The Dr. John Delony Show Off the Record with Dusty Slay: Comedy, Marriage and Breaking Addiction
14 snips
Jan 31, 2026 
Dusty Slay, a stand-up comic known for family-friendly Netflix specials and candid stories about faith and recovery, talks about learning from open mics and staying grounded amid success. He shares why he married at 35, intentional parenting and homeschooling thoughts, and candidly describes quitting drinking and how faith reshaped his identity.
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Bootstrapping Through The Open Mic Circuit
- Dusty Slay describes obsessively attending the comedy club near his house to learn craft and community.
- He credits backstage mentorship and a supportive green-room ethos for accelerating his growth.
Bombing Together Felt Liberating
- John Delony recounts bombing at a corporate event and then bombing again at an open mic, which felt freeing.
- Tina Fremel's backstage gesture turned failure into community acceptance and relief.
Don't Anchor Identity To Applause
- Dusty says anchoring your identity to outcomes (audience reaction, corporate gigs) makes the work dangerous.
- He balances less-fulfilling gigs with shows that feed his confidence and craft.