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Craig Shoemaker
Conquering Fatherhood with Laughter By Donna Smith
From his days of being the "lunchroom entertainment" at the law firm where he worked to winning Comedian of the Year at the American Comedy Awards, Craig Shoemaker knows how to be funny. What he didn't know much about was being a father – his dad left when he was born. Now a father himself, Shoemaker is on the road of fatherhood without a roadmap and doing a great job conquering the twists and turns that road throws at everyone.
Changing RolesShoemaker became known as the "Love Master" while opening for Kenny Loggins in the late 1980s. When his son, Justin, now 4 years old, was born, Shoemaker's life – professionally and personally – changed. "Creatively, it changed me like infinitely," he says. "I used to be known as the 'Love Master' and now I'm known as the 'Diaper Master.'" Going from being single living in a condo in West Hollywood to living in the suburbs with his wife, Carolyn Clark – soap opera star from Guiding Light and As The World Turns – a child and a minivan, has been quite a transition for him. "It's quite a departure, and it's all been a great adjustment," he says.
Being a father comes with its ups, downs and funny moments. Shoemaker incorporates many of his actual experiences into his one-man show, "Who's Your Daddy?" which got rave reviews. "It was a theatrical show about trying to raise this kid with no map," he says. "My father left when I was born, so I'm kind of running on the sly here."
