My Interview with May May Ali

 

Last night, I donned my Comic Bible cap and headed out to the Comedy Store with my cameraman, Paul Baio.

I interviewed two very awesome ladies. First, I sat down with the beautiful and amazing May May Ali, daughter of two-time World Heavy Weight Champion Muhammad Ali and the gorgeous Khalilah Ali.

Then Paul and I scurried off to a backroom to interview the very funny Roz Browne, a USO performer named as California’s Funniest Female and Boston Metro Choice’s Favorite Comedian, among other impressive titles.

It was a fun and funny night, filled with some hysterical comedians. Sunda Croonquist was even there!

I even had the honor to meet John and Edna Ball, the co-chairs for Team Parkinson. John is amazing! Just six weeks ago, he had back surgery, and last night he was up and walking around with more energy than I had when I was 18!

May May redefines the word inspiration. The work that she put into the evening resulted in a fantastic show that helped to raise money and awareness to fight this debilitating disease.

Being a Daddy’s girl and being an Ali fan, I was so touched by May May’s stories about her dad. Stay tuned for the interview – she had some beautiful (and funny) things to say about him. And, what struck me most about May May was her character and quality. Like her father, she is inspiring, enlightening, meaningful and entertaining. I wanted to sit all night and talk to her.

This morning I woke up and realized it’s been over two months since my nephew, Nick Birchak, passed. He was only 28 when epilepsy took his life.

How do the two go together? May May reminded me of my nephew: full of so much life and full of the desire to give back.

So many people around me are striving so hard to get that great agent, to make that superb movie, to land that high-paying commercial and/or sitcom. And, at the heart of it, I understand it. I’m doing the same. Being a performer is about touching lives on a grand scale – instead of making just one person laugh, we want to make a whole audience laugh.

But so often, I feel like I lose sight. I get caught up in the chase and the details of the entertainment industry that I forget to step back until something bad happens, until a loved one is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, cancer, Alzheimer’s or worst yet, passes away. 

Last night, after meeting May May, I was reminded about the simplicity and quality of life. Quality of life doesn’t come from the fame, the fortune, or the power. It is simply about the goodness that you give back to the world, touching one life, one person at a time, and helping that person to feel grateful to be alive.

My heart was incredibly touched by the whole night. I woke up with a sense of gratitude and love that I hope to give to at least one person today. I'm thinking one person a day, until my time is up, that could be more than an audience at The Met. How simple.

Thank you May May, for the evening, for your generous time and for your inspiration!

Comments

[Joe]

Beautiful.

[Bill J.]

Ali created controversy, but he made many people think. It's nice to read that his daughter carries the torch. Good read.

[Katie]

I love your insight and outlook Gabby. Those are good words to live by.