Very saddened to hear of John Pinettes passing. He was one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. It was 14 or 15 years ago, while I was working at the Irvine Improv, when Jeff Jenna (the house M.C. at the time) hurried up to me and asked Chris, what type of car do you drive? A Blazer, wh- PERFECT! Can you do me a favor and pick John up at the Hilton by John Wayne (airport) right now? I remember meeting John for the first time in the lobby of the Hilton, I had no idea who he was other than that weeks featured comedian. He wasnt fit by any means but was much more slender than in the pictures we were promoting his shows with and I complemented him on it. He thanked me and visibly brightened. When we approached my Chevy Blazer, parked outside, John exclaimed Oh thank God! I was hoping! You look like the type of guy who drives a bigger car but you never know! Apparently, John was not a fan of small, ground hugging, cars on accounts of his knees and my car was just the ticket. The drive to the club was great! Unlike so many comedians I had done similar Improv favors for during my stint there, John was a natural conversationalist and just a downright great guy. I have no idea how many topics we covered but there wasnt a silent moment between us during the entire trek and very little of it was spent on him or his accomplishments, he was more interested in sharing his knowledge of the area/experiences and getting to know about me. When we arrived at the Improv he slipped me a $50, Dont tell your boss, and asked if Id mind shuttling him around some more until the rest of his team got into town to do it. Upon walking in the doors of the Improv it was apparent that this guy was special. Seemingly every one of my co-workers lit up and went out of their way to greet him. More surprising, to me at least, was that he knew many of their names almost as if he was greeting old friends and not just the help. Throughout the afternoons and early evenings, he would hang around with us instead of isolating himself in The Green Room or by entertaining his entourage at The Booth like so many others . . . he was one of those rare comics comfortable enough with his act and himself to do that. At night, when he took the stage, it was awe inspiring to watch how quickly he could win the entire audience over, hold them entirely in the palm his hand, and kill. He absolutely killed every set I saw him do! Not a one didnt laugh. Throughout the 5 nights he was there, I drove him back and forth to the hotel a couple of times and got to hang out with him quite a bit at the club. He informed me of a quest he was on to find this particular $300 bottle of tequila that was supposed to be incredibly pure and he would occasionally give me status updates on his progress in obtaining it throughout the week. On Sunday, his final night at the Improv, he excitedly approached me and whispered Chris, Ive found it!, he then went around and invited every employee at the club to join him after the show for a party in honor and celebration of their hard work that week. It was a genuine show of gratitude, a big Thank You from an even bigger man. When I arrived at the hotel with some co-workers I thought wed just be going to hang out in one of the bars or lounges but no, John had rented us a Penthouse suite for the night. When the door to the suite opened, he was there to greet us and was the giddiest Id seen him all week. In his hand he held the sacred bottle of $300 tequila!! Our price of admission was to surrender our keys and let him pour a shot (or more) down our gullets in true Tijuana fashion. Hey, it was a party and there was no way he was going to stand for anyone not having a blast! At some point around 2-3 am, John slipped out quietly, turning back on his way out of the door to give a big smile and a bow. Thats the last I saw of him and now, ever will. I dont talk about my time there very much anymore but whenever I do it seems inevitable that the first question to follow is: Who was the nicest comedian and who was the biggest dick?. Ill not address the former here, but John Pinette was #1 in my top 5. He was the nicest comedian to have come through the club while I worked there and the only one to ever show his gratitude for the people working behind the scenes in such a big way. I have no idea if this was a special occasion or something he did after every stay/run but the man knew he wasnt the only one responsible for his success and he went out of his way to share a little piece of it with whomever he felt deserved it. That little piece went a long way in those of us he touched and well never forget him for it. It so saddens me to have to acknowledge that hes now the second of my top 5 nicest, the other being the legendary Ron Shock, to pass beyond this world. Thank you, John. R.I.P.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 20:04:03 +0000
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