Sommore (/səˈmɔːr/; born Lori Ann Rambough; May 15, 1966) is an American comedian and actress. Known as the "Diva of Contemporary Comedy," her comedic style features biting sarcasm and frank discussions about money, sex, and equality between the sexes.[1] She first gained fame as the first female host of the long-running Black Entertainment Television (BET) stand-up showcase ComicView, as well as one of the four female comedians that headlined The Queens of Comedy tour.
Sommore | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lori Ann Rambough May 15, 1966 Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | McCorristin Catholic High School (1985) |
| Alma mater | Morris Brown College |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Relatives | Nia Long (half-sister) |
| Website | https://www.sommore.com |
She appeared in the films Friday After Next, Soul Plane, and Dirty Laundry,[2][3] and has received the Richard Pryor Award for Comic of the Year.
Early life and education
editSommore was raised in Trenton, New Jersey. After attending Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd and The Pennington School, she graduated from McCorristin Catholic High School (now called Trenton Catholic Academy) in 1985.[4][5] She graduated from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she studied business administration.[6][7][8][9] After receiving her degree, Sommore worked various jobs such as retail, employment consulting and an algebra instructor before progressing into her successful comedy career.
Career
editSommore attributes her success as a comedian to her writing skills. Influenced by her father, a writer and an English teacher, she extensively researched the business of comedy and learned about the art of comedy. She loves gospel music and her idol is Karen Clark Sheard.[10]
Television and film appearances
editSommore has appeared on various shows including HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Showtime at the Apollo, ComicView, and BET Live from L.A. She has also done guest appearances on television sitcoms The Hughleys and The Parkers, and she has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She also appeared on Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav. In 2008, she appeared as one of the mob members on several episodes of the game show 1 vs. 100.[11]
Her film appearances include Soul Plane, A Miami Tail, Friday After Next, and Something New.
Sommore and fellow African American female comedians Mo'Nique, Laura Hayes, and Adele Givens were the stars on The Queens of Comedy tour, which was filmed and subsequently aired on Showtime and released on DVD.[12]
Sommore launched the worldwide premiere of "The Queen Stands Alone" on September 30, 2008. The release of her stand-up comedy special was a film version of her stand-up act and was written and produced by Sommore as well as her entertainment company One Thousand Kisses, Inc.[13]
Sommore was a winning participant on the sixth season of Celebrity Fit Club. She lost 11 pounds during the show.[14]
Her 2015 special Sommore: The Reign Continues was aired on Netflix in 2018.
Personal life
editAside from her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, Sommore has lived in Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[5] Currently, her primary residence is in Miami.[15][16] Her father was the poet Doughtry "Doc" Long and her half-sister is actress Nia Long.[5][17]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Friday After Next | Cookie | |
| 2003 | A Miami Tail | Stephanie | |
| 2004 | Soul Plane | Cherry | |
| 2006 | Something New | Herself | |
| Dirty Laundry | Abby |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Snaps | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.2" |
| Def Comedy Jam | Herself | Episode: "Episode #5.5" | |
| 1995-96 | ComicView | Herself/Host | Main Host |
| 1996 | It's Showtime at the Apollo | Herself | Episode: "Episode #9.20" |
| 1998 | The Hughleys | Keshia | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2002 | The Parkers | Olivia Radcliffe | Episode: "Mother's Day Blues" |
| 2005 | Weekends at the DL | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.18" |
| 2006 | The Tom Joyner Show | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.15" |
| Live at Gotham | Herself/Host | Episode: "Episode #1.6" | |
| Def Comedy Jam | Herself | Episode: "Episode #7.1" | |
| 2007 | Wild 'N Out | Herself | Episode: "The Jump Off Special" |
| Comedy Central Roast | Herself | Episode: "Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav" | |
| 2007-14 | Comics Unleashed | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 2008 | 1 vs. 100 | Herself | Contestant: Season 2 |
| Flavor of Love | Herself | Episode: "Things That Go Bump On The Lip" | |
| Celebrity Fit Club | Herself | Contestant: Season 6 | |
| 2014 | Just for Laughs: All-Access | Herself | Episode: "Jeff Ross" |
| Hit the Floor | Herself | Episode: "Blow Out" | |
| Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta | Herself/Host | Episode: "Reunion Part 1-3" | |
| ComicView | Herself/Host | Main Host | |
| 2018 | The History of Comedy | Herself | Recurring Guest: Season 2 |
| 2021 | South Side | Yvonne Turner | Episode: "Life of an Ottoman" |
Documentary
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2005 | The Funniest Man Dead or Alive |
| 2009 | Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy |
| Blunts & Stunts: Class of '94 |
Comedy Releases
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Sommore: Bitch House |
| 2001 | The Queens of Comedy |
| 2003 | Latham Entertainment Presents |
| 2007 | Sommore: The Queen Stands Alone |
| 2013 | Sommore: Chandelier Status |
| 2015 | Sommore: The Reign Continues |
| 2018 | Sommore: A Queen with No Spades |
| 2019 | All The Queens Men |
| 2023 | Sommore: Queen Chandelier |
References
edit- ^ "We Want SOMMORE." Los Angeles Sentinel, October 26, 2000, pp. B.4. ProQuest 369403499.
- ^ D. SIRIANNI. "Give Us Sommore". Miami New Times. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Sommore, the newest queen of comedy, heads two Royal shows at PlayhouseSquare". The News-Herald (Ohio). 18 February 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Comedian Sommore to perform at Patriots Theater". NJ.com. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "City-born comedienne living large". The Trentonian. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Sommore brings her sassy, adult humor to MTI on Saturday". Star-Banner. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Comic Sommore to perform at the Hu Ke Lau". masslive.com. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Ebony". Ebony via google.com. Johnson Publishing Company. November 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Comedienne Sommore Talks Chandelier Status & Comic View - JETmag.com". Jet. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ Dukes, Howard. "She's Living Proof You can't Keep a Good Comic Down." South Bend Tribune, Feb 05, 2006, pp. 1. ProQuest 417387388.
- ^ "Class and sass collide when Sommore hits the Las Vegas stage". Los Angeles Times. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ Frost, Jessica (2014). "The Queens of Comedy (2001)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
- ^ Sommore: The Queen Stands Alone, retrieved 2020-05-09
- ^ "Celebrity Fit Club with Toccara & Sommore". Brown Sista. 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ Ho, Rodney. "Sommore, George Wallace return to State Farm Arena for more laughs Feb. 8". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ SFL (20 August 2013). "Sommore, the Queen of Comedy, to play Fort Lauderdale Improv in Hollywood - southflorida.com". southflorida.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Nia Long & Sommore Are REAL SISTERS But THIS Is Why We NEVER See Them Together". I Love Old School Music. 13 December 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2019.