Joey Adams

Here is a detailed biography of Joey Adams (January 6, 1911 – December 2, 1999), American comedian, vaudevillian, author, and media personality:

Early Life and Background

Joey Adams was born Joseph Abramowitz on January 6, 1911, in Brooklyn, New York.
He grew up in Brownsville, a neighborhood in Brooklyn.
His father, Nathan Abramowitz, was a tailor who later moved to The Bronx; his mother was Ida Chonin.
Joey attended local public schools and junior high, and later enrolled at City College of New York, though he left before completing a degree.
In 1930, he changed his name to Joey Adams (from Joseph Abramowitz) as he embarked on his entertainment career.

Adams’s career in show business spanned more than 70 years. He performed in nightclubs, vaudeville, and later in radio, television, and films.
He hosted his own radio show and later a talk show on WEVD in New York.
On television, Adams appeared on shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show, What's My Line?, and on Howard Stern’s TV programs.
In 1952, The Joey Adams Show debuted on WAAM-TV in Baltimore as a Sunday evening variety program.
He also participated in or hosted game show pilots, such as Rate Your Mate (based on a radio show) in 1951.
Adams appeared in films, for example Singing in the Dark (1956, in which he was also executive producer), Don’t Worry, We’ll Think of a Title (1966), and Silent Prey (1997).

Beyond performing, Adams was a prolific writer. He published about 23 books, with titles including From Gags to Riches, Joey Adams Joke Book, Laugh Your Calories Away, On the Road with Uncle Sam, Encyclopedia of Humor, and Borscht Belt (1973).
His autobiography, From Gags to Riches, details his journey from modest beginnings to success in entertainment.
He also wrote a humor column, “Strictly for Laughs,” for the New York Post.

Adams held a leadership role in the entertainment industry. He served as president of the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA).
In 1963, as AGVA president, he helped finance and organize a variety show in Birmingham, Alabama on August 5, to raise funds for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Performers included Martin Luther King Jr., Ray Charles, Nina Simone, and others.
He was appointed Commissioner of Youth Affairs for New York City by Mayor Robert F. Wagner, with a mission of addressing juvenile delinquency. The program later expanded under Governor Nelson Rockefeller.
He was inducted into the New York Friars’ Club in 1977.

Joey Adams was known for quick wit, fast joke delivery, and a style rooted in Jewish humor traditions and the Borscht Belt comic lineage.
He was often called “the fastest joke teller in the East.”
His humor embraced observational quips, one-liners, and clever turns of phrase—often about human nature, marriage, life’s absurdities, and social mores.

Here are some memorable quotes attributed to him:

“Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.”
“Do not worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older it will avoid you.”
“A psychiatrist asks a lot of expensive questions; your wife asks for nothing.”
“Marriage is give and take. You’d better give it to her or she’ll take it anyway.”
“The difference between playing the stock market and the horses is that one of the horses must win.”

These reflect his blend of humor and social commentary.

Adams remained active in entertainment well into his later years.
He died of heart failure on December 2, 1999, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, at the age of 88.
His funeral was held at Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York City.
His widow, Cindy Adams, delivered a eulogy alongside Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Joey Adams is remembered as a link between the vaudeville/Borscht Belt comedy era and modern American stand-up, with a career that bridged multiple media (live performance, radio, television, writing).
His books, columns, and quips continue to circulate among humorists and those interested in the history of American comedy.
As a civic-minded entertainer, he used his platform for causes (e.g. civil rights, youth programs) and industry leadership (AGVA).

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