BackStage with Cheech & Chong

It is always a blast getting to meet someone who you have been listening and laughing to for years. Mike grew up in the 1970’s with the comedy of Cheech & Chong. His older sisters Patti and Kathy would constantly listen to comedy albums of the duo. “We all went to a Catholic School with nuns so I always had to laugh at the character, Sister Mary Elephant.” said Mike.

By the time their first record album, "Cheech & Chong," went gold, they were well into their second, "Big Bambu' -- voted 1972’s No. 1 comedy album. After their third, "Los Cochinos" ("The Pigs"), brought them a Grammy Award, their fourth, "Cheech and Chong's Wedding Album," so solidified their success that for four years the duo toured the concert circuit nonstop.

Then came the movies. Their first movie, "Up in Smoke," was the runaway comedy hit of 1978. The picture's enormous box office success, in fact, made them the screen's most successful comedy team of all time beating out Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello and Martin & Lewis. Mike vividly remembers watching their next movie, appropriately titled "Cheech & Chong's Next Movie," at ‘The King Theater’ located across the street from his childhood home in. “I had never laughed so hard until that movie. I actually laughed so hard I cried.” said Mike. The comedy pair boomed again at the box office with this movie until the combined total of both Cheech & Chong movies passed the $160 million mark. Together the team went on to release ten movies, and nine albums before they broke up in 1985.

Richard “Cheech” Marin, one of eight children of a Los Angeles police officer, went on to play more than 91 roles in TV and Motion Pictures including seven Robert Rodriguez films, including, ‘Spy Kids’, ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’, ‘Desperado’ ‘Planet Terror’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico’ and others such as, ‘Race to Witch Mountain’, ‘Ghostbusters II’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Cars’, and on television series such as ‘Judging Amy’ and in ‘Nash Bridges ‘he played Don Johnson’s partner. Cheech can also be seen on ABC's hit show ‘Lost.’ as Hurley's dad.

Tommy Chong, who was born in Canada, the son a Chinese father and a Scotch-Irish mother, had continued his success playing stoner characters, most notably as Leo the old pot head on TV’s ‘That 70’s Show’ and in the movies like ‘Half Baked’ starring Dave Chappelle, and Tommy Chong as the Squirrel Master. Tommy also stayed on the live comedy circuit performing with Shelby Chong, his wife of 33 years, who is now the opening act for their tour.

In 2008, the duo put aside differences and reunited, touring for the first time in more than two decades. Though they have aged – Cheech is now 63, and Chong is 71 –the act continues the same as ever. The show now features many of their classic comedy sketches but more music than before including an “Up In Smoke” Sing Along and the song “Born in East L.A.” that was the title track to Cheech Marin’s 1987 movie of the same name and his first solo film. The song became a hit, but they had never performed it live before.

They credit an appearance on the hit TV series South Park for their reunion. Chong says, “South Park got us back but we never worked together. Cheech came in one day and did his bit and I came in the other day. That was the first time that we had been together for 20 years. It broke the ice. Yes, we can give South Park the credit.”

Aside from the reunion tour, titled “Cheech & Chong - Light Up America” the pair is reportedly working on two new live movies and an animated film as well. And then they are hinting at a possible permanent Vegas venue after this tour.

Thanks for the many years of laughter and entertainment guys I hope you keep that fire lit.