How to Keep Going When Life Breaks You with Rickey Smiley

Episode of Mick Unplugged · May 7, 2026 · 56 min

Mick Hunt talks with comedian and radio host Rickey Smiley about old-fashioned parenting, service, grieving his son Brandon, therapy, his memoir Sideshow, and cooking.

Summary

Host Mick Hunt opened by describing how Rickey Smiley's BET Comic View appearances, prank calls and example as a father sustained him after college. Smiley credited his Birmingham, Alabama upbringing, grandparents and teachers, and argued that parents should give children the discipline and structure they themselves received rather than what they lacked, criticizing negotiation with children and iPads as pacifiers.

Asked about his "because," Smiley said he lives to help people and serve God, recalling a promise to serve God if lifted out of a rut, but warned that many people helped will not show appreciation and that givers must protect their peace. He described caring for a former teacher in her later years and praised teachers who paid for students' lunches and outings.

The conversation turned to his memoir Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith. Hunt said the book moved him to tears, pushed him into therapy, and helped him prepare for the recent death of his estranged father. Smiley recounted the death of his eldest son Brandon, returning to his radio show three days later, crying backstage before comedy performances, and the grief that hit a year later. Both urged men to set ego aside, grieve, and seek therapy. Smiley explained the book's title came from Blue Magic's song "Sideshow" about a sad clown.

Later segments covered college football and Alabama, Smiley's upcoming projects including karaoke nights, a possible 2027 comedy special, his Hulu special Foolish and a TV One show, a planned birthday party for his character Lil' Daryl, and his cooking, including his Easter menu, his refusal to open a restaurant given online criticism of celebrity restaurants, and Hunt's suggestion of a "Cooking with Rickey Smiley" show.

Chapters

0:23
How Rickey Smiley inspired Mick
Hunt describes how Smiley's Comic View work, prank calls and example as a man of faith helped him through a post-college crisis.
4:35
Old-fashioned parenting
Smiley explains why he raises his children and grandchildren with the discipline and home training his grandparents gave him.
10:05
Smiley's "because" and serving others
Smiley describes his purpose of helping people and serving God, and the disappointment of ungrateful recipients.
16:02
The memoir Sideshow
Hunt shares how the book moved him, and Smiley discusses facing his son's death through faith and helping other grieving parents.
22:49
Grief preparation and Hunt's father
Hunt reveals his estranged father's recent death and says the book prepared him; Smiley stresses preparing one's family for death.
28:17
Therapy and men's mental health
Both men urge men to seek therapy, and Smiley recounts crying for days and the grief that hit a year later.
32:41
Performing while grieving
Smiley describes crying before comedy shows and during radio breaks while continuing to work.
35:21
Birmingham and college football
The pair discuss Birmingham natives and how today's college players differ from the Nick Saban era.
37:09
Upcoming projects
Smiley outlines karaoke nights, specials, TV projects, collaborations and a Lil' Daryl birthday party.
42:35
Origin of the title Sideshow
Smiley explains the book is named after Blue Magic's song about a clown who is sad inside.
43:56
Cooking and restaurants
Smiley details his Easter cooking, explains why he won't open a restaurant, and entertains a cooking show idea.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Rickey Smiley
Smiley contends modern society has inverted right and wrong, and the discipline his grandparents used still works.
“The problem in today's society, everything that's right is now wrong. And everything that's wrong is now right”
Listen from 5:59 · Fatherhood
Rickey Smiley
Smiley argues parents should give children the upbringing they had rather than what they lacked.
“I think sometimes we, we get caught up in trying to give kids what we did not have as opposed to giving them what we had”
Listen from 8:20 · Fatherhood
Rickey Smiley
Smiley says he refuses to give children iPads as pacifiers, noting many kids can't give directions home.
“We're not taking an iPad. in the church as a pacifier, not going to have an iPad all the time in the car”
Listen from 9:14 · Fatherhood
Rickey Smiley
Smiley recounts promising God to serve him for life if lifted out of a difficult period.
“I told God a long time ago, hey, if you get me out of this rut right here, I promise you I'll serve you to the day I die”
Listen from 12:24 · Christianity
Rickey Smiley
Smiley describes responding to an entitled text by sending an itemized list of his help and blocking the sender to protect his peace.
“I sent them an itemized copy of everything that I'd done to help them and sent it to them and hit that block button”
Listen from 13:53 · Gratitude
Rickey Smiley
Smiley estimates that of twenty people one helps, only six or seven will return to say thank you.
“20, 20 people. I promise you six or seven going to come back and say, thank you”
Listen from 15:49 · Gratitude
Rickey Smiley
Smiley credits his Christian faith with getting him through his son's death.
“I never would have gotten through all of that. if it was not for my Christian foundation and my faith”
Listen from 19:49 · Christianity
Mick Hunt
Hunt urges men not to let pride or ego stop them from grieving, seeking help and talking to others.
“You can't be too big. You can't be too proud. You can't have too much ego. One to grieve. One to seek help”
Listen from 24:32 · Grief
Rickey Smiley
Smiley says he returned to his radio show three days after his son died as a form of therapy.
“my son died on the Sunday, Wednesday, I was back on the air because I don't want to lay in the bed thinking about that”
Listen from 25:52 · Grief
Linked moment · 28:35Skip to 28:35 using a listen link in the info box.
Rickey Smiley
Smiley says therapy revealed grief going back to his childhood, not only his son's death.
“when I went to therapy, I started opening it up, talking about this. It wasn't just that. This went all the way back to my childhood”
Listen from 28:35 · Psychotherapy
Mick Hunt
Hunt says he first went to therapy after reading Sideshow, using teletherapy while traveling.
“I didn't go to therapy the first time until I read the book through the first time. And I realized that I need help”
Listen from 30:33 · Psychotherapy
Rickey Smiley
Smiley says his grief hit hardest about a year later, after the funeral attention faded.
“like a year later, it really hit me. The only difference between when my son died a year later, you don't have no casket, no flowers”
Listen from 32:06 · Grief
Rickey Smiley
Smiley argues Alabama needs a coach who understands a different, more entitled generation of players.
“They got to find the right kind of coach to coach this generation. This is not the Nick Saban generation”
Listen from 36:21 · College football
Rickey Smiley
Smiley says his stand-up is the funniest it has ever been because of everything he has been through.
“my stand-up comedy right now is so rich. This is the funniest I've ever been. Because I've been through so much”
Listen from 41:06 · Stand-up comedy craft
Rickey Smiley
Smiley explains the title comes from Blue Magic's song about a clown who is sad inside.
“So sideshow, the song is about a clown that's performing, but he's sad on the inside”
Listen from 43:15 · Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith
Rickey Smiley
Smiley says he would never open a restaurant because of how online critics treated celebrity restaurateurs.
“I would never open up to get publicly humiliated the way they did”
Listen from 46:50 · Cooking

People

In the conversation

Mick HuntHost of the Mick Unplugged podcast
Rickey SmileyAmerican stand-up comedian, syndicated radio host and author of the memoir Sideshow

Discussed

Brandon SmileyRickey Smiley's eldest son, whose death is chronicled in Sideshow
Darlene McCoyGospel singer who spoke to Smiley at his son's funeral
Roy Wood Jr.Comedian from Birmingham, Alabama who worked at the same radio station as Smiley
Ruben StuddardSinger from Birmingham, Alabama
Nick SabanFormer Alabama football head coach
Country WayneComedian and sketch creator Smiley wants to collaborate with
Desi BanksComedian Smiley hopes to work with
Gladys KnightSinger whose restaurant faced online criticism, per Smiley
Kurt BoudreauExecutive chef who trained Smiley in cooking

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From the publisher

Rickey Smiley is a nationally beloved stand-up comedian, award-winning syndicated radio host, television personality, bestselling author, and one of the most authentic voices in entertainment today. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Rickey first captured America’s attention through his legendary prank phone calls and breakout performances on BET’s Comic View before building a media empire that includes The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, heard in over 70 cities nationwide. A two-time Marconi Award winner, Rickey has starred in multiple television series and specials, including his critically acclaimed Hulu comedy special Foolish. Beyond the laughs, Rickey is a devoted father, grandfather, mentor, and man of deep faith who uses his platform to uplift communities and inspire others. His bestselling memoir, Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith, chronicles his journey through unimaginable grief—including the loss of his eldest son Brandon—and stands as a powerful testament to resilience, service, and the healing power of purpose. Takeaways: Give Your Kids What You Had, Not What You Didn’t: Rickey Smiley is unapologetic about raising his children and grandchildren with the same discipline, structure, and old-fashioned home training his grandparents gave him. No negotiations, no iPads as pacifiers, no coddling. In a world where everything right is being called wrong and everything wrong is being called right, Rickey stands firm—because the foundation that built him still works. If you liked who you became, give your kids the blueprint that made you, not the things you missed out on. Men, Put Your Ego Down and Get Help: Rickey Smiley performed comedy shows while crying backstage. He went back on the radio three days after burying his son because eight million listeners needed him. But behind closed doors, he sat on the steps of his kitchen and cried for days. This conversation is a direct message to men—you cannot be too big, too proud, or too succes…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Mental Health·Comedy Interviews·Parenting