What was Ralphie May’s Net Worth?

Ralphie May, the American stand-up comedian, had a net worth of $2 million at the time of his death at the age of 45. May’s comedy career took off at 17 when he won a contest to open for Sam Kinison, his idol. Kinison advised May to move to Houston, Texas to further develop his career.

May participated in the first season of Last Comic Standing in 2003, finishing in second place. He went on to perform in numerous comedy shows, including The Wayne Brady Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was the only white comedian to perform in The Big Black Comedy Show in 2005, alongside Mo’Nique, Rodman, and Vince Morris.

May released his album “Just Correct” in 2005 and recorded seven Comedy Central specials. He also appeared in films and performed at the 2012 Gathering of the Juggalos. May was married to fellow comedian Lahna Turner from 2005 to 2015, and they had two children together.

May died on October 6, 2017, reportedly from cardiac arrest.

Early Life and Background

Ralphie May was born on February 17, 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He grew up with his three older siblings in Clarksville, Arkansas. May had a close relationship with his grandmother, who took care of him and his siblings as they were growing up.

His parents were divorced and had a tense relationship, as his father refused to pay child support, resulting in costly legal battles. May has stated that this tension often carried over into how the children were treated.

Pursuing Comedy

May enjoyed performing and making people laugh from a young age. He attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, where he honed his comedic skills.

At age 17, he met comic Sam Kinison after winning a stand-up comedy contest that allowed May to open for Kinison’s show. Kinison suggested May move to Houston to pursue his comedy career.

Ralphie May’s Rise to Comedy Stardom

Throughout the 1990s, Ralphie May worked on his stand-up comedy skills, performing at open mic nights and comedy clubs in Houston and Los Angeles. He gained a following and attracted the attention of bigger names in comedy. May participated in the first season of “Last Comic Standing” in 2003 and finished in second place. The show helped boost May’s stardom and led to appearances on various comedy shows like “The Tonight Show” and “The Wayne Brady Show.”

May began releasing comedy albums, including “Just Correct” in 2005, and recording comedy specials for Comedy Central like “Girth of a Nation” in 2006 and “Unruly” in 2015. He also signed contracts with Netflix and released specials like “Imperfectly Yours” in 2013. Some of May’s work was released posthumously, including “Ralphie May Presents” in 2018 and “What’s Eating Ralphie May” in 2019. His memoir, “This Might Get a Little Heavy,” was also published after his death in 2017.

Ralphie May’s Life and Death

In July of 2005, May married Lahna Turner. They had a daughter in 2007 and a son in 2009. They started a podcast together in 2013 called “Perfect 10.” They filed for divorce in 2015.

May struggled with obesity throughout his life. He competed on “Celebrity Fit Club” in 2004 and underwent gastric bypass surgery. He lost weight but gained much of it back. He lost around 50 pounds in 2011 after suffering from pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism. He continued to focus on his health but it remained a challenge.

On October 6, 2017, May went into cardiac arrest in Las Vegas and died at the age of 45. He had been battling pneumonia for several weeks. He had performed a show and attended a meet and greet with fans earlier that night, but appeared pale and uncomfortable. Tributes were paid to him online and a family funeral was held in Tennessee.

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