Our special guest this week is the legendary stand-up comedian, Tom Dreesen of Sherman Oaks, CA, father of three and outspoken advocate for father involvement.

Tom has appeared on stage with presidents and show-biz royalty, including most famously, as the long-time opening act for the chairman of the board, Frank Sinatra.

Tom's made more than 500 TV appearances often as a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Late Show with David Letterman and hosted the show in David’s absence.

Tom also has a number of acting credits, including the following television series: Columbo, WKRP in Cincinnati and Murder, She Wrote, and in such films as Spaceballs, The Rat Pack and Trouble with the Curve. Starting in 2013 he began appearing around the country in a one man show called "An Evening of Laughter and Memories of Sinatra."

He is also the author two books Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White and more recently a memoir entitled: Still Standing...My Journey from Streets and Saloons to the Stage, and Sinatra.

Tom’s been a long-time friend of our host David Hirsch and the two got together recently to talk about Tom’s life work and about the supreme importance that fathers hold in our society.

It’s a funny, entertaining and heartwarming conversation which we’ll hear in two parts on The Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.

In part one, this week, we’ll hear about Tom's early life, in Harvey, IL, including how his uncle was actually his biological father and why he kept that secret for more than 50 years. We also learn about how Tom got his start as a comedian teaming up with Tim Reid for the first (and only) black and white comedy team.

Show Notes -
Email – sayfoo39@gmail.com
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-dreesen-2b27b4b/
Still Standing: My Journey From Streets & Saloons To The Stage & Sinatra - https://www.amazon.com/Still-Standing-Journey-Streets-Saloons/dp/163758394X/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3F8ZIEZ3X8TF4&keywords=Tom+Dreesen+books&qid=1682078486&sprefix=tom+dreesen+books%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-2
Tim & Tom: An American Comedy In Black & White – https://www.amazon.com/Tim-Tom-American-Comedy-Black/dp/0226709000/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3F8ZIEZ3X8TF4&keywords=Tom+Dreesen+books&qid=1682078604&sprefix=tom+dreesen+books%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-4
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dreesen

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

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