Clarksville, TN – Since September of 2024, folks from Clarksville, Fort Campbell, and the surrounding area have been enjoying world-class comedy at Joker’s Comedy House, a long-time dream of Gary Singleton and his wife Alela.
Singleton wanted to create a safe, welcoming environment where everyone could enjoy good times, good friends, and lots of laughter. The Detroit, MI native spent 22 years in the Army, in communications. After he retired, he chose to settle in Clarksville.
“I like the south, it’s a little slower,” Singleton said, which I kind of like. I’m done with the fast-paced life.
“I am a fan of comedy, but my real goal was to fill a need in Clarksville. I’ve been here 20 + years, and I’m an investor by trade. When I first got here, I opened a mortgage company, and then I started buying properties. My wife and I have twenty or so. I used to ride around and check on everything. Way back in 2015, I was driving around one day, and it hit me. Clarksville needed something other than just a nightclub.
“I used to go to Zanie’s Comedy Night Club in Nashville. I love comedy, and I thought that would be great for Clarksville. I rode around and looked at some locations, but I couldn’t find the right spot. At some point, I talked to the lady who owned the building we’re in now. About a year later, she called me and said she was ready to sell.”
After buying the building, Singleton kept the property rented for a long time. “When the last tenant left, I realized I had the perfect spot,” Singleton said. “We did our grand opening at the end of September 2024. So we are coming up on two years. It’s going pretty well. Our name is out there, now. People know what we do and where we’re located.
“Were becoming well known in the comedy community. So, we’re starting to have comedians contact us, wanting to perform here.”
Singleton works with three major talent agencies. That helps him bring in the bigger names. They also round out the schedule with some lesser-known comedians.
“We tell the agencies we have a 200-seat room, and our price range, and they line us up with talent that fits,” Singleton said. “We have shows every weekend. Saturday is our main day. There is always comedy on Saturdays. We do shows on most Fridays as well. On Sundays, we do other things, paint & sip events, brunches, and other things. We also rent the space out for private events.”
Singleton is trying to gear the business to the community. It’s not just about comedy. The goal is to appeal to a broader section of the community.
“We are open 5 days a week,” Singleton said. “We do improv night. That’s a group thing; anybody can join. It has a lot of audience involvement. On Thursdays, we do open mic nights. Anyone can sign up and get up there.
“We have a full bar and a full restaurant. We do comfort food – BBQ, Philly cheese-steaks and fries, lots of great stuff. We have a vast menu. We are having a blast. It’s a lot of fun. I get to meet a lot of great comedians. We get to laugh every weekend. But, most of all, we provide a local alternative so people don’t have to go to Nashville. We want people to be able to stay here and have a good time. We are bringing in national-level entertainment, and we think Clarksville deserves it.”
Joker’s Comedy House is located at 2150 Fort Campbell Boulevard Suite A. Find more information on hours of operation, menu offerings, and upcoming performances at www.jokerscomedyhouse.com
