Book Review - "Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin

Let me start this book review by saying, there is no way I can objectively review this book.  For those of you who know me well, know that Steve Martin is my Gawd.  I worship at his altar, & (sometimes reluctantly) support all that he does.  I own all 4 of his stand-up albums, on vinyl.  That includes the very hard to find "The Steve Martin Brothers."  One side being stand-up, the other being orignal songs he wrote, featuring him on the banjo.  I own, & have read all his books. "Cruel Shoes" still being one of my favorite comedy reads. Since "The Three Amigos," I have seen all but two of his movies in the theatre.  The first one being "Novocain." This is mostly because it was an independent & by the time I was able to get out to Pasadena to see it, it was no longer showing.  The other being "Cheaper By The Dozen 2," & I don't think anyone can blame me for that.  But, it is in my NetFlix queue.  And yes, I plan on seeing "The Pink Panther 2," so don't even bother asking.

If you find me to be a funny guy, you can thank the almighty Steve for that.  I discovered him in Junior High, by watching SNL reruns that were aired late night, by a local channel.  My best friend at the time (the one & only, Mr. Dave Crow), would tape these episodes on this contraption called a VCR.  Wathcing them over & over, we would memorize the sketches.  Later, to act them out for our other friends.  Steve Martin, with his unique style of comedy, stood out to us as genius.  We scoured thrift stores, looking for his albums, as that's the only way we knew how to find them at the time.  We mimicked his style, his timing & his movements.  We didn't always understood the jokes (some I literally did not get until I was in college), but we knew they were funny.  Eventually, all that worked its way into our own humor & mannerisms.  Steve made me funny.  And I thank him for that.

But, since this is supposed to be a book review, I'll touch on some of the basics.  He was born Stephen Glenn Martin in Waco, Texas, in on August 14, 1945.  His family moved to California when he was five, eventually settling in Garden Grove.  He started working at Disneyland, shortly after it opened, at the age of 10, selling guidebooks.  They went for 25 cents, which he earned 2 cents for every one sold.  Here, he got his first taste of performance comedy, by watching the vaudeville acts performed at the Golden Horseshoe.  While working there, he also learned rope tricks, & magic.  In his teenage years, he worked at the Magic Shop, in the Magic Kingdom.  Many of the things he learned, he later used for many years in his stand-up act.  Later, his career would take him a few a miles down the road to Knott's Berry Farm.  He performed at the Bird Cage Theatre, in a variety of different acts.  Permorming magic, short skits, & songs.  His first writing credits came from television. Most notably "The Smothers Brother Comedy Hour," & "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour."  This is also the time, that he would start performing outside of theme parks, trying to discover what kind of act he was. He built his act, & his name, by numerous television appearances on shows like "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," & hosting "Saturday Night Live." But mostly, his name was made by being a road dog.  As his name grew, so did the crowds.  Eventually playing to rooms seating numbers that no other comic has ever matched.  The constant pressure of performing & traveling, eventually took its toll.  In the early 80s, he walked away from stand-up & never looked back, to concentrate on his new venture, acting.  In fact, the first time he even looked through his props & notes from that time, was when he needed to start researching to write this book. Though after doing so, he found a fondness for his past, that he didn't think he had.

How would I rate this book?  How else would I rate it!?!  This is a must read, must own, must buy for everyone that you know.  Believe it or not, I actually found a new appreciation for Steve after reading his biography.  Deeper & more intelligent than I ever knew.  This is someone I feel proud to call an personal icon.