Missouri Southern students can look forward to an evening of comedy next week when the Campus Activities Board (CAB) presents Owen Smith.

Born in Nassau, Bahamas, Smith is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He has been doing stand-up comedy since 1992, when he first performed at an open- mic night at the Comedy Connection in Greenbelt, Md.

“When I met comedy, I knew we were going to get married,” Smith said.

Smith decided at nine years old, he was going to be a comedian when he saw the Eddie Murphy special Delirious.

“At that moment, I was like, ‘that’s what I do!'” Smith said.

“I only saw maybe 10 minutes of it,” he said. The babysitter would change the channel every time Murphy cursed.

Smith began doing stand-up comedy full-time in 1996.

“I worked during the day in Chicago,” he said about his last job at Prudential Preferred Financial Services.

He worked there during the day and at night did comedy. “I never got any sleep.”

Recently, Smith stays busy playing mostly to college audiences.

“Honestly, one out of every four is just a great show,” he said. “I have a set list of stuff I know that works,” he said. “I have another list of stuff I want to try artistically.”

He said when he does a show he has to have something new and exciting to talk about, which is why he has a separate list.

Smith will perform at 7 p.m. May 7 in Corley Auditorium.