A year and four months ago, Milwaukee lost a great man.  A father, a husband, a mentor, and a comedian.

Once he was well known throughout the city, but as people moved out, new people moved in, and memories faded, he too faded.

He was C. Cardell Willis, my father, and as my friend Dobie Maxwell put it, his "comedy father."  WE have that kinship between us because of my father...er, our father.

Dobie owes his much of career to Dad's advice, and nuturing, as do Richard Halasz, Chris Barnes, and even Will Durst.

Dobie and I have talked off an on about Dad's influence, and got to the idea of a tribute show...at Giggles in Brookfield.

The owner, Jesse, never knew Dad, but he knows Dobie, and Dobie convinced him that we should have a tribute show for Dad.  We locked in August 3rd, which is a Sunday, and also Dad's birthday.  It was the birthday we kids knew was his, but in the 30's in Mississippi, you reported a birth when you got around to it.  In this case 4 months later, as he was really born in April.

I'm making fliers to give to Jesse, and hopefully the word of mouth will help to resurrect Dad's name, get the media involved, and maybe, just maybe, his spirit will fill us, even if just for an evening.

Dad was a very generous, caring, giving person, and it's about time we honored the real role-models and heroes of the world, and not the fakers.