PROMOTER PROFILE - Roosevelt "RJ" Johnson
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"Roosevelt "RJ" Johnson is one the few promoters that allows me to sleep
well at night before a show because I know that my business will be handled
professionally and correctly…" |
At only 31 years of age, Roosevelt Johnson is one the most successful comedy promoters in the entertainment industry today having worked with the likes of: Arnez J, Bernie Mac, "Bruce Bruce", Cedric "The Entertainer", Mike Epps, MIKE BLACKSON, EARTHQUAKE, DON "DC" CURRY, Joe Clair, LAVELL CRAWFORD, LAV LUV, Steve Harvey, D. L. Hughley, JAMIE FOXX, Gary Owen, Monique, rickey "Lil' Darryl" smiley, Guy Torry, Joe Torry, Chris Tucker, SHERYL UNDERWOOD, KATT WILLIAMS, and the list goes on and on.
What started out as Mr. Johnson "FRONT'N" trying to meet pretty college girls by passing out flyers to promote a graduation party for his best friend's college while enrolled at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T – Greensboro, NC) has blossomed into one the most profitable and successful entertainment companies in the country.
Roosevelt Johnson Entertainment (RJE), a division of Roosevelt Johnson Enterprises, is an entertainment promotional company and booking agency, based in Atlanta, Georgia, that has showcased numerous After Parties, Music/ Comedy Concerts, and promotions in the United States since 1992.
We are currently on tour promoting the First Leg of the Seventh (7th) Annual Comedy Cabaret Tour, Managing and booking entertainment dates for numerous comedians; and servicing promotions for several College Homecoming Basketball/ Football Classics Weekends and Celebrity after parties.
The purpose of the Seventh (7th) Annual RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour is to provide an opportunity for numerous comedians', all of whom have been featuring on Black Entertainment Television's (BET) "Comic View", Home Box Office's (HBO) "Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam", or Comedy Central "Comic Groove", to display their comedic talents at numerous Colleges/ Universities across the country.
Instead of waiting or soliciting other promoters to book the comedians for comedy concert dates that he had relationships with, the risk was taken to run his very own comedy tour. RJE financed and contacted numerous colleges to provide a venue on campus for him to showcase the RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour 1997. The niche that separated RJE from other promoters was that he offered to increase their revenues by suggested that following the comedy concert, the University showcase an After Party on campus where the University receives 100% of the door revenues. Mr. Johnson guaranteed that the comedians would make an appearance to help "BOOST" the quality of the After parties.
"RJE topped the half million mark in 2001 and we are looking to surpass
that in 2002," comments Roosevelt Johnson,
"While other promoters are in clubs
sipping champagne and celebrating their success, I am in the lab back in
Atlanta still hungry and plotting and planning my next move wondering how
to take my company to another level."
The RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour has promoted over 300 shows in only Seven (7) years with NO Cancellations and NO Postponements and NO Last Minute Comedian Changes (Unlike another Promotional Company Likes to Do!!!!!).
"That makes me very proud to say that I have never disappointed a
Dean of Student Activities or the Student Government Association (SGA) President
or the fans that come to our shows being that we have never missed or even
been late for a comedy concert date on my tour. When you do good business
and you are professional and whatever you promise someone you deliver just
that, you do not have to worry about your competitors because you will retain
your old customers and that will eventually acquire you New customers because
word of mouth is the best promotion in business
and no money in the world can buy that and no Madison Avenue marketing agency
can offer you that…" comments Roosevelt "RJ" Johnson.
The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University graduate has really turned the RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour into something special. This
is the longest running comedy tour in the country (Urban or Non Urban) and
is the highest grossing comedy tour targeted to colleges/ universities.
"I remember one
leg of the tour we showcased Four (4) shows in Four (4) days in Four (4)
different cities and we had just flown into town like 9:00 AM. This guy
drops us off the hotel, changes into a suit and has an hour long meeting
with the Dean of Student Activities because we had not been able to showcase
our tour there at this particular University in past years. To this day,
we have showcased our tour at this particular University the last two (2)
years and now they call him with the dates and the budget for the show.
This guy never accepts the word NO. Either you are going to give in or you
are going to have to tell your secretary to refuse his calls or something
because he never quits." Comments Comedian/ Actor LAV LUV.
During the Fall 2000 semester, RJE was elevated to the upper echelon of
comedy promotions by setting an entertainment promotion precedence of showcasing
Twelve (12) Homecoming Comedy Shows in one academic semester. We also created
a web site, www.comediandepot.com, so students in attendance can follow
their favorite comedians throughout the year. Just two years later, our
company was able to showcase Twenty Five (25) homecoming comedy concerts
in the month of October alone and Forty (40) during the Fall 2003 academic
semester.
This comedy tour has embodied so well for the last two (2) years that it
has been the official comedy concert for the Big XII Conference (2002 -
University of Missouri and 2003 - University of Oklahoma) and the Drake
Relays in De Moines, Iowa (2002 & 2003).
We set an attendance
record for a comedy event on Wednesday, October 3rd at Southern University
by having an attendance over 5,000 persons [BRUCE BRUCE (Headliner), JOE
CLAIR (Feature Act), and LAV LUV (Host)]; at our tour date at their University.
Due to our recent national media exposure, our tour was featured by WVIR
-TV NBC 29 after the tragedy on September 11th on how students were relieving
their stress during homecoming. This tour has embodied so well at Central
State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, that we have been showcasing a comedy
concert there twice (2x) a semester since 1999. That is ten (10) comedy
concerts SHOWCASED alone since January 1999.
"While others are celebrating that they did Five (5) shows and sleeping
or sitting back with their feet kicked up smoking a cigar, RJ is planning
and plotting his next concert or making another contact at the University.
When my manager calls and says RJ has a show for me, I know that everything
is going to go well and everything has been taken care of," comments
Comedian/Actor JOE CLAIR, "This guy is a perfectionist and is even
more hungry than ever. I have known the guy Three (3) years and he has not
changed one little bit. Oh yes he has changed, his stomach has gotten bigger…"
From California to Georgia, from Michigan to Texas, we have showcased the
nation's hottest comedians. We are currently entertaining offers from
FORTUNE 500 corporations that want to sponsor our tour and we are planning
on putting our tour on the silver screen and release a live comedy concert
movie.
In April 2003, RJ was
interviewed by Troy Dunn of the nationally syndicated "DUNNDEAL RADIO
SHOW", known to most as the "The World's Largest Brain Storm
Session" on the Business Talk Radio Network. The DunnDeal Show is a
fast-paced mixture of call-ins, interviews and appearances from the movers
and shakers in the business and financial world. Hosted by Troy Dunn, the
show appeals not only to business owners and would-be entrepreneurs, but
to anyone looking for more happiness and financial freedom in their lives
and careers. Troy Dunn has been named as one of the "Top 40 Entrepreneurs
in America Under 40" by Entrepreneur Magazine. He is an author, public
speaker and self-made millionaire. He is considered "one of the most
well-connected men in America" and he brings that to his weekly program.
www.businesstalkradio.net
"A promoter is only as good as his/ her artist. If you do not have a good relationship with your artists, your entertainment business is closed. As long as the Dean of students and my comedians have a smile on their faces, RJE is happy. At the end of the day, I am happy because I know that I put my best effort into my tour. I do not play or take things for granted or on an ego trip. If my Tyson can get knocked out, Roosevelt Johnson can lose everything. Even though I am proud of the success that I have received, I am even more hungry now than ever because I have tasted success and I am never going to let anyone or anything let that taste come out of my mouth or let my tour fall off, ever." comments Roosevelt Johnson, "
"Some promoters are satisfied with promoting Twenty (20) shows. I would promote Four (40) shows and be upset because I did not get Four Hundred (400) done. I do not go to bed until 3:00 AM anyway so I do not have anything else to do but talk on the phone, watch sports, and build my company." comments Roosevelt Johnson.
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Personal
Profile - Roosevelt "RJ" Johnson
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SIGN:
Aquarius – January 23rd
FAVORITE TV SHOW: "Judge Mathis"– UPN
and "Sanford & Son"| Additional Photos |
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