New Jersey native Jim Norton is a nationally-touring comedian and best selling author who can be heard weekday mornings on the "Opie & Anthony" radio show. The show, which is listened to by millions of devoted fans each day, airs on both CBS and XM radio networks.
Jim is currently performing his unique stand-up to sold-out crowds across the country. His diverse audience is hoping to experience what Judi Brown of the Aspen Comedy Festival calls "brutal honesty" comedy. Judi also described Jim as "refreshing in a business where a lot of people are phony".
Jim's first book, "Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch" was published in July 2007. The New York Times bestseller is a collection of Jim's personal journal entries, raunchy sex stories, embarrassing star sightings, and pathetic childhood memories. Jim's second book, "I Hate Your Guts," also became a New York Times bestseller upon its release in November 2008.
On television, Jim hosts HBO's "Down and Dirty with Jim Norton." Premiering in late September 2008, "Down and Dirty" showcases new stand-up comedians. Jim was most recently seen in Monster Rain, his one-hourHBO stand-up show. He also starred in HBO's "Lucky Louie" as well as in Comedy Central's "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn." He has performed on "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Late Show with David Letterman," had a half-hour special on HBO's "One Night Stand," and has been featured on both "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Last Call with Carson Daly."
In addition to radio, books, TV and touring, Jim has released two CD's of his stand-up comedy: 2002's Yellow Discipline and 2003's Trinkets I Own Made From Gorilla Hands.
Jim's first inkling of becoming a comedian came at age 12 when he saw Richard Pryor's special "Richard Pryor: Live in Concert." He wound up in rehab at 17, dropped out of high school the next year, then started signing up for open-mic nights at local bars at 21. Often pegged as an "angry comic" because of his raunchy brand of humor, Jim argues the only labels in comedy that truly matter are "funny," "original," and "hack".