12. A Precocious Comedic Talent
Mel Brooks grew up small and sickly in a borderline slum in Brooklyn, where he developed a sense of humor and a precocious comedic talent early on. It came in handy, and helped him defuse confrontations and avoid getting picked on and beaten up. Most people in his neighborhood worked in New York’s Garment District, but when Brooks was nine, an uncle took him to see a musical comedy on Broadway. After the show, the awestruck child declared his determination to never end up in the Garment District, but to become a showbiz star instead.
It was not just a child’s brief flight of fancy: from then on, Brooks rolled up his metaphorical sleeves and set about making his wish come true. By the time he was fourteen, he had secured himself a gig as an entertainer at a swimming pool and kept the crowds in stitches with his slapstick routines. At fourteen, Brooks also apprenticed with jazz bandleader and drummer Buddy Rich, who taught him how to play the drums. Brooks thus added “musician” to his repertoire. He also changed his name from Mel Kaminsky to Mel Brooks, to avoid getting confused with jazz bandleader Max Kaminsky.
