertisements you’ve probably fallen asleep to once or twice." [18] [19]

He was profiled in a 2019 segment of Twin Cities PBS' Minnesota Original. [20]

His face appears on a mural painted on a building at 2933 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis. [4]

McCloney is an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church and has officiated many weddings. [4] [10]

Discography

Personal life

McCloney has a son, Trevon. [8]

He claims to be "ageless", and for decades has given his age as between 24 and 29. [1] [2] [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Minnesota Star Tribune</i> Daily newspaper in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

The Minnesota Star Tribune, formerly the Minneapolis Star Tribune, is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the eighth-largest in the United States by circulation, and is distributed throughout the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the state, and the Upper Midwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Westerberg</span> American musician

Paul Harold Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for The Replacements. Following the breakup of The Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him release three albums on two major record labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Mallman</span> American musician, film composer, and memoirist (born 1973)

Mark Mallman is a Minnesota musician, film composer, and memoirist. Since 1998, he has released nine full-length studio albums, Happiness (2021) being his most recent.

Minneapolis–Saint Paul, also known as the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, in the state of Minnesota, United States of America, has two major general-interest newspapers. The region is currently ranked as the 15th largest television market in the United States. The market officially includes 59 counties of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and extends far to the north and west. The radio market in the Twin Cities is estimated to be slightly smaller, ranked 16th in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss A</span> Musician and visual artist from Minneapolis

Curtiss A is a musician and visual artist from Minneapolis. One of the original artists on the Twin/Tone Records label, he performs one of the most popular shows in the Twin Cities, an annual tribute to John Lennon held at First Avenue. He was the first musician to headline at First Avenue's sister club 7th Street Entry, and opened for Prince's first concert at First Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Glover</span> American blues musician and music critic (1939–2019)

David Curtis Glover, better known as Tony "Little Sun" Glover, was an American blues musician and music critic. He was a harmonica player and singer associated with "Spider" John Koerner and Dave "Snaker" Ray during the early 1960s folk revival. Together, the three released albums under the name Koerner, Ray & Glover. Glover was also the author of diverse "harp" songbooks and a co-author, along with Ward Gaines and Scott Dirks, of an award-winning biography of Little Walter, Blues with a Feeling: The Little Walter Story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand Up! Records</span> American comedy record label based in Minneapolis

Stand Up! Records is an American independent comedy record label founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Grammy-winning producer Dan Schlissel. It has been called "the country's most respected indie comedy label." Stand Up! has released more than 200 comedy albums and videos since its founding in 2000, including albums by Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt, Greg Proops, David Cross, Maria Bamford, Hannibal Buress, Judy Gold, the Sklar Brothers, and Eddie Pepitone. Comedian and actor Marc Maron, who released his first three albums on Stand Up!, described Schlissel as "a guy who loves comedy, and is very attentive to the process of recording comedy," and, referencing the large number of noteworthy comics who were given important exposure in their early careers by the label, joked that "you've done everybody's first two records."

Koerner, Ray & Glover was a loose-knit group of three blues musicians from Minneapolis, Minnesota: "Spider" John Koerner on guitar and vocals, Dave "Snaker" Ray on guitar and vocals, and Tony "Little Sun" Glover on harmonica. They were notable figures of the revival of folk music and blues in the 1960s.

Tim Harmston is a stand-up comedian from Minneapolis. He competed on Last Comic Standing in 2014, and has performed on The Late Show With David Letterman and Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Star Tribune critic Jay Boller wrote that Harmston combines "the cadence of Brian Regan and the observational absurdism of Jim Gaffigan." He has released two albums on Stand Up! Records, The Most Bees Ever and The Whim of Tim.

Mikelle Budge, known professionally as Mary Mack, is an American comedian, musician, and writer. Mack currently stars as Jessica Wearsprada "Jesse" Opposites in the animated sitcom Solar Opposites, which debuted May 8, 2020 on Hulu/Disney+. She has released seven albums of her stand-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Daniels</span> American comedian

Chad Daniels is an American comedian. His albums have reached the top 10 on the Billboard comedy charts three times: No. 2 for 2017's Footprints On The Moon, No. 6 for 2019's Dad Chaniels, and No. 7 for 2014's Natural Selection. As of 2019, his albums have been streamed more than 700 million times. Footprints on the Moon also reached No. 1 on the iTunes comedy chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping in the Aviary</span>

Sleeping in the Aviary was an indie rock band established in Madison, Wisconsin, but which was based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota at the time they broke up in 2012. Their musical style has been compared to that of "early XTC and Talking Heads," Violent Femmes, Nirvana, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Bon Iver.

West High School (1908–1982) was a public high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Edward Stebbins designed the school building. Built in 1908 on what had recently been farmland, the school had a student capacity of 1,600 by 1917. Minneapolis Public Schools closed Central, West and Marshall-University high schools in 1982.

Dan Schlissel is an American record producer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founder of the record labels Stand Up! Records, which specializes in comedy, and -ismist Recordings, which focused on punk and alternative rock from Nebraska and nearby Midwestern states. Schlissel won a Grammy as producer of Lewis Black's 2006 album The Carnegie Hall Performance, and was nominated for his work on Black's two Grammy-nominated albums, Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues and Anticipation. He is known for his work with Black and other comics including Doug Stanhope, Maria Bamford, Marc Maron, and Mitch Hedberg, and helping release the debut record of Iowa metal band Slipknot.

Robert Baril is a stand-up comedian and radio talk-show host from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released two albums on Stand Up! Records, Sex and Politics and TMI, both produced by Grammy winner Dan Schlissel. He was the host of Laughing Matters on AM950 in Minneapolis.

Chris Maddock is an American stand-up comedian from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released two albums and a DVD on Dan Schlissel's Stand Up! Records, most recently 2020's Country Music Legend, which reached No. 5 on the iTunes comedy chart.

Corey Adam is an American stand-up comedian from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released three comedy albums on Stand Up! Records, including 2018's Jokes.

Chris Knutson is an American stand-up comedian from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is known for his work as half of the comedy-rap duo Valley Meadows. Patrick Strait of City Pages said that "Knutson has established himself as one of the most consistently funny performers" in the Midwest.

David Rockne Stenshoel was an American musician and visual artist, most well known as a longtime member of Celtic-rock and world-music group Boiled in Lead.

William C. "Bill" Young was an American stand-up comedian from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Young appeared on three comedy albums released by Stand Up! Records, including the posthumous career retrospective Eat the Cake!, released in 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Our Campaigns (1998). "Candidate - Fancy Ray McConley" . Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bream, Jon (2009-05-16). "Fancy (Ray) That: You've seen him on TV and in the gossip columns, but do you know what Fancy Ray really does?". Star Tribune . Minneapolis-St.Paul. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  3. 1 2 3 Gabler, Jay (2014-01-18). "I spent two hours in a basement with Fancy Ray McCloney". The Current. St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bream, Jon (2020-03-27). "Twin Cities TV celeb Fancy Ray celebrates his debut album, 'The Best Looking Man in Comedy'". Star Tribune . Minneapolis-St.Paul. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hobbes, Dwight (2011-10-18). "A conversation with Fancy Ray: Egotist Extraordinaire". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder . Minneapolis. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  6. 1 2 Hemming, Jared (2016-02-09). "Fancy Ray says Taco Bell is real winner for putting him in Super Bowl ad". City Pages . Minneapolis–St. Paul . Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  7. 1 2 Johnson, Cheryl (1997-06-05). "Fancy Ray not about to fade into the crowd: Our own cable pretty face asserts himself during taping of Maury Povich's show". Star Tribune . Minneapolis-St.Paul. p. 4B.
  8. 1 2 3 Johnson, Cheryl (2016-05-08). "Fancy Ray's kid is not a chip off the old noisy block". Star Tribune . Minneapolis-St.Paul. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Cheryl (2010-09-06). "Fancy Ray's busted by strip club article". Star Tribune . Minneapolis-St.Paul.
  10. 1 2 3 Johnson, Cheryl (2019-08-16). "Fancy Ray McCloney promotes marriage, though not his own". Star Tribune . Minneapolis-St.Paul. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Hobbes, Dwight (2020-03-27). "Legendary comedian talks surviving, thriving for 36 years". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder . Minneapolis. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  12. 1 2 "Cable comic witll get down to it on stage". St. Cloud Times . St. Cloud, Minnesota. 1992-07-09. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  13. ↑ Clayton, Chris (August 2009). "King Fancy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  14. ↑ Best, Eric (2015-02-17). "Public-access network getting new home". Southwest Journal. Minneapolis. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  15. ↑ Marsh, Steve (2019-05-07). "Minnesota Comedy Is No Joke!". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Minneapolis-St. Paul. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  16. 1 2 3 Strait, Patrick (2020-03-27). "In honor of his debut album, today is officially Fancy Ray Day in Minneapolis and St. Paul". City Pages . Minneapolis–St. Paul . Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  17. ↑ "Fancy Ray McCloney as the "Crazy Revival Preacher / Healer"" . Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  18. ↑ Mehta, Raghav (8 September 2011). "Sleeping in the Aviary's Retro Rattle". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  19. ↑ Youa Vang (7 September 2011). "Sleeping in the Aviary keep it real with their new album, 'You and Me, Ghost'". City Pages . Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  20. ↑ Roth, David (2019-05-26). "Fancy Ray". TPT Originals. Season 10. Episode 4. PBS. Twin Cities PBS. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  21. ↑ Dwight Hobbes (2009). "Fancy Ray McCloney and K Jay: Saying they're funny pretty much amounts to calling water wet" . Retrieved 2009-08-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.