Thanks Frank-A Tribute

Hi Guys, I wrote up this tribute to Frank Ahearn, the former booker and manager of The Comedy Connection who passed away earlier this month. I wanted to share it here as well as a few other sites. Thanks for reading.

Since his passing on July 5, Frank Ahearn, the face of The Comedy Connection for 18 years has been remembered in many ways, now comics from New England to Los Angeles share their loving memories of the warm-hearted man.   

In the wake of the 80s stand-up boom Boston had few venues dedicated to great live comedy. But, with its move to Fanueil Hall in the early 90s and a well-timed hiring of Frank Ahearn as general manager, The Comedy Connection lead the way to a comedy revival. Comics largely credit Frank, a native of Dorchester with making The Connection the place to pick up the mic. He brought in the best talent around, veteran Boston comic Tony V recalls, “no one would say no to him because he’d do anything for you.” Frank had simple rules for who got on, “He just liked people who were funny” Chris McGuire, LA based writer and Boston bred comic explains, “He didn’t throw around compliments either-if he said it, he meant it.”

For Frank, everything was about the show. He created a great experience for everyone from the audience to the comics and servers whether that meant running the box-office or breaking up a fight mid-show. Tess Rafferty,  writer for The Soup and former Connection regular touched on Tony’s commitment, “It’s the details that can make a show bad. he was in control of the details, he cared that people had a good show.”

True “alt comedy” may have been in its infancy but Frank was willing to nurture new acts and shaky comedy colts. He took Tess and many others under his wing, “He was into giving people chances, he said ‘this is where you go to get good.”

As Frank recovered from a stroke in the spring, benefits were held for Frank, who was used to being on the other end of such events. Benefit performer Tony V saw Frank’s dedication to helping others through fundraisers at The Connection, “He could get anybody to come down and perform for free because everybody loved him.”  Frank’s yearly South Shore golf tournaments and comedy shows also drew top local acts and raised thousands for charity organizations.

Frank felt equally at home in the glamour of Las Vegas. His inner-circle was always guaranteed a great time when meeting up with Frank on one of his many Vegas trips. Tess and Chris were struggling comics new to L.A when Frank and Kevin Knox invited them out to Vegas for the first time. That first night of fine restaurant dining, wine, and hours of conversation all courtesy of Frank had a lasting impact on Chris and Tess. She explains, “To Frank, life was not all about the struggle and the bad things. The love of sharing food and wine, its something that we do in our lives every weekend. I owe it all to Frank.”

His influence on the lives of those close to him is overwhelming. Chris McGuire reflects, “A show business career is a weird thing, sometimes you get lucky with who you meet, one of the most influential people for me was Frank.” It is impossible to think of Frank’s loss without being reminded of Kevin Knox his longtime friend who passed away in November after battling melanoma. The absence of the two has been a devastating blow to Boston comedy, but they continue to inspire laughter and generosity in others.