By Nicole D. Batey,
Special to the AFRO
Pamela Rene Leak is one of Baltimore’s best entertainers and unsung heroes. She is known for her comedic personality, “Ms. Maybelle”, a hip, older wise-cracking auntie.
Leak, as Ms. Maybelle, is a regular on the Larry Young Morning Show on Radio One’s WOLB Talk 1010 AM and has performed at the Apollo during a fundraiser. She has also appeared on the David Letterman Show and has been a guest of Steve Harvey.
Ms. Maybelle or Maybelle, as Leak likes to be called, hosted her own show for several years on radio called “Lunch with Maybelle,” until COVID hit.
Wherever Ms. Maybelle performs, audiences fall in love with her. She’s performed, not only in various comedy clubs, but in churches all over Baltimore City and on cruise rides. The longtime performer was a featured act of the UniverSoul Circus, making the crowd laugh while riding an elephant. She also has a loyal following that routinely shows up for her events and performances.
In 2009 Ms. Maybelle received a key to the City of Baltimore from former Mayor, Sheila Dixon, for Best Entertainer. Every year, on Oct. 23, it’s Ms. Maybelle’s official day to go to City Hall and do whatever she wants!
Maybelle as a persona, and Leak as the real person, both have a heart of gold.
Leak, may be all laughs as Ms. Maybelle, however she is very serious when it comes to serving the homeless in Baltimore and taking care of her 16-year-old son who has cerebral palsy. He is her heart!
When she’s not doing comedy, Leak can be seen hosting her own fashion shows for the “big girls.” For the past 15 years she has hosted the event that features over 22 full-figured models. Every show has been a sell out.
Leak got her initial start into the fashion/modeling world, walking the runway as a plus-size model for Travis Winkey. She had to stop putting all in-person shows due to the pandemic, however, she plans to resume the fashion shows soon.
AFRO: How did you get started in comedy?
Leak: This is my 25th year in comedy! Twenty five years ago, long before Madea, Ms. Maybelle made her debut at the Burke’s Café and Comedy Factory, which was on Light street at the time.
One of my friends from high school, who was in the music business, told me they were looking for a host. However, I didn’t know they were looking for a comedian to be their host! When I called to inquire, Ms. Aurelia, the woman on the other end, told me that I needed to send in my bio. I had some acting gigs under my belt- but no comedic experience. I didn’t tell them that though! Instead, I lied just a little bit in my bio.
A week later, I was called in to participate in the competition to be their guest host because they liked my pictures and my bio. I thought maybe she wanted me to read something, but she actually wanted ten minutes of comedy— TEN MINUTES— for this contest! I said, “Miss, I am not a comedian!” But she refused to hear any different. She said, “I think you can do it, I hear it in your voice.”
To guarantee some laughs, I bought ten tickets for some of my family members. I told them straight up, “Y’all got to laugh at anything I say. I’ve got to win!” The prize was $250 each week for four weeks being the host.
I went to the thrift store and saw this ol’ lady wrap, a fur coat that smelled like it had been in a fire and I put it on. A man walked by and said, “If you had gray hair, you’d look like my grandmother!” So that’s what I did—went to the store and got a gray wig, and pranced around in the mirror with it for awhile.
My vision for Ms. Maybelle was a hip, older aunt- that one that drinks and maybe smokes weed a little bit! But I didn’t want her to be old, old. All this time, I still didn’t know how to be a comedian though.
I went to Barnes and Noble at the Inner Harbor and got a book called, How To Be a Stand-Up Comedian. I read that book five times and still couldn’t get it! I watched BET Comic View repeatedly. They made it look easy, but I still couldn’t get it! So I went back to the book and studied how to write my own material. I already had stage presence from my previous experience acting on stage and doing commercials. All the while I was saying, “Lord, I don’t think I can do this.” But, I kept going and practicing.
The week leading up to the competition, I had my kids call me Ms. Maybelle every day, all day.
The night of the contest, my family showed up alright- they showed up and started drinking! When I came out, I was dressed as Ms. Maybelle, and nobody- including my family- knew who I was. I had written out a script, but I said my points all out of order. The people who I had paid to come were drunk, not paying me much attention or laughing as much. Everyone else was cracking up and I won the contest!
From that show I was picked up by comedian Alabama at the Five Seasons, and I’ve been doing comedy ever since.
AFRO: How did you get on the Larry Young Morning Show?
Leak: I was invited by Larry Young to be on his show, and the second week there, Cathy Hughes hired me. I’ve been there now for 18 years.
AFRO: Please tell us about your community outreach efforts with the homeless.
Over the last five years or more, I’ve been feeding the homeless. I organize food giveaways every 3 to 4 months. I’ve worked with several encampments in Baltimore City—at Patapsco Avenue and Potee Street, under the bridge on Guilford Avenue and across from Ravens Stadium. When I visit the encampments, it’s especially tough for me when I leave them, because it doesn’t seem fair that I get to go home to my warm bed and they’re sleeping outside in blankets or sleeping bags with little to no shelter out in the cold. For the life of me, I can’t understand how Baltimore has people out here like this.
I plan about a month in advance before going out, collecting donations and putting my own money for coats, hats, gloves, t-shirts, socks, underwear, personal hygiene items like toothpaste, and pillows (my senior ladies especially like pillows). They need everything. My girlfriends and I have also started a soup and sandwich pop-up to serve the homeless.
I’ve been hungry before, to where there’s been nothing but a bowl of water in the refrigerator. I haven’t been homeless, but I have been hungry and that’s not a good feeling. Nobody should have to go without. That bothers me! So this is my way of giving back, feeding and helping people.
Last year with the help of Larry Young, the National Action Network and the Arena Players, we fed over 300 people last summer. Baltimore City gave us over 280 boxes of fruits and vegetables. We also gave away other perishable food items, canned goods and household cleaning products.
That kind of outreach operation is difficult to put together when you don’t have a building to work from. So I’m looking for a building that I can use as a headquarters and storage.
So many people and other organizations help me and my crew. It takes a village to do this!
AFRO: Do you have any upcoming projects for Ms. Maybelle?
I have a one-woman show starring Ms. Maybelle and produced by my cousin and director, Sherrie Webb and myself. The show is will run two nights only, May 13 and May 14, at the Arena Players. I need two days ‘cause I got a lot to say, haha!’ All the proceeds from my shows are going to the Heart Association, along with God, they helped save my life!
To purchase tickets for Ms. Maybelle’s One-Woman Show, go to Eventbrite.com.
To help with donations for the homeless, call Leak at 443-226-8895.
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