Owensboro native and comedian releases second book; hopes to make people smile, pays tribute to roots

September 21, 2021 | 12:09 am

Updated September 20, 2021 | 9:54 pm

Photos courtesy of Steven Dupin

When Stevie Dupin saw his name on the marquee of The Laugh Factory in Hollywood, he knew he had made it. The Owensboro native operates under the stage name of Stevie D and is a renowned stand-up comedian that released his second book today. 

The new book is a memoir titled Chronicles of a Hollywood Hillbilly (Headline Books, Inc.) and features several stories from his younger years growing up in the area. It also features many people, places, and events — both past and present — from his hometown. 

“My goal is to make everyone grin again with this one,” Dupin said. “I wanted it to be all comedy and silly stories, and I am much better at putting a story together since I wrote my first book. I have several friends that will message me on Facebook, reminiscing about stories — this book allowed it to all come together.”

Dupin grew up in a single-family home with his three sisters with his mom, all of which are referenced in the book. But perhaps his most famed relative is his Uncle Ricky, who has been a primary source for content over the years.

“My Uncle Ricky was always there to look out for me. He was my biggest fan and supporter,” Dupin said. “He used to tell my kids, ‘Hey guys, Uncle Ricky’s gonna’ buy you an ice cream, and daddy’s gonna’ pay for it.’ He was only 7 years older than me and the type of guy that was supposed to be taking me to a Disney movie, but instead we would go see ‘Cheech and Chong.’”

Uncle Ricky has since passed, but his stories continue to inspire much of Dupin’s works. That level of content propelled Dupin to the comedy stages of Sunset Boulevard, where he met Tommy Chong and collaborated with him on a television project.

Dupin has also performed in conjunction with Michael Richards, who plays Kramer on television’s “Seinfeld.” Richards was introduced to the Dupin family when his sister Donna came to town and caused a huge scene in the middle of a comedy club in an effort to meet him. 

“Donna was right in the middle of the room at The Comedy Store when I heard a lot of ruckuses and her laughing,” Dupin said. “She had spotted him and was continually yelling, ‘Kramer, I’m going to take a picture with you.’ She stopped the entire show for a couple of minutes and made me take the picture. She sent me that picture before she passed away.

“I wish Ricky and Donna could have both been around to see this book.”

Dupin graduated from Apollo High School, where he served as his class president and was crowned “Class Clown” in the yearbook superlatives. Rarely venturing too far from Owensboro, he made a spring break trip to Panama City Beach with his friends his junior year and vowed to return.

A little more than a year after the trip, he graduated from high school and immediately moved to Panama City, where he worked as a DJ at local clubs for 4 years. Ready for something different, Dupin packed his belongings and headed for Los Angeles. 

“I threw two suitcases and an Elvis poster in my car and hopped on Interstate 10 headed west,” he said. “I DJed for the first 6 years working the club scene, but I really wanted to break into stand-up comedy, so I alternated between the two for 5 years before finally getting my chance at The Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store.”

Amid all this success, Dupin also met his wife Katie, and the two started a family.

Dupin’s mother made one of her first trips to LA for his wedding, sightseeing between the festivities. When asked what her favorite part of the trip was, she replied, “Seein’ your name up on that sign.”

Dupin had risen from homelessness to the pinnacle of the comedy scene, and it seemed as though nothing could go wrong. That was until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 44. 

Cancer prompted him to write his first book, The Trans Am Diaries: A Hillbilly’s Road Trip from Stand-Up Comedy to Cancer… and Back Again, which details the year following the diagnosis in 2014. 

“I eat healthy and clean; I get up early; my twisted comedic brain told me I had to do something, so I thought to myself, I’m going to write a book,” he said. “People told me they laughed so hard reading it that they were hitting people in the seat near them. I’m lucky and blessed; I became a spokesperson for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and traveled all over, motivating people to get checked.”

Dupin was less pressured with this book, spending more than 3 years on the project, and committed to making it “cancer-free.”

“My first book got a great response from people saying how much it inspired them, but I purposely did not want to talk about cancer this time,” he said. “I wanted to make the new book funnier, and I had more time to work on it, so I was able to put more thought into it. Laughter really is the best medicine, next to moonshine.”

The book is written in a casual, conversational style and also features stories from his life in LA as a comedian and a father. Regardless of how far his talent takes him, Dupin is adamant about remembering his roots.

“I love LA, especially now that I have created a family here,” Dupin said. “I think like a lot of people in this town; I had stars in my eyes when I got here, but you see people who have achieved fame and fortune but are still miserable, I think maybe because they’ve compromised who they really are. I am proud of who I am and where I’m from.”

Chronicles of a Hollywood Hillbilly is available for purchase on Amazon here. For more information about Stevie D, visit his website here

Chock-full of Owensboro locations and events, the book is sure to incite memories for many locals. 

September 21, 2021 | 12:09 am

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