Ralphie May was an American stand-up comedian. Ralphie May’s net worth was $2 million at the time of his death. Ralphie May’s comedy career took off when he won a contest to open for comedian Sam Kinison at the age of 17. Kinison just so happened to be May’s idol. Kinison recommended that Ralphie relocate to Houston, Texas to further his comedy career. May competed in the first season of Last Comic Standing in 2003, finishing second behind Dat Phan. He later appeared on several comedy shows, including The Wayne Brady Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
He was the only white comedian to appear in 2005’s The Big Black Comedy Show, alongside Mo’Nique, Rodman, and Vince Morris. In 2005, he released his album “Just Correct.” He recorded seven Comedy Central specials, including Girth of a Nation (2006), Prime Cut (2007), Austin-tatious (2008), and Too Big to Ignore. Mays has also appeared in films such as For Da Love of Money and performed at the 2012 Juggalo Gathering. From 2005 to 2015, May was married to fellow comedian Lahna Turner. They had two children together, a son and a daughter. Ralphie passed away on October 6, 2017 at the age of 45. According to reports, he died of cardiac arrest.
Ralphie May Born: 17 February 1972
Ralphie May Died: 6 October 2017
Ralphie May Height: 1.75 m
Ralphie May Net Worth: $2 million
Ralphie May Spouse: Lahna Turner (m. 2005–2017)
Ralphie May Children: April June May, August May
Ralphie May Early Life
Sue Ann Sykes May and Charles Winston gave birth to May on February 17, 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was raised in Clarksville, Arkansas, with his three older siblings. May had a close relationship with his grandmother, about whom he spoke frequently and fondly in many interviews. She is credited with caring for him and his siblings as they grew up. His parents were divorced and had a strained relationship because his father refused to pay child support, resulting in costly legal battles. According to May, the tension often spilled over into how the children were treated.
May has always enjoyed performing and making people laugh. He attended Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He had moved to Houston on the advice of comic Sam Kinison, whom he had met at the age of 17 after winning a stand-up comedy competition that allowed May to open for Kinison’s show.
Ralphie May Career
May worked on his stand-up comedy skills throughout the 1990s, after graduating from high school, frequently performing at open mic nights and in comedy clubs, first in the Houston area and then in Los Angeles. He eventually gained a following and a fanbase, attracting the attention of bigger names in comedy. All of this led to his selection to compete in the first season of “Last Comic Standing”. The show first aired in 2003.
May finished the competition in second place, just behind winner Dat Phan. While airing on Comedy Central, the show became quite popular, contributing to May’s stardom and name recognition. He was scheduled to appear on several comedy shows, including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Wayne Brady Show.” In 2005, he was also invited to appear as the only white comedian on “The Big Black Comedy Show,” which also featured Mo’Nique, Rodman, and Vince Morris.
May began releasing comedy albums after his success. In 2005, he released his first comedy album, “Just Correct.” He also began recording comedy specials for Comedy Central over the next decade or so. He would tour around the country in the months leading up to the specials, perfecting the material that was later recorded. He released “Girth of a Nation” in 2006, followed by “Prime Cut” in 2007. He released “Austin-tatious” in 2008, followed by “Too Big to Ignore” in 2012. With Netflix’s popularity, he also signed a few contracts with the streaming platform. He released his special “Imperfectly Yours” in 2013, followed by “Unruly” in 2015.
Ralphie May Personal Life and Death
May married fellow comedian Lahna Turner in July 2005. In September of 2007, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter. They later had a son in June of 2009. The couple also co-hosted a podcast called “Perfect 10” in 2013. Several years later, following a difficult period in their marriage, the couple filed for divorce in October of 2015. They sought joint custody of their children, but their divorce was never finalised.
May had struggled with obesity his entire life. In an effort to lose weight, he competed on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club” in 2004 and underwent gastric bypass surgery. This brought his weight down to 350 pounds. However, much of the weight was regained over the next few years. He then lost around 50 pounds after contracting a severe case of viral pneumonia in 2011. The pneumonia caused a blood clot to become lodged in his artery, resulting in a nearly fatal pulmonary embolism the following month. May tried to keep his health in mind after the scare, but it was difficult.
May died on October 6, 2017, at the age of 45, after suffering a cardiac arrest while in Las Vegas. He had been battling another case of pneumonia for several weeks prior to his death, which had caused a number of shows to be cancelled. May had already performed that night in Las Vegas, where he had a residency at Harrah’s, and had even attended a meet and greet with fans after the show, though people close to him say he was already feeling ill by then. Following May’s death, photos from the meet and greet surfaced, showing the comic looking pale and uneasy.
Following his death, some of his friends contributed to the purchase of his headstone, and many comedians and celebrities paid tribute to May in online tributes. In Tennessee, a family funeral was held for him.
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