CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The lights turn on, beating down on the stage. The crowd is hidden in darkness, composed of no more than silhouettes. Their eyes glued to the stage, but only two things are on it: a microphone and the man that plans to turn the silent crowd into a laughing one.
“I’ve been on incentive rides in an F-16 and being on stage is better than that,” said Tech. Sgt. Walter Campbell, U.S. Air Force retired and professional comedian. “The feeling of saying a joke you thought up and hearing and seeing people react, either good or bad, is addictive. When a joke goes over well, and you hear someone snort or laugh so hard they’re crying, there is no better feeling.”
Campbell started his comedy career at Cannon Air Force Base in 1995 and is returning for the first time since 2001.
“I’m anxious to come back,” Campbell said. “I want to see the first apartment I rented in Clovis. I want to see the first base housing on Bolero Loop. I came back in 2001 with Tops in Blue but had no time to see anything. We arrived on base at noon, and were on the road by 6 A.M. the next morning. Again, I’m anxious to be at the place I started my comedy career. At the time, I passed out flyers at the BX and printed up horrible business cards at my job, using up their toner and just one or two reams of paper.”
While Campbell was at Cannon under the 52nd Supply Squadron, his career as a travelling comedian started with a chance meeting and a thin truth.
“I lied my way on the stage,” Campbell said. “An Air Force Officer, Antoine Banks, held talent nights at the NCO club once a quarter. The highlight of these talent nights was the party after the talent contest. These were the days when the base was reasonably open to the public. While playing basketball, Capt. Banks said he needed a judge for the talent contest, and was looking for someone with ‘credentials.’ I told him I was a comedian and performed in Los Angeles. The statement was the most stretched out truth in history.”
“The fact was I had only been on stage one time. Ever. I did an open mic in Los Angeles and won $100. This was two years before I joined the Air Force. Capt Banks told me I was a judge and what time to be there that night. Capt. Banks was the host and while during his hosting duties during the show, told the audience a few of the acts did not show up, and he was stalling for time. While stalling, he started to introduce the other judges, and he got to me. He told the audience that maybe if they made enough noise, they could entice me to get on stage and tell some jokes. They did.”
“I went on stage and did the same little routine I did two years ago in Los Angeles, and it worked. They laughed. A few months later, Capt. Banks began to book actual comedians from Los Angeles, and the NCO club would have ‘Comedy Nights’ once a month. Capt Banks made me the host, so every month, I was able to get on stage with real comedians, and pick their brains about how to write jokes and perform.”
From there, Campbell’s comedy career snowballed until he was touring with Tops in Blue, the Air Force performance group, and opening for some of the stars of the comedy world.
“The best comedy experience was opening for Sinbad in San Antonio in 2003,” Campbell said. “Sinbad is prior Air Force. He was a boom operator stationed at McConnell. I had just gotten stationed at Lackland AFB, and Sinbad was coming to town. I knew someone who was a friend of his, who toured in Tops in Blue and reached out to see if he would let me open the show for him. I sent him a videotape of one of my sets, and he gave me the thumbs up 20 minutes before the show started. I had 20 minutes notice that I was about to open the show for one of the greatest comedians in the world, in front of 3,000 people.”
As comedy became more prevalent in Campbell’s life, it bled into his professional Air Force career.
“Comedy affected me both positively and a few times negatively,” Campbell said. “Undoubtedly, comedy gave me confidence and the ability to talk with anyone. As a supervisor, I was always able to defuse situations with humor. I didn’t want to be the funny guy all the time. Most people I worked with didn’t know I was a comedian until they went to a show on base and saw me perform. Through comedy, I was able to tour with Tops in Blue, twice. In 2001 and 2014 on the All-Star tour. Negatively, I had to decide to become a clean comedian quickly.”
“I seldom cursed in real life, but on stage, at that time, as an African American comedian, you cursed during your routine. There were very few clean comedians like Sinbad in the 1990s. I quickly understood that I represented the Air Force regardless of where I was or if I had the uniform on or not. In the beginning, being a clean comedian hindered a few opportunities to tour with prominent name comedians. That didn’t last long, as talent agencies and other comedians recognized my talent.”
After serving in the Air Force for a little over 20 years, Campbell still provides comedy shows for Airmen with the traveling comedy show, “The GIs of Comedy,” to help the mission with morale.
“I honestly believe my show and other events and entertainment that Air Force Entertainment brings to the bases help the mission,” Campbell said. “For the GIs of Comedy, we ‘get it.’ We understand days, weeks or months being away from your family or pulling 12 hours shifts to get the mission accomplished. We are here to provide a moment of relaxation and comic relief for a few hours. Smaller bases that are far from major cities need entertainment brought in. Airmen and their families don’t always want to drive four or five hours to see stand-up comedy, or a country artist, magician or music group.”
Comedy doesn’t stop there for Campbell. Even when there’s no limelight, stage, waiting crowds or a microphone in miles, Campbell does comedy with every action.
“Comedy is a part of me. It’s in my DNA. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think, speak or move that isn’t related to comedy or humor.”
Campbell will be performing June 21 at the Landing Zone on Cannon Air Force Base. The show starts at 7 P.M.