How Comedy Saved My Life Audiobook By John Perrotta cover art

How Comedy Saved My Life

My Wild Journey of Addiction, Recovery & Making the Ultimate Comeback - Tales of a Navy Sailor, Prison Guard, Stand-Up Comic & Father

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How Comedy Saved My Life

By: John Perrotta
Narrated by: John Perrotta
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How Comedy Saved My Life is the brutally honest, darkly funny, and ultimately redemptive story of John Perrotta—a Rhode Island prison guard by day, stand-up comic by night.

For decades, John lived two lives. On stage, he was a relentless crowd-work master, booking gigs with rising legends like Bill Burr, Lenny Clarke, Tammy Pescatelli, and Tom Cotter. Off stage, he was drowning in booze, gambling, and drugs, hitting rock bottom more times than he can count—until a near-death experience forced him to make the biggest comeback of his life.

This memoir pulls no punches, from high-speed chases through Providence to performing at bachelor parties and sold-out comedy clubs, all while battling addiction, bankruptcy, and his own worst impulses. But it’s also about second chances. About clawing back from the edge. About how comedy, family, and sheer stubbornness kept him alive when the odds said he shouldn’t be here.

Told with raw honesty and razor-sharp wit, How Comedy Saved My Life is proof that sometimes the funniest stories come from the darkest places—and that laughter truly can be the cure-all.

©2025 John Perrotta (P)2025 John Perrotta Biographies & Memoirs Comedy Funny
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This book was something else, this is not the type of book that I typically choose to read but I was intrigued by the topic. The author had a tuff life, I bet most people don't come out from that but he did.
The stories shares are unbelievable sand scary, they almost sound like fiction but I know that they are not. I always stayed clear of drugs and after reading this bool I am glad I did. A family member is experiencing something similar to what the author share in this book. Wow, I glad he is OK and thank God he had someone that cared for him because that is a lonely road to travel. If you are think you are having it tough, the author has it tougher, and he can come out of a whole so can you; it hat sense this book provides some inspiration.

Life Saved

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This audiobook caught me off guard. It’s messy and heartbreaking, but also laugh-out-loud funny in the most unexpected places. I felt like I was living each chapter—stuck in a cell, chasing a high, bombing or crushing on stage. It’s more than a comeback story—it’s a raw, human reminder that even when life completely unravels, humor can be the rope you climb back up with. I didn’t just listen—I connected, deeply. This one stays with you.

Fell Apart and Laughed Anyway

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Usually, when we see people in the job of a comedian, their lives are always positive and humorous. However, behind that laughter and humor, they are also living their own lives, just like all of us, experiencing joys and sorrows, as well as ups and downs. On the other hand, the hardships and crises they had to go through to gain that popularity and wealth are no different from ours. This book, which recounts the author's real-life experiences, enables us to reorganize our perspective while empathizing. I didn't know who the author was before I found this book, but even with all those titles, I see and hear about another life of one person. This book touches our hearts and makes us look back on ourselves with wit and honesty, even revealing our weaknesses and shortcomings, through the comedic talent that he possesses. One of life's stories that will give courage and hope to someone who is wandering and suffering in an unwanted life.

Real-life experiences

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