Rickey Smiley

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Rickey Smiley
Rickey Smiley 2019.png
Smiley appearing on Sister Circle on TV One in 2019
Born (1968-08-10) August 10, 1968 (age 56)
Alma mater Alabama State University (BA)
Occupations
  • Stand-up comedian
  • television host
  • actor
  • radio personality
Known forComedy
Children4

Broderick Dornell "Rickey" Smiley (born August 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality known for his prank phone calls. The calls feature Smiley disguising his voice carrying a conversation with the recipient of the call. He is the host of the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show based in Dallas from its flagship affiliate KZMJ "Majic 94.5". He starred in a sitcom, The Rickey Smiley Show , which aired on TV One. He is also a featured columnist on the Fox-produced tabloid nationally-syndicated TV show Dish Nation . In 2015, Smiley appears on Rickey Smiley For Real, a reality television series about his life.

Contents

Career

Smiley appeared as the host of the 2000 season of BET's ComicView program. He has appeared on Showtime at the Apollo , HBO's Def Comedy Jam , HBO's Snaps, The Nashville Network , Uptown Comedy Club , and Comic Escape. [1] His original comedy routines often feature the role-play of fictional characters such as "Bernice Jenkins" (also known as Granny Swims, Ms. Johnson or Mrs. Francis), "Lil' Daryl", "Rusty Dale", and "Beauford". [2] Bernice Jenkins has a grandson named Rufus who's a stereotype of the modern-day "Gangsta". Rufus is in two routines, in "Two Of My Toes Fell Off" and another prank phone call where Smiley calls a pharmacy.

Smiley became the morning show personality for radio station KBFB in Dallas in April 2004. [3] The show features the trademark prank calls as well as news, information, and the latest hip hop music. In 2008, he signed a deal with Syndication One (a syndicated radio division of Radio One) to take the show nationwide and The Rickey Smiley Morning Show is now heard on a number of mainstream urban and urban adult contemporary radio stations. [4] Syndication One merged with Reach Media in 2013. [5]

He has released several humorous songs based on the bits such as "Roll Tide" featuring his redneck character Buford, and "We Miss Robert", based on a routine in which a friend of a deceased drug dealer performs a rap song called "We Miss Robert" at the funeral, which is actually a song about a woman and performed in hopes of landing a record deal. He had a starring role in Ice Cube's Friday After Next . [6] He also appeared in All About the Benjamins as an informant of Ice Cube's character, Snitch Mitch. The performance can be viewed in a deleted scene in the special features of the DVD. Smiley released a book in 2017, Stand by Your Truth: And Then Run for Your Life. [7]

Prank calls

Some of Smiley's most notable calls include:

Smiley gets the woman to sing leading her in several verses of "Walk With Me, Lord", each verse increasing in silliness.

Personal life

On July 6, 2020, Smiley announced that his daughter, Aaryn had been shot during a road rage incident the previous weekend. [8]

Smiley is a member of Omega Psi Phi; he was initiated into its Psi Rho graduate chapter. [9] Smiley is a lifetime member of Omega Psi Phi. [10]

On January 29, 2023, Smiley announced his 32-year old-son, Brandon Smiley, had died after being found unconscious in his Birmingham apartment. [11] According to the autopsy report from the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office, Brandon's manner of death was ruled as accidental. [12] Smiley subsequently wrote a book about grief and dealing with pain called Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith. [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 Friday After Next Santa Claus
2003Sweet HideawayDucktape
2008 First Sunday Bernice Jenkins
2010 Stomp the Yard: Homecoming Finale MC
2013 Baggage Claim Calvin
2015F**K Child SupportHimselfTV movie
2019Iron GritInterviewee
2021Miracles Across 125th Street-TV movie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992 Def Comedy Jam HimselfEpisode: "Episode #3.9"
1995SnapsHimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.1"
2000 Showtime at the Apollo HimselfEpisode: "Goodie Mob/Rickey Smiley"
2003 Players HimselfEpisode: "Less Than Jake, Fred Savage, Jason Sehorn"
2004 ComicView Himself/HostMain Host: Season 13
Super Secret Movie RulesHimselfEpisode: "Sports Underdogs"
2006 Comedy Central Presents HimselfEpisode: "Rickey Smiley"
2008-091st Amendment Stand UpHimselfRecurring Guest
2011–19 Dish Nation Himself/Co-HostMain Co-Host: Season 1-8
2012 Let's Stay Together SteveEpisode: "Fear Factor"
Are We There Yet? SalesmanEpisode: "The Expensive Purse Episode"
2012–14 The Rickey Smiley Show Rickey SmileyMain Cast
2013Trumpet AwardsHimself/Co-HostMain Co-Host
2014–16 Stellar Awards Himself/Co-HostMain Co-Host
2014–18 The Real Housewives of Atlanta HimselfGuest: Season 6, Recurring Cast: 7 & 10
2015–17 Rickey Smiley For Real HimselfMain Cast
2017 Star HimselfEpisode: "Code of Silence"
2017–20Black Music HonorsHimself/Co-HostMain Co-Host
2018 Unsung Hollywood HimselfEpisode: "Ray J" & "Rickey Smiley"
2021Super Bowl Gospel CelebrationHimself/Co-HostMain Co-Host

Special

YearTitleRole
2003Latham Entertainment PresentsHimself
2011Rickey Smiley: Open Casket SharpHimself

Discography

To date, Smiley has released six albums of his prank calls:

See also

References

  1. "Rickey Smiley's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  2. "Bernice Jenkins Archives". The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  3. "Rickey Smiley Mornings". 103.7 Tha Beat. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  4. cmarcucci (April 11, 2010). "Syndication One adds seven for Rickey Smiley | Radio & Television Business Report" . Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  5. "Syndication One To Consolidate With Reach Media". All Access. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  6. "Rickey Smiley's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  7. Smiley, Rickey (October 24, 2017). Stand by Your Truth: And Then Run for Your Life!: Smiley, Rickey: 9781501178603: Amazon.com: Books. Gallery Books. ISBN   978-1501178603.
  8. "Road rage shooting victim is comedian Rickey Smiley's daughter". ABC 7. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  9. "Chapters".
  10. Rickey Smiley (December 7, 2023). My Status With Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc . Retrieved January 20, 2025 via YouTube.
  11. Respers France, Lisa; Johnston, Chuck (January 30, 2023). "Rickey Smiley mourns the death of his son Brandon". CNN. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  12. Andersson, Eric (May 11, 2023). "Comedian Rickey Smiley on 'Responsibility' to Share His Grief Over Son's Accidental Opioid Overdose (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  13. Smiley, Rickey (2024). Sideshow: living with loss and moving forward with faith. Nashville: W Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4003-4299-0.