Update #2: In the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 21st, Gary Dorsey passed away. A Facebook post from Dorsey's mother Debbie Rosales confirmed the sad news.

Update: We have received word that Gary Dorsey is a fighter and is still hanging on. We do not wish to disturb the family for details, we only wish them peace and love and maybe one more smile with Gary. We share both the family's hope and sorrow at this time.

Original story: I'm not going to be able to go into great detail here, but I still feel like I need to step up.

We started the Lubbock Laugh Off at the Freaky Tiki Tavern. When it started, it was actually called "Lono's Laugh Off" in honor of the statue of the Polynesian god we had on the stage. We changed up the name when we took the Laugh Off to a much bigger venue.

I cannot express to you how much it felt like the glory days all over again. It reminded me of when everyone in Lubbock was in bands and out doing gigs and jam nights, except in this case it was all stand-up comedy. The Laugh Off was just once a month, but we felt compelled to rotate as many people in as possible.

One night we were gifted with a very small, almost child-size comedian in a big white cowboy hat. That comedian in the white hat was Gary Dorsey.

Gary was incredibly deceptive. There was something incredibly wholesome and innocent about him, then he'd turn around and pull some savage joke that you just didn't see coming. Gary nearly won the Laugh Off on his very first night and was always a top vote-getter every time he performed.

Get our free mobile app

Earlier this year, Gary recorded his comedy album, opting for the wholesome environs of an ice cream shop as the venue. He wanted to make everyone laugh, even if they weren't comfortable in bars. I believe Ralph's Records may still have some copies in stock. You can also sample Gary the comedian and Gary the person on The RockShow Backstage podcast. You'll need to look down the list; it won't allow a direct link.

Gary usually performed with his invisible friend, Mr. Skip. Mr. Skip was represented on location by the retro red chair Gary carried with him to gigs. Sadly, we don't know what happens to invisible friends when their friends are no longer with them.

Mr. Skip
Mr. Skip
loading...

Take care, Gary Dorsey. You made a lot of people laugh.

Top 12 Dive Bars in Lubbock

Weird Lubbock Stuff From Amazon

More From Awesome 98