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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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About this listen

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

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