This is the Moth Radio Hour, and I'm Suzanne Rust, the Moth's curatorial producer.
The theme for this hour is pleasantly surprised.
Those moments that make you pause and say, well,
I wasn't expecting this, but in the best possible way.
We'll be hearing from a Harlem comedian who discovers a new passion,
a man who got into some good trouble during the civil rights movement,
and a love affair so special that it needed two Moth stories to tell it.
First up, Rudy Rush.
He told the story at the Players Club in New York.
Here's Rudy, live with them all.
Three years ago, Fourth of July weekend, I was performing at Caroline's Comedy Club,
and I was opening up for Tracy Morgan from Saturday Night Live, and I had a great show.
I mean, not, you know, it happens all the time, but just this particular time.
Everyone was, you know, after the show,
everybody came up to me and was telling me how much of a good job I did.
But there was these two ladies, straight, leave it to Cleaver, you know, leave it to be the mothers.
They came up to me and tell you how much I watched that show.
They came up to me and they were like, oh my God, you did such a great job, blah, blah, blah.
This is our first time in New York.
It's our first time here.