Sam Adams gave his first standup comedy set in 2001, only a few months after his return from reporting on track and field at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia. Eight years later at age 49, the long-time sports journalist took on comedy as a full-time professional career.
Sam’s entertaining profanity-free comedy performances earned him high praise at the 2009 Great American Comedy Festival held in Norfolk, Nebraska. He won the festival’s amateur competition, then was asked to compete in the professionals division as a last-minute
replacement. Sam took the second place prize amid a field of two dozen national headline comedians.
In 2018 Sam’s popularity catapulted when the “True Color” clip from his 2017 Dry Bar Comedy special went viral — with more than 10 million social media views in less than 72 hours. Since, the clip has reached more than 35 million views on Facebook alone.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette offered this glowing review of Sam’s comedy performance in 2019: “Known for his prize-winning comedy and casual delivery devoid of profanity and vulgarity, (Adams) spent two hours entertaining a full house that belly-laughed and applauded too many times to count. “If it’s true that laughter is the best medicine, he administered his healing brand intravenously for two solid hours.”
Before making his transition to standup comedy, Sam spent three decades as a sports writer and television commentator based in Denver, Colorado. In 2003 Sam’s media peers elected him Colorado’s Print Journalist of the Year. In 2019, Sam was the first African-American sports journalist ever inducted to the prestigious Denver Press Club’s Hall of Fame.
For Sam’s first book, titled “If You Don’t Believe Me: Lessons Learned From Listened To The Greats” Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway offered the following tribute: “Through the ups and downs of an NFL career, I developed great trust, respect and appreciation for Sam. Blending an uncanny ability to mix humor with keen insight and knowledge, Sam is a one-of-a-kind storyteller.”
