I got to see the brash and wonderful Joan Rivers at the legendary Stardust. Our front row seats gave me a great view of one of the world’s most stretched and pulled women.

Frankly, no one does comedy like Joan. She goes there, crosses the line, and keeps going. No one is safe from this aging broad and that’s exactly how it should be.

Sure, some of the jokes are old and retold, but we never complain when we hear our favorite singers sing our favorite tunes. Likewise, hearing the original, self-deprecating jokes from the source is an experience that can’t be beat.

One of the cool things about seeing Joan perform live is that we know her. Between the Tonight Show, her own talk shows, and hawking jewelry on QVC, Joan Rivers is like an old friend...an old, old friend. We know her life story, we know her trials and tribulations, and in spite of or because of them, we adore her. She’s the clichéd truth personified that perseverance and irreverence get us through life.

Birthday: June 8, 1933

Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers

by Gregory A. Kompes