Great Falls, MT

Comedian, musician, and band leader Reggie Watts writes his memoir of growing up son of a Black serviceman and French white mother in Great Falls, MT, a place that fostered his identity and creative expression, a place he needed to leave and ultimately to return.

The Late Late Show with James Corden band leader Reggie Watts wants you to know two things.  First, he’s weird – proudly so!  But you knew that. Anyone who’s seen his multi-faceted shows knows that.

Second, Great Falls, MT, is also weird. That’s where Reggie grew up as the only bi-racial kid in town, slipping between orchestra geeks and football jocks, finding a tribe of fellow misfits with an affinity for trouble. It was a wide-open place that invited freedom and exploration – as well as the opportunity for bouts of car theft and recreational cough syrup use. 

In Great Falls, MT, Reggie takes us through his story, hitting on the culture shock he experienced after moving from Europe to Montana, where he was called the n-word by neighbors but was still never Black enough for his father’s extended family. Where he clashed with his dad. Where he knew he needed to get out of. But as Reggie’s career exploded in Seattle and New York, ultimately scoring him a nightly place next to James Corden, he found himself drawn back to the town that made him. This is his love letter to that town. But like love itself, it’s messy and complicated and dirty and beautiful.

About the Author

Reggie Watts is an internationally renowned musician/comedian/writer who currently stars as the bandleader on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James Corden. Using nothing but his voice, his looping pedals, and his vast imagination, Reggie blurs the lines between music and comedy, wowing audiences with performances that are 100 percent improvised.

Author Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Author Hometown: Great Falls, MT