Following his blackballed university theater teachers, Hugh Romney moves to New York City in the early 1960’s where he blossoms into a Beatnik poet comedian in Greenwich Village at the Gaslight Café when his career takes off beside chums like Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tiny Tim and fans like Lenny Bruce and Marlene Dietrich. These formative years include truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories about the invention of snapping for applause, the Mafia, a wild kangaroo, Wavy’s first marriage and leads to Hugh Romney’s stand-up comedy-poet career opening for his jazz heroes and more. Special guest includes historian Dennis McNally. Presented by Rainbow Valentine Studios and Hemlock Creatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Following his blackballed university theater teachers, Hugh Romney moves to New York City in the early 1960’s where he blossoms into a Beatnik poet comedian in Greenwich Village at the Gaslight Café when his career takes off beside chums like Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tiny Tim and fans like Lenny Bruce and Marlene Dietrich. These formative years include truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories about the invention of snapping for applause, the Mafia, a wild kangaroo, Wavy’s first marriage and leads to Hugh Romney’s stand-up comedy-poet career opening for his jazz heroes and more. Special guest includes historian Dennis McNally. Presented by Rainbow Valentine Studios and Hemlock Creatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following his blackballed university theater teachers, Hugh Romney moves to New York City in the early 1960’s where he blossoms into a Beatnik poet comedian in Greenwich Village at the Gaslight Café when his career takes off beside chums like Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul &amp; Mary, Tiny Tim and fans like Lenny Bruce and Marlene Dietrich. These formative years include truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories about the invention of snapping for applause, the Mafia, a wild kangaroo, Wavy’s first marriage and leads to Hugh Romney’s stand-up comedy-poet career opening for his jazz heroes and more.&nbsp;Special guest includes historian Dennis McNally.&nbsp;Presented by Rainbow Valentine Studios and Hemlock Creatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="noopener noreferrer">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

American Prankster 03: Only Love - The Beatnik Poet

There aren’t very many original Beatniks left on planet earth and as of this writing, Wavy Gravy is one of the last original Beatnik poets standing. But Wavy isn’t just an original Beatnik poet - he's also a improv comedy trailblazer and international comedic activist who’s antics included running a pig for president. This series travels from Wavy’s childhood to the Gaslight Café Beatnik years to San Francisco where the convergence of psychedelic and comedy history collided, steering Wavy to Hollywood where his comedy career soared, propelling him to the famed Acid Tests and the birth of his Hog Farm commune, bringing Wavy to the Woodstock Peace and Music Festival’s stage enshrining him as a global symbol for peace, love and Rock’n’Roll. Wavy’s historic and hilarious adventures include his involvement in countless cultural watershed moments in American history… like the fabrication of snapping for applause, the introduction of granola to hippies and in fact, the actual creation of the ethos of the hippie. American Prankster is a chronological deep dive with Wavy, unfolding never-before-heard stories about his life that even he had forgotten until interviews with Rainbow Valentine from Disorganized Crime: Smuggler’s Daughter, retrieved them. Stories about Wavy’s psychedelic shenanigans with countless icons like: Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx, BB King, Janis Joplin, Tiny Tim, Del Close, Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, Margo St. James, Thelonius Monk, Bob Dylan, Ram Dass, Albert Einstein, Peter, Paul & Mary, Marlene Dietrich, Severin Darden, Joan Baez, Martha Graham, Alice Cooper, David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Abbie Hoffman, Bob Weir, Mama Cass, John Coltrane, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, Paul Krassner, Bill Graham, Tim Harden, Robin Williams, Viola Spolin, Pink Floyd and many more. Guests on this series include members of the Hog Farm, the Merry Pranksters, Grateful Dead Family, KMPX, The Committee, the Family Dog, the Medicine Ball Caravan, the Yippies and other counter culture institutions. Produced by Rainbow Valentine Studios, www.rainbowvalentine.com

Society & Culture

Documentary

History

There aren’t very many original Beatniks left on planet earth and as of this writing, Wavy Gravy is one of the last original Beatnik poets standing. But Wavy isn’t just an original Beatnik poet - he's also a improv comedy trailblazer and international comedic activist who’s antics included running a pig for president. This series travels from Wavy’s childhood to the Gaslight Café Beatnik years to San Francisco where the convergence of psychedelic and comedy history collided, steering Wavy to Hollywood where his comedy career soared, propelling him to the famed Acid Tests and the birth of his Hog Farm commune, bringing Wavy to the Woodstock Peace and Music Festival’s stage enshrining him as a global symbol for peace, love and Rock’n’Roll. Wavy’s historic and hilarious adventures include his involvement in countless cultural watershed moments in American history… like the fabrication of snapping for applause, the introduction of granola to hippies and in fact, the actual creation of the ethos of the hippie. American Prankster is a chronological deep dive with Wavy, unfolding never-before-heard stories about his life that even he had forgotten until interviews with Rainbow Valentine from Disorganized Crime: Smuggler’s Daughter, retrieved them. Stories about Wavy’s psychedelic shenanigans with countless icons like: Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx, BB King, Janis Joplin, Tiny Tim, Del Close, Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, Margo St. James, Thelonius Monk, Bob Dylan, Ram Dass, Albert Einstein, Peter, Paul &amp; Mary, Marlene Dietrich, Severin Darden, Joan Baez, Martha Graham, Alice Cooper, David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Abbie Hoffman, Bob Weir, Mama Cass, John Coltrane, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, Paul Krassner, Bill Graham, Tim Harden, Robin Williams, Viola Spolin, Pink Floyd and many more. Guests on this series include members of the Hog Farm, the Merry Pranksters, Grateful Dead Family, KMPX, The Committee, the Family Dog, the Medicine Ball Caravan, the Yippies and other counter culture institutions. Produced by Rainbow Valentine Studios, www.rainbowvalentine.com

Share American Prankster 03: Only Love - The Beatnik Poet

Sign up to save your podcasts

American Prankster 03: Only Love - The Beatnik Poet

American Prankster 03: Only Love - The Beatnik Poet

More shows like American Prankster

Radiolab

The Moth

Let It Roll

I'm In Love With That Song Podcast

Who Cares About the Rock Hall?

Trashy Divorces

Shout It Out Loudcast

Rock N Roll Archaeology

Pamela Des Barres' Pajama Party!

ImmaLetYouFinish...

Disorganized Crime: Smuggler's Daughter

The Devil's Music with Pleasant Gehman

Moments That Rock with Tony Michaelides

Done & Dunne

Inside the Banjoverse

JBTV the Podcast

Basic!

Trashy Royals

The Metallica Report

Getting Real with Jon & Beth

Rockstrap

Psychedelic Women

Cold Blooded: Mystery in Alaska