Early life

Jo Koy is of Filipino and European-American descent. Jo Koy's European-American father was in the Air Force when he married Jo Koy's Filipino mother. Jo Koy's Filipino-American family moved from Spanaway, Washington to Tacoma, Washington and then to Las Vegas soon after he finished high school in Tacoma, Washington. He attended Spanaway Lake High School originally and then moved to Foss High School in Tacoma. He moved to Las Vegas to be near his ailing grandmother. Jo Koy enrolled in University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but dropped out to do stand-up comedy.

Jo Koy's stage name comes from a nickname his family gave him growing up.

Career

Jo Koy began his stand-up career in 1994 at a comedy club in Las Vegas. Soon he moved from open mic night to a regular spot on the show Catch a Rising Star at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. After performing at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Jo Koy rented the Huntridge Theater and went door to door to sell tickets to his comedy shows.

A talent coordinator from Los Angeles spotted Jo Koy and landed him his first television appearance on BET's Comic View. Jo Koy has been on two seasons of Comic View.

Jo Koy has gone on to star in other TV stand-up specials like "Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza!" Jo Koy has won the "Showtime at the Apollo", performed in front of troops in the USO Tour, can be seen on various "VH1 I Love the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s", "Tru TV's World's Dumbest" and "New Milleniuim" episodes, AMP’D Mobile Phone commercials, and received a second invite to the Montreal comedy festival "Just For Laughs", the series for which he was awarded Canada’s prestigious Gemini Award. Jo Koy is also a regular guest at Chelsea Handler’s roundtable discussion on "E!’s Chelsea Lately". But perhaps one of Jo Koy’s biggest claims to fame was his appearance on the "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in 2005 where he was one of a select few to ever receive a standing ovation on the show. Jo Koy has also appeared on Carlos Mencia’s “Punisher Tour” performing stand-up comedy in front of fans filling 10,000-seat arenas across the country.

On August 4, 2009, The Jo Koy Foundation hosted its first huge philanthropic event in "Hilarity For Charity" a stand-up comedy show featuring Jo Koy, along with special surprise comedic guests. The show took place at The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, located in the heart of Citywalk, Universal City, CA. Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to The Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

In June 2011, Jo Koy used a pejorative term for gay men during a performance in Chicago. Jo Koy later issued an apology for his use of an "incredibly foul" word.

He started a podcast together with comedian and TV host Michael Yo on July 23, 2012 called The Michael Yo and Jo Koy Show.

During an episode of the Adam Carolla Podcast on October 24, 2013, he stated that Robert, his older brother by eight years, suffers from schizophrenia.

Media

Television

• Chelsea Lately
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
• Comedy Central Presents: Jo Koy
• TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest...

DVD

• Jo Koy: Lights Out at night
• Jo Koy: Don't Make Him Angry

[ Source: Wikipedia ]