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Booking Agency to Book and Hire CLEDUS T. JUDD

Six years go Cledus T. Judd announced that he was hanging up his overalls and
heading home to Kentucky to spend more time with his family. “From the first day I was
home with my daughter I knew I had made the right decision. I was home with my child
and happier than ever!” he says.

“So I left Nashville behind, I focused mostly on my daughter and my morning show but
after I would get off in the mornings my daughter would be at school I became bored.
I’m a creative soul and there was nothing to feed it. I tried to find any kind of work I
could after my show”, he recounts. “I’d buy and remodel dilapidated houses. Then,
when I came home, covered in dirt and soot, coughing up coal, I’d think, ‘Man if Kix and
Ronnie could see me now!”

Cledus chuckles before resuming his story. “Ten years before, I was standing in front of
twenty thousand people. Now I was standing in front of a run-down fireplace, breathing
asbestos. And when my wife and kids weren’t around, I’d get on my phone, Google my
name and watch my old videos. I’d remember where I was when I did each one. Or I’d
watch the award shows and remember how I would sit there amongst the greats —
Brooks & Dunn, Toby, the Flatts! I never really won an award but I was privileged to
have a seat amongst them. And yes sometimes alone in those run down houses I would
shed a tear or two. I’m not gonna lie.”

No one outside of his immediate circle had any idea. Their memories of Cledus were
framed in the laughter he inspired through his song parodies and videos — “I Love
NASCAR,” “My Cellmate Thinks I’m Sexy”, “Did I Shave My Back For This?” They might
have replayed his albums, beginning with Cledus T. Judd (No Relation) from 1995, the
Gold-certified I Stoled This Record (1996) and on to Parodyziac!! (2012), maybe
wondering as they smiled, what had ever happened to their favorite country musical
comedian and chronicler of life’s absurdities? A comedian that sold close to three million
records. “I never thought I’d sell three much less three million!”, he adds with a chuckle.
They wouldn’t have dreamed that back in 1990, he drove out to the middle of
Jacksonville’s Main Street Bridge and contemplated escaping his demons with a leap
into the St. Johns River. Or how years later, after leaving audiences cheering and
clapping for more, he slipped into shadows away from the stage.
“I’d go onto the empty bus after a big show and bury my head in a pillow and cry. I could
make them laugh but I didn’t know how to make myself laugh.”

His self-imposed exile began, as did a process of healing. He kept a hand in the
business as a co-host of the WTCR morning radio show out of Huntington, West
Virginia. Very rarely he would do another gig. His confidence was shot to the point that
he might have stopped them entirely, if not for one engagement that helped put him
back on track.

A year or so ago Ray Stevens asked him to open for him one night in Renfro Valley,
Kentucky. “Ray is my idol, so I did it,” Cledus says. “I did 35 or 40 minutes. After I was
done, the whole place, over 1,500 people, gave me a standing ovation. When I got off
the stage, Ray asked me, ‘Cledus, why did you retire?’ I said, ‘Well, Ray, I just didn’t
feel like I had much relevance anymore.’ Then Ray said, ‘Well, 1,500 fans just stood up
for you out there. I think you’re relevant.’ He winked at me, shook my hand and walked
off. That was the sign that told me, ‘You know what? You are relevant. You are good at
what you do. If anybody ever needed you in your lifetime, they need you now.’”

Before making any decisions, Cledus gathered his family to ask their advice. His
daughter Caitlyn responded, “Dad, if you’re gonna go stand on the back of a hay truck
and sing funny songs to make money, I would rather you stay home and be with me.
But if you’re going to change people’s lives, I’ll be waiting for you when you get home.”
Then she added, “We’re sick of watching your old YouTube videos. Go out and make
some new ones. And besides I’ll need a Ferrari in a few years.”

That settled it. Cledus headed back to Nashville to write songs, both serious and
humorous. Brantley Gilbert picked up one of them, “Three Feet Of Water,” for his 2017
album The Devil Don’t Sleep. Recently he’s finished a new single and its video, a satire
of Morgan Wallen and Florida Georgia Line’s “Up Down,” titled “My Weight’s Goin’ Up
Down.”
Friends cheered him on. Fans flooded his Facebook with their approval. Old and new
have welcomed him back. An email to Cledus from CMT’s Leslie Fram speaking for
them all: “YOU ARE BACK! I love it. You are a genius!”
“My whole family cried when they read the email from Leslie. Then we all went and
celebrated at the Waffle House. A royalty check came in that same day so what better
place to spend it all than the Waffle House!” laughs Cledus.

I want to touch peoples’ lives for the better. That’s the sole reason for my return. I saved a little money. I have a beautiful family and home like I never dreamed of, but nothing compares to the joy I get from sharing my journey!
“I don’t want nobody to come to a show and sit on the middle of the fence,” Cledus
sums up. “Whether you love me or hate me, all I want is to know when the night is over
that I’ve made a difference. Again, the fans changed my life the first time now it’s my
turn to change theirs!”

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Having helped hundreds of clients, we are your best agency for booking and hiring funny comedian Cledus T. Judd. We can help you book or hire any funny stand up comedians, comedy acts, and funny musical entertainers. Call us now at 888-655-4575 and we’ll be glad to help you!

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