TJ Taormina, former co-host on the nationally syndicated "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show" and the new morning host on Boston?s Amp Radio 103.3, will release his debut comedy album, "No More Comedy Albums," on February 20. The self-produced 18-track album of outrageously funny bits is written, produced and performed by TJ and comedian Jessica Kirson. "No More Comedy Albums," which will be released through his production company, TJT Productions, for $9.99, will be available for purchase through the website nomorecomedyalbums.com and on digital album outlets including iTunes and CD Baby.
"No More Comedy Albums" is the fruit of seeds that were sewn throughout TJ?s childhood. He grew up roaming around his house with a tape recorder, capturing any type of drama or hilarity that he could. The album features some of those very same recordings he made over 10 years ago, including secret tapes of his parents yelling at him and his father releasing an expletive-laden rant while painting a room in their house. TJ likes to mine his family tree for a lot of his best material. Even his grandparents can?t escape his hijinks, and end up as targets of some of the album?s best moments.
A lifelong comedy aficionado, TJ grew up listening to comedy albums, starting with Sandler?s "What the Hell Happened to Me?" and onto albums from George Carlin, Denis Leary and Chris Rock, to name a few. For this effort, TJ partnered with Kirson, who lends her voice and writing skills to the album. Also adding their considerable talents to the album are comedian and voice over performer Bob DiBuono, voice over artist from WFDU- FM David "Ghosty" Wills, 106.7 Lite-FM radio host Christine Nagy, and Bald Freak Music?s Ronnie Scalzo, a "Duran" producer whose voice is heard on a number of the Duran show?s production elements, phone taps, and song parodies.
The album title comes from something TJ?s father proclaimed many years ago when he took away all of TJ?s prized comedy albums. Sternly stating that the material was too dirty, too disgusting and polluting his son?s mind, TJ?s father told him: "If you put garbage in your head, garbage comes out. No more comedy albums." Years later, TJ coyly observes: "It did put garbage in my head... and he was right... a whole lot of garbage did come out." Adds TJ: "Ironically, even though my parents were taking the albums away from me, they have, to this day, remained my biggest supporters."
With a burning desire for a career in radio after watching Howard Stern?s classic biopic "Private Parts" as a young teenager in Hillsdale, New Jersey, TJ called countless radio stations in the area asking to do anything at all in an effort to get his foot in the door. One college station - Farleigh Dickinson University?s WFDU- FM - gave the eager youngster his shot. The 16 year-old jumped at the opportunity, happily learning anything and everything he could about the business as he ran public service announcements on Sunday mornings. He eventually went on to attend college at Farleigh Dickinson University, studying broadcasting.
After high school, TJ was granted a summer internship at New York?s wildly popular pop station Z100. While an intern, TJ worked with legendary morning show host Elvis Duran?s morning show, where he helped produce and participate in a "phone taps" feature of hilarious prank phone calls. TJ?s considerable talents were not lost on Duran, and soon TJ was hired to work part-time at the station. In less than two years, he became a full-time assistant producer of the show, and six years later, with his star on the rise, was promoted to one of Duran?s co-hosts, while also managing Duran?s audio production team. During his time on the show, TJ has made numerous appearances on behalf of the morning show and Z100, including introducing musical artists at "Jingle Ball" concerts at major venues along the East Coast, New York City?s famed Madison Square Garden among them.
Along the way, TJ has shown a tremendous knack for comedy with his razor sharp and quick wit and mischievous sense of humor. Known amongst his peers as having a tireless work ethic, he is also a notorious prankster, which no doubt fueled the creativity he has deftly displayed in his many "phone taps," a popular staple of the morning show. With comic inspiration from the likes of "Saturday Night Live" vets
Adam Sandler and Jim Breuer, TJ has also successfully tried his hand at stand-up comedy, hosting and producing shows at New York City?s famed comedy hotspot, Carolines on Broadway.
Among his many supporters is one of TJ's biggest inspirations - Elvis Duran. Says TJ: "Elvis has been such a huge inspiration to me, both personally and professionally. I?ve been incredibly fortunate to work with him for over 10 years, and in the last 3 years he has given me the very enviable position of a co-host. I?ve learned so much from being in the studio with him every morning. He has radio down to a science. It?s inspiring to watch him do what he does so brilliantly and to witness first-hand a passion for this business that is as strong today as it has ever been. What I have learned working for Elvis has given me the confidence and experience to pursue the opportunity of hosting my own show."
On February 12, TJ announced that he would be leaving "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show" to become the new morning show host at CBS Station Amp Radio 103.3 (WODS-FM) in Boston. "The TJ Show," which debuts on April 1, will air weekday mornings from 5:30 AM - 9:00 AM.
