History of Dave Chappelle in Timeline
Dave Chappelle is a highly acclaimed American stand-up comedian and actor, most notably known for creating and starring in the influential satirical sketch comedy series *Chappelle's Show*. Despite the show's success, he famously left during its third season. After a break, he returned to stand-up, receiving widespread recognition. He was lauded as a 'comic genius' and 'the best' by various publications, with Rolling Stone ranking him among the greatest stand-up comedians of all time.
1915: People's Infirmary Opened
Around 1915, Dave Chappelle's grand-uncle W. D. Chappelle Jr., a physician and surgeon, opened the People's Infirmary, a small hospital and surgery practice in Columbia, South Carolina. Segregation prevented many African Americans from having access to healthcare at the time.
2001: Marriage to Elaine Mendoza Erfe
In 2001, Dave Chappelle married Elaine Mendoza Erfe. The couple have two sons and one daughter and live on a farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio.
2004: Donation to Seeds of Peace International Camp
In 2004, Dave Chappelle donated his time to Seeds of Peace International Camp, located in Otisfield, Maine, a camp that brings together young leaders from communities in conflict.
May 2005: Comments to TIME Magazine
In May 2005, Dave Chappelle told TIME Magazine...
September 2006: Addressed Yellow Springs Residents
In September 2006, Dave Chappelle addressed the residents of Yellow Springs, Ohio, about...
2010: Subject of "American Stand-Up and Sketch Comedy"
In 2010, Dave Chappelle's work, along with that of Margaret Cho, was the subject of a book by Canadian dramaturg Elizabeth Ludwig, titled "American Stand-Up and Sketch Comedy."
August 2013: Heckling During Oddball Comedy Festival Performance
In August 2013, during a performance at the Oddball Comedy & Curiosity festival in Hartford, Dave Chappelle walked off stage due to persistent heckling from the audience, including chants of "White Power." The heckling was so loud that it drowned out Chappelle's voice over the P.A. system, and fellow audience members found the heckling wildly uncalled-for.
June 2014: Return to New York City Stage
In June 2014, Dave Chappelle performed for ten nights at Radio City Music Hall, marking his first major New York City appearance in eleven years. He promoted these shows with appearances on "The Today Show", "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", and "Late Show with David Letterman".
August 2014: Surprise Appearance at Oddball Festival in Hartford
In August 2014, Dave Chappelle made a surprise return to Hartford for an appearance at the Oddball Festival, where he was met with standing ovations during his set, a stark contrast to the previous year's experience.
2015: Appearance in Spike Lee's Chi-Raq
In 2015, Dave Chappelle appeared in Spike Lee's film "Chi-Raq", marking his first film role in 13 years.
March 2016: Filming of "The Age of Spin" at the Hollywood Palladium
In March 2016, Dave Chappelle filmed the stand-up comedy special "The Age of Spin" at the Hollywood Palladium.
November 12, 2016: Saturday Night Live Hosting Debut
On November 12, 2016, Dave Chappelle hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time, following Donald Trump's presidential election win. He delivered a monologue addressing Trump and the election results, and received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. A Tribe Called Quest was the musical guest.
November 21, 2016: Netflix Announces Three New Chappelle Specials
On November 21, 2016, Netflix announced a deal to release three new stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle in 2017, paying him $20 million per special.
March 21, 2017: Netflix Releases "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "The Age of Spin"
On March 21, 2017, Netflix released two stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle's vault: "Deep in the Heart of Texas", filmed in April 2015, and "The Age of Spin", filmed in March 2016. They became the most-viewed comedy specials in Netflix's history a month later.
September 2017: Filming of Equanimity at the Warner Theater
In September 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed his third Netflix stand-up special, "Equanimity", at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.
November 20, 2017: Filming of The Bird Revelation at The Comedy Store
On November 20, 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed his fourth special, "The Bird Revelation", at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
December 22, 2017: Netflix Announces Expansion of Deal to Include The Bird Revelation
On December 22, 2017, Netflix announced the expansion of their deal with Dave Chappelle to include "The Bird Revelation", which was released alongside "Equanimity" on December 31.
2017: Shout-out to D.C. Public Schools at the Emmy Awards
During his acceptance speech at the 2017 Emmy Awards, Dave Chappelle gave a shout-out to D.C. Public Schools, showing his support for his high school, Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
2017: Release of Netflix Comedy Specials
In 2017, Chappelle released multiple stand-up comedy specials on Netflix as part of a lucrative deal, marking a significant return to the spotlight after a period of relative absence from the stand-up scene.
2017: "Dave Chappelle Day" Declared in Columbia, South Carolina
In 2017, Columbia, South Carolina, Mayor Steven Benjamin declared February 3 "Dave Chappelle Day" when Dave Chappelle spoke at the Chappelle Auditorium at Allen University. The auditorium was named after his great-grandfather, Bishop William David Chappelle.
September 2018: Emmy Award for Equanimity
In September 2018, Dave Chappelle's special "Equanimity" received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).
October 2018: Role in A Star Is Born Remake
In October 2018, Dave Chappelle appeared in Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, a remake of "A Star Is Born", as "Noodles". The film was a critical and commercial success, and Chappelle was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture along with the rest of the cast.
February 2019: Grammy Award for Equanimity and Bird Revelation
In February 2019, Dave Chappelle won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for "Equanimity and Bird Revelation".
August 26, 2019: Release of Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones on Netflix
On August 26, 2019, Dave Chappelle's fifth Netflix special, "Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones", was released, garnering controversy for jokes about Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, the LGBT community, and cancel culture.
October 27, 2019: Awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
On October 27, 2019, Dave Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a Kennedy Center gala. The Mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, declared the day "Dave Chappelle Day" in Washington, D.C.
2019: Awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
In 2019, Dave Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The award ceremony, which honored Chappelle with appearances from Jon Stewart, Bradley Cooper, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Chris Tucker, Frederic Yonnet, and Lorne Michaels, was released on Netflix as a television special and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
January 7, 2020: Broadcast of Mark Twain Prize Ceremony on PBS
On January 7, 2020, the ceremony for Dave Chappelle receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was broadcast on PBS.
June 6, 2020: Private Recording of 8:46 in Yellow Springs, Ohio
On June 6, 2020, Dave Chappelle recorded the stand-up special "8:46" at a private, socially distanced event in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
June 12, 2020: Release of 8:46 on Netflix Is a Joke YouTube Channel
On June 12, 2020, Netflix released "8:46", a 27-minute and 20-second video of Dave Chappelle's newly recorded stand-up, on the "Netflix Is a Joke" YouTube channel. The special addresses George Floyd's murder and the subsequent protests.
June 2020: Start of "Chappelle Summer Camp" Performances
In late June 2020, Dave Chappelle initiated the "Chappelle Summer Camp" series of live performances at Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, featuring masked and socially distanced audiences. The series officially kicked off with a Fourth of July celebration.
September 25, 2020: Cancellation of Chappelle Summer Camp Due to Possible COVID-19 Exposure
On September 25, 2020, Elaine Chappelle announced the sudden end of the "Chappelle Summer Camp" series of shows due to a possible COVID-19 exposure within their inner circle.
October 4, 2020: Variance Granted for Chappelle Summer Camp Performances Until October 4th
After issues arose from neighbors' complaints of noise and disturbances, local zoning officials granted a special variance allowing Dave Chappelle's "Chappelle Summer Camp" performances to continue through October 4, 2020.
December 2020: Purchase of Fire Station for Conversion into Comedy Club
In December 2020, Dave Chappelle's company, Iron Table Holdings, purchased a fire station near his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with plans to convert it into a comedy club. He also retrofitted a mechanic's garage into a podcasting clubhouse called "The Shack".
2020: Endorsement of Andrew Yang
In 2020, Dave Chappelle endorsed Andrew Yang in the United States presidential election.
2020: Second Time Hosting Saturday Night Live Post-Presidential Election
In 2020, Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live following the United States presidential election, his second time giving a post-presidential election monologue. The results were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on vote counting. Chappelle delivered jokes about Trump's handling of the pandemic and the political future of the United States.
June 2021: Premiere of Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life at Tribeca Film Festival
In June 2021, "Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life", a documentary about Chappelle's concerts in Yellow Springs during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
October 5, 2021: Release of The Closer on Netflix
On October 5, 2021, Dave Chappelle's sixth Netflix special, "The Closer", was released. It sparked controversy due to jokes about gay and transgender people. Some considered these jokes transphobic. The special was met with backlash, including from students of his alma mater Duke Ellington School.
November 2021: Saturday Night Live Lampoons The Closer Controversy
In November 2021, "Saturday Night Live" lampooned the controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle's special "The Closer" during its Weekend Update segment.
November 2021: Auditorium Renaming Controversy
In November 2021, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts was set to rename their auditorium in Dave Chappelle's honor. However, following controversy in response to jokes made in The Closer, the renaming ceremony was delayed.
November 19, 2021: Limited Theatrical Release of Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life
On November 19, 2021, "Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life" received a limited theatrical release after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.
December 2021: Opposition to Zoning Change
In December 2021, Dave Chappelle informed the Yellow Springs, Ohio, village council that he would cancel his planned business investments, including his restaurant and comedy club, if the council approved a zoning change to allow a multifamily affordable housing project. He expressed concerns about the nature of the development.
February 7, 2022: Further Opposition to Zoning Change
On February 7, 2022, Dave Chappelle again voiced his opposition to the zoning change at a Yellow Springs, Ohio, village council meeting, where he referred to the council as "clowns" and highlighted that his business was worth $65 million a year. The council subsequently deadlocked on the vote, failing to approve the change.
April 2022: Rescheduled Auditorium Renaming
In April 2022, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts decided to move forward with renaming their auditorium after Dave Chappelle, following an assembly and Q&A session with students, and respecting the wishes of school co-founder Peggy Cooper Cafritz.
May 4, 2022: Attack on Stage at Hollywood Bowl During Netflix Is a Joke Festival
In the early hours of May 4, 2022, Dave Chappelle was tackled on stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival. The attacker was armed with a replica handgun containing a knife blade. Chappelle's 4-night stint at the Hollywood Bowl ties him with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by a comedian at the venue.
November 12, 2022: Third Time Hosting Saturday Night Live
On November 12, 2022, Dave Chappelle hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the third time.
2022: Announcement Regarding Duke Ellington School Theater Naming
In the summer of 2022, Dave Chappelle announced he would not give his name to the Duke Ellington School theater. Instead, he insisted it should be named the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
February 5, 2023: Fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for The Closer
On February 5, 2023, Dave Chappelle received his fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for "The Closer".
October 19, 2023: Statements on Israel-Gaza Conflict
During his October 19, 2023 show in Boston, Dave Chappelle described Israel's actions during the Gaza war as war crimes. He also condemned the United States for aiding Israel and condemned Hamas for its October 7th attacks. The audience's reaction was mixed.
December 31, 2023: Release of The Dreamer on Netflix
On December 31, 2023, Netflix released Chappelle's latest special, "The Dreamer", which debuted at No. 5 on the chart with 2.2 million views.
2024: Campaign Event for Hill Harper
In 2024, Dave Chappelle headlined a campaign event for actor Hill Harper, who was running against Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin in the Democratic primary ahead of Michigan's 2024 U.S. Senate election, at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit.
January 2025: Monologue on SNL Includes Commentary on Recent Events
In January 2025, Dave Chappelle's 17-minute monologue on "Saturday Night Live" included commentary on recent events, including the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, Jimmy Carter's death, and Donald Trump's reelection to the United States presidency.
January 18, 2025: Fourth Time Hosting Saturday Night Live
On January 18, 2025, Dave Chappelle hosted "Saturday Night Live", marking his fourth time hosting, in the show's first episode of 2025.
January 19, 2025: Remarks on Saturday Night Live
During his January 19, 2025, Saturday Night Live monologue, Dave Chappelle exhorted President Donald Trump to have empathy for displaced people in the Palisades and Palestine.
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