Borscht-belt comedian, actor, and writer whose comedy career spanned seven decades. He wrote more than 40 comedy books and a syndicated column for The New York Post. Joey, the former Yosef Abramowitz who was born on January 6, 1911, in New York City, conducted for many years one of the most highly rated talk shows on WEVD, at that time an all-Jewish radio station. He would take great delight in regularly reminding his countless adoring fans of his ethnic roots, his utter devotion to the Jewish people and the land of Israel. If he had a rock star singing on his show, he would interrupt with a Yiddish lullaby, gushing that it was a melody his mother used to sing to him in the cradle. He would relate with deep pride how he raised millions for the United Jewish Appeal and Israel Bonds by crisscrossing the country to emcee their fundraising campaigns.
Dennis Stein aimed a camera at Joey Adams at the Friars Club. Joey asked, "Why do you want to take my picture?" Dennis said, "I want to send it to the cemetery with a note: COMING ATTRACTIONS." Fyvush Finkel came on the radio show straight from his off-Broadway show, Little Shop of Horrors. “It’s amechaya [a pleasure] to have Fyvush Finkel here,” Joey declared. “Can you top Joey Adams with Yiddishkeit?” Sometimes he would alienate a guest. The late songwriter Eddie White was invited on the air, ostensibly to plug his book, Yesterday’s Cake. Joey instructed him, “Don’t plug your book. Tell jokes.” An indignant Eddie walked off the show.