6 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Roy Wood Jr. says Willie Brown crashed his show and walked off with merch
Comedian Roy Wood Jr. shared a distinctly San Francisco story this week: a surprise encounter with former Mayor Willie Brown that ended with a free ticket, a handshake — and a missing CD.
Posting on X Wednesday, July 16, Wood described how Brown appeared unannounced at one of his stand-up sets in San Francisco.
'Willie Brown showed up to my sold out San Francisco shows once & told the door man 'Willie Brown on every list' (he was NOT on my list),' Wood wrote. 'Still they gave him a free ticket.'
The comedian, a veteran of 'The Daily Show' and a regular at Cobb's Comedy Club and the Bay Area's comedy festivals, said Brown didn't stop at the velvet rope.
Willie Brown showed up to my sold out San Francisco shows once & told the door man "Willie Brown on every list" (he was NOT on my list) still they gave him a free ticket. THEN after the show, he came up to my merch table, took a CD w/o paying, then shook my hand and said "You…
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) July 16, 2025
After the show, he approached Wood's merchandise table and picked up a CD without paying.
'You just met Willie Brown, You want a picture?' Brown reportedly said, before disappearing 'into the night.'
'No date, no homeboys, no security detail,' Wood continued. 'Just the mayor out by himself showing up to yo show for free and stealing yo sh–. He was so charming I couldn't even be mad.'
For many San Franciscans, the anecdote fits Brown's well-known persona. Now 91, he remains a towering figure in California politics — the city's first Black mayor and the longest-serving Speaker of the California Assembly — renowned as much for his political clout as his social style.
Even in retirement, Brown is a fixture in the city, often spotted dining alone or holding court at longtime haunts.
