CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.—After 22 years in the Army, including time surrounded by the unpredictable dangers in Iraq, Gary Singleton now spends his evenings laughing at his comedy club.
For Singleton, owner and operator of Joker’s Comedy House in Clarksville, Tennessee, laughter really is the best medicine.
Singleton served in communications for the Army, having spent time in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia.
Deployment to Iraq in 2003 presented challenges to his mental health.
“There was no front line like there was in Vietnam, World War I, and World War II,” Singleton told The Epoch Times. “There was no front line in Iraq or Afghanistan. People in the rear were just as likely to be killed by an IED or stray mortar round as anybody else.”
Danger was present all around Singleton. Random attacks were a constant worry.
“You would be there, the siren would go off telling you to take cover, and you get there and go into the bunker and stay in the bunker for 30 to 45 minutes until they say everything is clear,” Singleton said.
He never thought he would own a comedy club, or that it would help him get through difficult times.
In 2004, Singleton was retired; he moved to Clarksville’s Fort Campbell, where his wife was stationed. He was seeking a life after the military.
As he dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxieties that came with service, Singleton took a secluded route, opting to avoid being around too many people. He opened his own mortgage company before closing it down in 2012. He again opted for a lone-wolf job buying and selling real estate.
But Singleton wanted to find a path to something more therapeutic. He found that in 2023 when he bought the comedy club.
Being in secluded careers wasn’t what Singleton needed. He just didn’t know it. Being around people, both employees and customers, helped him find catharsis.
He said the military helped him be a better business owner.
“What I’ve learned in the military has helped me with dealing with people, different personalities as well as leadership skills,” Singleton said.
When Singleton opened Joker’s, he started laughing and feeling something different.
“Laughter makes you feel good,” Singleton said. “And regardless of how bad your day, that laughter will make you forget about that. “We help the community and ourselves as well for two hours on a day that we have comedy.”
A veteran-owned comedy club might be the perfect therapy for Clarksville, home to many active and retired military members. And nearby Fort Campbell, along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, is home to 30,113 active-duty personnel.
In total, Fort Campbell supports 241,910 people, with 66 percent of assigned soldiers and their families living in surrounding towns in Kentucky or Tennessee. Around 68,715 military retirees live in and around Fort Campbell, according to Military OneSource.
Singleton has worked to give back to his community since opening the club and grill, supporting both local and military causes such as Ranger Row, an ocean rowing team of Army special operations rangers that raises awareness of mental health challenges among combat veterans and first responders.
Joker’s is offering a free show for veterans Nov. 12, and military members are always welcome to perform at open-mic nights.
“You can tell how the comedy … just gives you a release, and most comedians will tell you that it gives you a release that everybody needs,” Singleton said.
