Still Standing...: My Journey from Streets and Saloons to the Stage, and Sinatra

by Tom Dreesen, Darren Grubb, Russo

A behind-the-scenes look into the life and groundbreaking entertainment career of Tom Dreesen.

From shining shoes in dark saloons on the south side of Chicago to traveling the country as the opening act for Frank Sinatra, this is the story of Tom Dreesen's unlikely journey to a fifty-plus year career as a pioneer of stand-up comedy and a legend of the entertainment industry.

Genres: Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

Published June 9, 2020

Reviews

[Richard R. Pennant]

TO DREK AND BACK

I must start by saying I am 72 and have always found Tom Dreesen to be funny. I am old enough to have seen a good number of his Carson appearances, and understand why Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. would want him as an opening act. Crisp, clean, and keep the laughs coming is his style. For Stand-up. As an author- not so much.
This is one of those biographies where you get to the end before you get to the good parts. The first half of the book is a pity party that never ends. Okay, a lot of folks had it rough, Tom. From there he integrates the races. I was heretofore unaware that Tom comes in a close third behind Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. in furthering integration. He segues from blandly repetitious stories of his childhood to blandly repetitious stories about life with Sinatra. Towards the end of the book he briefly mentions his commendable efforts in the fight against MS, which crippled his sister. He arranged a long series of golf tournaments to raise money for this noble cause. In a few pages he drops all the names of all the stars from the entertainment and sports world that could have made this an entertaining read. Unfortunately, nothing remotely anecdotal about all these folks. Just a shout out of names. Even Dave Letterman (who wrote the introduction) gets little mention. You just have to give your ghost-writer more meat to work with if you want him to produce a decent sandwich. Save the 10 bucks and enjoy Tom on youtube.

[LAMONT D]

The first half of the book is all about is dreadful upbringing and all the hardships he had to endure which were plenty. Certainly, the family drama was dysfunctional and a heavy burden to carry from childhood. The biggest thing for me in the book was that there were way too many cuss words though I guess that is his life and the circles in which he lived and worked in. He certainly has interesting stories that he can tell, and he gives credit to many of those along the way that shaped him and helped him to be as famous and successful as he was. The second part of the book is all about Sinatra, so you do get some insight into that iconic world if the stories he tells are true which seem to be a possibility. Plenty of stories about Sinatra and his generosity and kindness to others though it appears he was very demanding and moody at times. There is a great story about his mom and the Pump Room in Chicago. He talks about his sister who had MS and what they have done to honor her and raise money for MS research. At the end he shares his bout with cancer and how his own three kids rallied around him. Very touching. Finally, his life-long love of the Cubs relates to all those Cub fans out there. The pictures inserted supplement the stories related in the book. I did learn about him and his rise to fame.

[Terry Mangum Patrice Mangum]

Beating the Odds - From Going Nowhere to Hollywood

The odds were against Tom the day he was born. Dysfunctional parents, the poorest family in the poor part of a blue collar steel mill town. Though unlikely circumstances he discovered he was good at getting laughs.
Through persistence, sacrifice and a few well timed opportunities, Tom beat the odds and has enjoyed a long and productive entertainment career.
A must read for aspiring comedians, entertainers and anyone else who has a desire to better their lot in life.

[Matthew Fornaciari]

An incredibly engaging tale of rags to riches without too much focus on either end of the spectrum. Tom Dreesen is a preeminent comedic force and yet hardly a page goes by where the reader is not reminded of his overwhelming humility and gratitude. He is truly a man who can talk with crowds and keep his virtue and walk with kings without losing the common touch. And this is his story in all its gory glory.

[Peggy]

My fellow Harveyite...

I grew up in Harvey as well. Reliving those early years with Tommy, same grade and high school. Finally met him at Thornton Twp HS first Alumni Day when Tom was inducted into their Hall of Fame, and was keynote speaker. I ran in 2 Run for Darlene races. Great story teller, amazing human being. Recommend for all. Truly a funny, heart warming read.

[Mark Miller]

I loved this book. It was funny and inspirational, filled with great show biz stories, motivational episodes from his life, and Tom’s climb to the top despite seemingly impossible odds. When I arrived in L.A. as a young comedian, playing the Comedy Store and the Improv, Tom was my cherished mentor. With this book, he continues to mentor and entertain us all. Highly recommended.

[Bill McKinlay]

Great autobiography by comedian Tom Dreesen, entertaining, touching and informative. Dreesen is a great story teller. His portrait of Frank Sinatra is perhaps the best and most revealing I’ve ever read.

A great read if you’re a fan of Sinatra

[Jim Cerone The Perfect Host DJ MC]

What a marvelous American success story! In entertaining style, Tom recounts his journey from doing hard labor in Harvey Illinois, to serving our country, to opening for Sinatra. Highly recommended reading for anyone, especially performers.

[Francey]

Such a delightful, loving walk down memory lane. Just loved it. What a nice man Tom Dreesen would seem to be.

[cameron carlock]

Opening for Chairman of the Board

This book is great!! I love books on comedy and this one does a great job of explaining that world and openings for Frank Sinatra! Lovely book!!

[Alison Hinderliter]

Great read, moves quickly. Very inspiring message.

[Paul Farahvar]

Great book. Great human, comedian and now author. Must read for any comedian.

[Mollie]

So Happy He’s Still Standing

If you are a fan of Tom Dreesen, you will love this book! If somehow you’ve never heard of Tom Dreesen, you will truly enjoy the American Dream story of a raggedy poor kid who fights his way through life in order to find his own personal dream, which is to make others laugh. You will laugh, at times, when Tom writes of a joke he told on stage or with just a group of friends. You will also laugh at both situations and pranks that happened to him. It was a pleasure to follow Tom’s life from being a shoeshine boy in the taverns of Harvey, Illinois to being on stage in front of 40,000 people who were waiting to hear Sammy Davis Jr or Frank Sinatra.