Jerry Farber Turns 88 at The Loft
Still Boxing
By Monica Jones
Some people slow down at 88. Jerry Farber books another show.
“I’m still in the ring,” he said. “It’s late rounds, but I’m still boxing.”
He was in Atlanta for a run of shows when we spoke — quick, warm, already moving — still stacking gigs like it’s a competitive sport. That’s Jerry.
When I asked him how he’s still doing it, he didn’t go for the easy line. No talk of discipline, vitamins, or mythical fountains of youth. Instead, he talked about friends.
“People go to bed and don’t have one friend they can count on,” he said. “Not even someone to buy them a grilled cheese sandwich. It makes me sad.”
It says a lot about who Jerry is. He isn’t chasing fame. He isn’t trying to prove anything. He simply refuses to quietly fade into the background because a calendar suggests he should. For him, staying active isn’t about ego. It’s about staying connected — to audiences, to friends, to purpose.
Jerry’s life has never been just comedy. He’s spent years volunteering and working in service, including long stretches connected to homeless outreach. He talks about people like they matter, even when the world has decided they don’t. At a certain age, he said, people can begin to feel like the next big thing waiting for them is the grave. He fights that feeling the only way he knows how: by staying useful, by staying in motion, and by giving himself something to look forward to.
And yes, by making people laugh.
Because if there’s one thing Jerry believes in as much as purpose, it’s joy. He owns a shirt that reads, “My karma ran over my dogma,” and somehow that’s both a punchline and a worldview. It sums up his ability to poke fun at life without becoming bitter about it. There’s a lightness to him — not careless, but intentional, as if he’s decided laughter is a better companion than regret.
How Jerry and The Loft Became a “Classicory”
If Jerry is the kind of performer who turns a room into a living thing, Buddy Nelms is the kind of venue owner who understands why that matters.
When I asked Buddy how he and Jerry first linked up, he didn’t offer a neat, linear answer. “Jerry’s an enigma,” he said. “He has his own… classicory.” It’s a word Buddy coined years ago, and it fits. Some people don’t land in categories. They create their own.
Their story stretches back to the Olympic years, when Buddy was producing shows in Athens. One of those comedy nights featured Jerry opening for the legendary James Gregory. Buddy remembers standing offstage with Gregory, cigarette in hand, watching Jerry perform his now-famous Georgia Bulldog superfan bit.
“He pulls out these funky teeth,” Buddy said, laughing at the memory, “sticks them in, puts a ball cap around his head, turns into this Georgia redneck football fan … and nails it.”
Gregory was laughing so hard he didn’t want to follow him. “That dude is killing me,” he said. “I can’t go on behind him!”
It’s easy to picture it — the teeth, the hat, the exaggerated drawl — a character so familiar that everyone in the room knew exactly who he was talking about. That ability to reflect a crowd back at itself is a rare skill.
That was Buddy’s first real introduction to Jerry. It wouldn’t be the last. Over the years, their paths crossed again and again, not just through shows but through shared belief in what live entertainment does for a community. The Loft has hosted countless acts, but there’s something different about performers who grow alongside a venue — who become part of its rhythm and history.
“Jerry has such a huge heart,” Buddy says. “He’ll volunteer for any worthy nonprofit. Anything with animals. Anything with people. He just wants to give people a sparkle.”
Buddy recalled a story Jerry told him about playing pinball in New York. Every time the metal ball hit a light, it flashed and made a sound. That, Buddy said, is what he wants to do for people. He wants to light them up. To create a spark.
That’s Jerry’s legacy. Not just the years. Not just the shows. The light he leaves behind in rooms long after the curtain closes.
A Night That’s Bigger Than a Birthday
On Thursday, March 12, Jerry Farber brings that light back to The Loft for an 88th birthday celebration that’s part comedy, part music, and part community reunion. He’ll be joined by special guest comedian James Etchison, with music from April Norris and Mark Sasser of Kindred Spirits.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. at The Loft, 1032 Broadway.
Jerry is still in the ring. He’s still swinging. And for one more night, Columbus gets to step into that corner with him — not just to celebrate a birthday, but to celebrate the kind of spirit that refuses to dim.