Mark Ridley

Voted class clown of Walled Lake Central’s class of 1968, Mark Ridley was unaware that one day he would be able to take his act out of the classroom and into the nightclub where some of his teachers felt it belonged.

Ridley started the Comedy Castle in 1979 and pioneered the three-performer format now standard in all comedy clubs. The Comedy Castle alumni includes some of the best known comedians working today: Tim Allen, Jim Carrey, Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, Rosie O’Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, and many more.>/p>

Ridley’s credits in the entertainment field are numerous. Winner of a local Emmy for co-producing and hosting Tim Allen’s final local performance in Detroit on "Funny Side of The Street". Ridley has also hosted morning radio and done voice over work in the Detroit area.

Ridley’s influence on the local entertainment scene cannot be overlooked. His national connections enable Ridley to help manage and promote local comedians. Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle has hosted the Showtime Comedy Club Network, HBO’s Comic Relief, A&E’s Comedy On The Road with John Byner, and the Comcast Comedy Spotlight.

Mark has been sharing his talents with the Lone Star Classic and booking our comedians for more than a dozen years. And he’s also actively involved with the American Cancer Society, MORC The Futures Foundation, Forgotten Harvest, and the Cystic Fibrosis/Detroit Tigers Golf Outing.