Eamon Cannon hated school. He loved to learn. He hated to be taught. He could have been a dropout, a slacker, the class clown who never got anywhere.
One semester Susanna Spies came to his high school to teach Standup Comedy. For Eamon, the class was a revelation. He discovered who he was, how to talk about the world, his feelings, his parents and friends, race and class, with brilliant humor and insight.
Everyone loved Eamon. By the time he was twenty, his voice was their voice. He was the “skinny white kid” who drew cheers at black clubs and prep schools alike. He trained other kids to find their voices, mentored them, stood up for them.
He soared through the world of comedy, reaching the stages of The Improv, Comedy Union, Kqool Comedy, The Laugh Factory, Sweetbread New York, and Stand Up NY by the age of 20. He was showcased and called back to the Aspen Comedy Festival and the top ranked Montreal Comedy Festival.
He was a comic genius. A month after his 20th birthday he died.