Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Jan. 20, 1983, edition 1 / Page 19
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Tomy \ 'V , il Comments - - r-—■■■ . « .* ■ .j vr- *’. . ... . George Kirby: Straight Man George Kirby has mellowed like a fine wine. His often bitter fife has also had its peaks. He’s now at ooe such peak; not, however, because he’s rich or famous. Rather, because of heroin. Yes, because of heroin. You see, at last-after having Us life destroyed and almost losing everything that matters- ' Kirby now knows .heroin as the WIW it really is. In one of the moat exciting and insightful television interviews that I fujpever conduced, Kirby laid it on the With his siren songs of wealth and power. King Heroin has duped George Kirby twice. In 1860, suffering the physical and mental homrs of a power ful drug habit, Kirby had to enter the ctong rehaUMtattoo center at Iaaington, After a two-year hitch, he promised to slop obeying dope and go straight. Al though he stopped using drugs, ha started selling them. Worried about lasing Us fame, house and car, King Heroin’s illusions returned. . Kirby offered to sell 363 grams of cocaine to an undercover narcotics agent in Las Vegas. For the sale, he lost his home, Us car, his fame, went from a 135,000 a week income to no income and, most importantly, lost Us freedom. He was sentenced to 30 years in J0U. “When the Judge sentenced me and I * stood up in court, I apologised to everyone. 1 apologized to evWydig~gn over that were fans and friends of mine, that*knew me, and had followed my career. And I told them how ashamed I was of eventuating involved in all this,’’ he said. “I teamed a terrific lesson behind that, and that lesson is, think three hnd four times before vou do anything that is unlawful. And I say that to each and everybody.” Many millions are still doing what Kirby used to do. Tbey underestimate dope and confuse its delusion with reality. “King Heroin,” as Kirby calls his poetic-message in bis nightclub act, is a true devil. Kirby has written a play entitled “King Heroin.” The nine characters are en titled: cocaine, heroin, marijuana, LSD, opium, PCP, the pimp, the thief and . Lucifer. “Behold, I’m *King Heroin. Known to all as the destroyer at man. Mi uui where I first came, nobody knows. J came from a land where the poppy grows. I’m a world power, and all know it’s true. Usa me once, and you’ll knew It 1 too. "...All nations have gathered to plot by destruction, for l*m a breeder at crime be«?hmded>andaouflit. For I capture mew's wills and dkptroy their minds and cause them to commit an sorts of crimes **#Kh cellophane bags, I found my way • to great man in efflce and children at ’ - richest of states to the From the higat bums. I can make a ia . % . I Mb family and wife and send a greedy man to prison for the rest of his life. “I can make a man forsake country and flag and make a girl sell her virtue for a |20 bag....Would you like to hear more of the things I can do: The women I defiled, the men I slew? ...Some bave run to programs and to the police to get from under my wing'. How dare they defy me? I who am king. "So now they must suffer, you see that’s part of my game. They lay with discomfort and they squirm with the pain. They rise in the morning with a hacking cough, six, seven days of this madness and they might throw me off. Oh, they’ll curse my name and defy me in speech, but some would pick me up again if 1 were in reach. "They beard my warning but didn’t take heed. Now they must put the foot in the stirrup and mount my steed. Get tight in the saddle and ride me well, for I, King Heroin, am going to bring them all straight down to hell. Are you, are you, my next victim? Sucker! ” After Kirby recited that very moving anti-destruction piece to me on televi sion, I had drills running across my skin. Then he told me about "the Joke between him and the Lord.” “God Almighty was watching me. He watches all of his children.” In Jail, Kirby had a revelation: “I was talking to the Lord, I said, ‘Okay, Lord, when I first —go* into show business I was a perter, with a mop and a bucket.’And here I was in the institution with a mop and a broom and a bucket. And I said, ‘I get it. You want me to get myself together and do it right this time. So when I come out this time, that’s what I intend to dot ”’ And that’s what Kirby is doing He’s warning others. He’s up against a coun try trying to live an illusion. The rich openly admit in divorce court that the Master-Dope turns love to perversion; yesterday’s all-American football boy is today’s convicted drug pusher; lovely young girls in beauty contests carry co- ' caine along with cosmetics and go to jail cells instead of into the winner’s circle; comedians turn to naming bells of Are in— maniacal laughter as the dope eats away their skin; the singer, who can no longer sing; seeks new songs in the siren songs of dope's new death. ! SMbe of the poor and not so famous use this devil to be like the rich and famous. They all bow at Ms feet. They call Ms message: “recreational usage.’’ They say the devil makee them do it. How right they are. He loves it. he tricks them all. That’s why he’s king. He tricked George Kirby, -the famous comedian, twice: once in Ms veins and once in Ma fame. Now Kirby faces King Heroin for the third time. "Tony Brown’s Journal” TV series can Channel 42 at 4:30. It can also be seen on Channel 98 on Sundays at «:30 p m Please consult listings. Kiiijy Presents King Heron In 1977 George Kirby’s life changed. The famous comedian and impression ist was jailed for selling co caine and heroin to a Las Vegas undercover agent. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Now after being released and on pro — hation, this versatile .en tertainer is making a comeback. Kirby talks about his battle with drugs and pri son life on the upcoming edition of “Tony Brown’s Journal,” entitled “George Kirby Presents King Heroin.” Since leaving prison, Kirby has been working to resurrect his career. Be cause of his own addiction and experiences with drugs, he has been waging a campaign to educate and rehabilitate drug addicts. As an outgrowth, Kirby has added a new character to his litany of impressions: “King Heroin,” a chilling dramatiziation of the de structive impact of drugs. On the program, Kirby brings to live the diabolic al force called “King Heroin.” The nation’s longest-run ning, top rank Black Affairs television series has been sponsored by Pep si-Cola Company for eight consecutive years. Tele vised nationally on public television, the program will be seen in this area on WTVI, Channel 42 and WUNG, Channel 48 at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 22. i got involved in a deal ing with drugs which I had no business doing, but out of desperation to save some material things, I did it,” confides Kirby to host Tony Brown. “I learned a ter rific lesson behind that, and that lesson is to think three or four times before you do anything that is unlawful. "I say that to each and everybody in this entire country and over the worlds Hunk three or four times IteCflCE you do anything wrong because they made an example out of me Because of my name, they let everybody know, ‘We don’t care who you are. From now on, if you're involved in something, we’re gonna sock it to you; ~ we’re gonna—put you away’.” . “Oiinafcmir fc Sinday N^ht IVlcrvie Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunatfay star in “China town," Roman Polanski’s highly acclaimed movie about a baffling mystery involving political corrup tion and private scandal, to be seen Sunday, January 23, at 3 p.m. on WBTV, Channel 3. John Huston, director of such film classics as “The Maltese Falcon” and “The Big Sleep,” co-stars. Robert Towne won an Aca demy Award for best ori ginal screenplay for “Chinatown." The time is 1937 and the place, Los Angeles, then a thriving boomtown riddled with corruption as shady political dealings and land speculation provide oppor tunities for the powerful to make millions. J. J. Gittes (Nicholson), a dapper, ambitious but small-time private eye specializing in divorce case investigations, is cata pulted into the middle of this big-time wheeling and dealing when he accepts as a client a beautiful social ite, Evelyn Mulwray (Ms. Dunaway). MRS. ROMA Spiritual Reader and Adviser In All The Affairs Of Life Pwf ■ Present - Mure "She Knows All And Tells All” Gall For Appt. 535-2276 -4MI Monroe Rd_J Everything Confidential WORLD'S LEADING AUTO APPEARANCPjPPriAM^v: *•••••••••• We Are Specialists /!■);•••••••••••• 1. Preserv-A-Shine -- A never need to wax treatment, that carries a lifetime warranty. 2. Upholstery Gard II A unique invisible seat cover that protects against spots, spills, and stains it carries a lifetime warranty. ' 3. Buff and Shine An inside and out detail of your car. We wax the outside, door Jams, inside hood and trunk, clean and wipe down the inside 4. 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 20, 1983, edition 1
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