Could the Queens of Comedy reunite? Adele Givens says anything is possible.

“It’s the late Adele Givens,” the veteran comic said, calling while running behind for an interview.

That was the introduction days after the iconic Aretha Franklin died.

“I don’t mean late like Aretha,” Givens says while calling from her Lexington, Kentucky home. “I’m not dead yet. Aretha killed it every time she performed and now she’s gone.”

Givens, 50, was a fixture on the Queens of Comedy jaunt, a spinoff of the “Kings of Comedy” tour in the ’90s, with her pals Sommore, Mo’Nique and Miss Laura Hayes.

“I had so much fun with the Queens tour,” Given says. “I was out there with my good friends. There is nobody like them.

“Those tours helped make our careers,” Givens says. “I have such great memories from back then. Each of us grew so much while being out on the road with each other. The friendships with the ‘Kings (of Comedy tour)‘ and ‘Queens’ is a big reason people know who I am.”

Those relationships opened the door for Givens to be part of “The Parkers,” which featured Mo’Nique, and “The Hughleys,” which was Original King of Comedy member D.L. Hughley’s vehicle.

“D.L. is like my brother,” Givens says. “I can’t tell you how much I admire him. Not only is he a great guy, he’s part of the GED club. I got my GED just like he did. I always say that if a smart guy like him is part of the GED club, then I’m in a good place.”

Givens, who will perform this weekend at Goodnights, is at her best when delivering personal stories. Givens is riffing about telemarketers, travel and her experiences.

“I love what I do,” Givens says. “Nobody has lived through what I live through. I love speaking from my perspective. There is no job quite like this.”

Givens gave stand-up a shot in 1989 in her native Chicago.

“I entered a contest, and my best friend said, ‘Just remember what you said last Thanksgiving,’ and I was off and running. I never felt so good. I just kept taking one step after another. I started to be able to make a living at stand-up and I never looked back.”

However, Givens is considering looking back when it comes to the Queens of Comedy. The last tour was in 2000 and a reunion has crossed Givens’ fast-moving mind.

“I’m not sure if we’ll do another tour, but it’s possible,” Givens says. “It’s coming up on 20 years and I think it would be a great time for us. If we’re going to do a tour, I hope we do it soon. I don’t want to be wheeled out there.

“I think it’s possible that it’ll happen because we still really enjoy each other’s company. We’ll see if something happens. But in the meantime, I’m going to continue to do my thing and just have fun and make people laugh. That’s what it’s all about.”

Givens says she is “compelled” to be a comedian.

“Part of what makes this work is that tragedy breeds comedy. What I do is make people laugh during bad times. We’re certainly living in some strange times and comedy helps people deal with all of the weird stuff going on in the world.”

Details

Who: Adele Givens

When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24; 10 p.m. Aug. 24 and 25; 7 p.m. Aug. 26

Where: Goodnights, 861 W. Morgan St., Raleigh

Tickets: $25

Info: 919-828-5233 or goodnightscomedy.com

This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 10:52 AM.