DSF: Where did you grow up?
RL: I was born in Standish, MI but grew up in Pinconning, MI. Both are small towns and are about two hours north of Detroit. Pinconning is known as the cheese capital of Michigan.
DSF: Why did you attend college at Central Michigan University (Central)?
RL: I enrolled at Central in the fall of 1994 after completing my associate’s degree. Being from a small town, I wanted to experience everything that college had to offer. Central was the biggest university that I could afford.
DSF: How did you get involved with Delta Sigma Phi?
RL: Going back to experiencing all college had to offer, I knew I wanted to join a fraternity. I went around to all the chapter houses during rush week, and I instantly clicked with Delta Sig. Out of all the houses I visited, I only felt comfortable at Delta Sig. This chapter was diverse in every aspect, and the guys were a lot of fun. I joined my junior year in 1994.
DSF: Talk about your undergraduate experience.
RL: Being a stand-up comedian is the best thing I’ve done in my life. The second best thing I did was join the Beta Omicron Chapter at Central. It was just an incredible time. I met so many people in college. The friendships that I formed in college are still with me today. I stay in contact with many guys from the chapter. We actually had a guys trip not too long ago.
DSF: How do you feel you benefited from joining?
RL: I was on the executive board each year I was in school, so I experienced running an organization from that point of view, but the biggest benefit I received were the friendships. We were all very close. Actually, there was a time during my senior year when my appendix burst, and I was in the hospital for about two weeks. Guys from the chapter took shifts and spent time with me when I was in my hospital room.
DSF: What happened after you graduated from Central?
RL: I graduated in 1996 with a B. S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems (MIS). My first job was with EDS and I was contracted out to General Motors. My expertise was computer programming. I was with EDS for about two years, and then went to work for K-Mart, then a small dot com, then IBM. It was with IBM when I decided to focus full time on stand-up comedy.
DSF: Was that a difficult decision?
RL: It was a very hard decision. I was making some pretty good money working for IBM, and when I first started comedy full-time, I made little money. My eagerness and excitement for comedy outweighed my financial concerns. Making people laugh was what I wanted to do, and I knew I would be successful with time and hard work. When I first started, the Detroit Free Press named me the “best up and coming comedian.” That was kind of humorous to me because my boss at IBM told me I wasn’t that funny.
DSF: Is being a stand-up comedian hard work?
RL: Some people think being a comedian or being in show-business is not difficult. It is hard work. I do everything from calling comedy clubs to coordinate shows, to creating and designing all promotions, to coordinating on-site tv/radio/newspaper interviews. I am on the phone a lot along with always keeping my web site up-to-date. I also travel extensively. When you put everything together with being on the road, it is definitely challenging. For me, the hard part is coordinating a show; the easy part is performing.
DSF: Give us an insight to your on-stage performances.
RL: All of my material comes from my life. I try to take what I’ve seen or experienced and relate it to others in a humorous way. Fortunately, I rarely feel nervous because I think I’m funny. I’m not cocky, but just confident that the crowd will like me. The largest crowd I have performed in front of was around 10,000 people. I have performed in about 40 States, and been on shows such as Last Call with Carson Daly, Best Damn Sports Show Period (several times), and I won a reality show on CBS called “Fire Me Please.” I was also on a Comedy Central show called “Distraction.” In addition to some TV shows, I have done a few commercials with Microsoft and Sony Handycams.
DSF: Is there a specific area of the country in which you like performing?
RL: The Midwest, especially Wisconsin. Texas is also climbing the list fast.
DSF: Looking back on your undergraduate Delta Sig experience, what would you say is your most fond memory?
RL: Every year the fraternities and sororities would have a lip sync competition. There were a few of us that entered annually, and we won my senior year. Our chapter was always really excited about this event.
DSF: Who was most influential in your life?
RL: My mom first. In regards to comedy, I had a lot of respect for the late Chris Farley, and also for Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, and George Carlin.
DSF: What advice do you have for Delta Sig undergrads?
RL: Enjoy your time in college. Use your time to its fullest. Get everything you can out of your experience, and take time to learn from one another.
Rob lives in North Hollywood, CA. You can learn more about Rob through visiting his web sites: www.roblittle.com and www.myspace.com/roblittle.
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