New York comedy club trailblazer and Video Music Box host Ray DeJon has died at 63.
The man credited with opening Brooklyn’s first Black-owned comedy club died on Monday, a day before his 64th birthday. He planned to celebrate the event with a Wednesday comedy roast at his 275 Park venue in Clinton Hill, which features the Laffaholics Comedy Club.
News of DeJon’s death was shared by Ralph McDaniels, founder and curator of Video Music Box, a program that began highlighting hip-hop performers in 1983.
“I am sad to announce the passing of our Video Music Box family @raydejon,” McDaniels posted on Instagram. “My condolences to his entire family. Ray Dejon will be missed.”
McDaniels was one of the personalities slated to host DeJon’s birthday bash. The club couldn’t immediately be reached with regards to Wednesday’s event or services for its proprietor.
Musicians including Big Daddy Kane, Fat Joe and Kid Capri expressed their condolences online.
“Love you my brother ❤️ god bless,” Fat Joe posted.
NY1 host Cheryl Willis wrote on Instagram that she planned to report on DeJon’s life and death at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
DeJon posted video last week of an invite to his birthday roast.
“Hey, what’s going on? It’s your boy Ray DeJon, the Brooklyn King of Comedy, self-proclaimed, so what?” he joked. “I said it.”
In 2023, DeJon spoke with Industry Rules magazine about overcoming addiction in the 1980s and surviving a stroke that temporarily impacted the left side of his body.
He also shared some of his career highlights, including a Patti LaBelle event where she called him up to the stage after it came to her attention that she’d thanked the performers who made that night possible, but neglected to mention the host.
“That was so big for me; for an icon to even care as much to admit to a mistake and make up for it,” he gushed.
DeJon’s cause of death has not been made public.
