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It was an overcast day in Plaquemine when John and Lori Morgan headed to an estate sale. It was one that the Morgans had been waiting for—the sellers owned some beautiful things from around the world.

The problem was that the stuff would be expensive, probably more than the family could afford to spend.

Morgan mused about what might give him an edge, some disarming tactic that would endear him to the sellers so he could negotiate a bargain.

How about a flamboyant effeminate man who stressed his S’s, Morgan thought.

“I took off my wedding ring and told my wife to keep a straight face,” Morgan recalls.

After some playful conversation in his hastily created character, he was ready to haggle.

And he racked up. He bought four steel columns, a four-ton central air conditioning unit and various paintings, all for $4,000. Today the columns proudly stand in the backyard of the Morgan’s 1903 Plaquemine home.

Such is the dual life for John Morgan. He travels as a stand-up comedian 40 weeks out of the year, and when he’s home in Plaquemine he manages apartments and rent houses and oversees his new real estate developments.

One day he may be being introduced as “The Ragin’ Cajun” in Omaha, Neb., and the next he’s plunging a toilet at a rental unit.

On stage, Morgan works in the tradition of Bill Cosby. Every day he recounts stories in a humorous fashion, allowing the whole narrative to influence the punch line. For Morgan, telling jokes isn’t about short, pithy statements that criticize politicians or current events. He talks about daily life, making light out of his dismal attempts to kill a massive beehive in the backyard, transforming dull chores into funny jokes. This makes his humor approachable and easy.

He started performing as a comedian while he was still a student at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, performing at clubs and hotels.

Then he won a statewide comedy competition in 1998 sponsored by MTV, earning him the title “Louisiana’s Funniest Man.” In 2004, he performed at the master’s level for the Montreal Comedy Festival.

He does not have extensive training in comedy, just a niche. After college he worked in hospital marketing, got one good look at corporate life and quit.

His comedy is built on an innate ability to make people laugh, both on and off-stage.

“I basically pedal drinks. Art? Please, comics are entertainers,” Morgan says.

This cool attitude keeps him grounded. Morgan appreciates every gig and values the relationships with club owners. “John speaks from the heart and lets you into his life. He can perform for 70-year-olds or to a much younger audience,” says Bruce Ayers, owner of The Comedy Club in Birmingham, Ala.

Colleen Quinn of the Funny Bone in Omaha says Morgan is like her Cajun brother. “He has a multi-faceted relationship with real life and comedy.”

The material Morgan uses comes verbatim from everyday experiences, mostly family anecdotes. He’s fueled by the audience’s reaction, and often laughs at himself.

“John is a true comedian. He tells stories from personal experiences. He’s not just about the punch line,” says Freddy DeMarco, Morgan’s former booker.

Morgan’s comic energy is propelled by the element of escape. “I love to give people an outlet for laughter and fun; it’s a great feeling,” he says.

Not surprisingly, Morgan’s sense of humor follows him off stage. At home, he’s a warm father with his three children, Jackson, Jake and Lilah. He calls his family life crucial, and the motivation for his real estate investment. As Morgan says, “There’s no retirement in comedy.”

It creeps into business deals and parenting, like in the evenings when their kids share details of their day.

“John will take an event that happened that day and make it funny and fun for them. He especially does this if they’ve had a bad day,” Lori Morgan says. “He’ll have everybody laughing by the end of it.”

And Morgan plays like a kid. “Their day-to-day activity is waiting behind corners and then scaring each other. They think it’s hilarious,” she says.

Coming home from the road it takes Morgan some time to adjust, allowing his emotions to overtake responsibility. “I let the kids dig in the bag for the presents I picked up for them. I enjoy coming home so much.” And then he notices that the grass needs to be cut. “There’s that responsibility aspect that keeps me going,” he says.

The usual tasks ensue. He makes trips to the hardware store, buys flowers at the nursery and visits his rental units for routine maintenance.

His life is busy and demanding, thrilling and exhausting. But Morgan sees things simply.

Reflecting for a moment on his life, he says simply, “I’m so whole.” johnmorgancomedy.net