What’s Your Favorite?
By Jeff Houghton
After his rise to national fame in the ’70s beginning with his songs “Spiders and Snakes” and “Swamp Witch,” Jim Stafford made 24 appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. In fact, he had an open invitation. Today, he speaks about Carson admiringly: “His job was to make that thing work. His gift, which was part gift and part hard work, was to make sure he was on it all the time. He was better at that than anybody, and he was more relaxed about it.”
It’s evident that the same words can be said of Stafford. He has a certain comfortable intensity about him. He can be both in a particular moment and formulating ideas to improve his show at the same time. Although he has achieved the oft-elusive Branson stability, he is still continually adding to his crafted blend of music and comedy.
In 1989, Stafford did a stint as an actor/writer for a one-shot Smothers Brothers comedy special that aired that May. A few months later, he made the all-or-nothing move from Los Angeles to Branson. “I felt like it’s the kind of thing that you say, ‘This is it,’ and you commit to it, period,” he says. “That’s what I did. That’s kind of scary.”
His sustained success for 17 years in Branson is tied to enjoyment of perfecting and performing his show. “I really like it every single time,” he says. “If I go on vacation, I get antsy to do it.” In addition, Stafford has an endless supply of creativity, and with his own theatre, those ideas can be manifested how he wants. “In Branson, it’s nice because I get to try all the stuff I’m into: special effects, music, comedy, 3D, laser shows,” he explains. “The technology is so sensational. This next year we’re going to experiment with face screen projection.”
It is Stafford’s face that lights up when he talks about his new ideas for the show. But is the polished Jim Stafford onstage the same guy that you meet in person? “Onstage, it’s just me in a real good mood,” he says.
