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Los Codie
9-5 Codie to perform at Democrat rally
By Lisa Magers/CISD Community Services
Carlos Codie will be celebrating Homecoming a little early this year as the member of the CHS Class of 1996 comes home this Friday to perform at the Democratic Party Rally at the Cleburne Civic Center. It starts at 6:30 p.m.
More and more his visits back to Cleburne combine pleasure with business --the comedy business. After three years of study at the University of Texas at Arlington, Codie has put his degree plan on hold to try his hand as a comedian.
And a check on "Los Codie" at the Dallas Comedy Web site (www.dallascomedy.com)
as well as his own personal site (www.loscodie.com) indicates that things
are moving fast for the former Cleburnite who is still remembered for his
speed on the Jacket track team.
Codie's list of appearances includes comedy and night clubs from Dallas to
the state line, but where he would really like to headline is at high schools
around the state -- talking about good times and good choices.
"It's something I really want to do," said Codie, who made his first school
appearance at his alma mater last fall. "These kids need guidance. They have
even more opportunities than I did when I was in school just a few short years
ago. Look at American Idol. That kid from Burleson, just up the road, she wanted
it and she got it.
"These kids, they've got to realize what's going on and understand opportunity
when they see it."
Codie, now at the very adult age of 26, does a good job of getting the
attention of the younger crowd, particularly here at home, where those he
remembers as little kids are now juniors and seniors at CHS.
"When I was your age we had two things -- Hilfiger and Polo," quipped Codie
during his appearance at CHS. "Did your parents take second jobs to buy your
school clothes? I know some of you all spent $75 just on your socks!"
But it's not all jokes for Codie, who is very anxious for the younger crowd
to avoid some of the mistakes made by the older set.
"And when you go to college and you start getting offers from the credit card
companies -- don't get them! You don't want that."
He also talks -- and pokes fun at school, friends and life in Cleburne. Mixed
in with the humor are lots of personal experiences involving some tough times.
"I came here in seventh grade from North Carolina," said Codie. "I wasn't doing
well in school and quite frankly I didn't want to learn. But I did want to run
track."
At the end of that first school year in Cleburne, it was decided that Carlos
would be retained. An even tougher summer vacation followed as his mother, the
late Francie Codie, utilized some tough love on her son.
"That was the first summer I wanted to go outside and the cut the grass," laughs
Codie. "I wasn't allowed to leave my room. My mother was very serious about
discipline."
Things soon began to turn around for the young man. As a student at CHS his
desire to run track became a reality under the direction of Coach Richard
Naylor. But his senior year would be another time of struggle -- on the track
as well as off.
"I have a story about our relay team going to State that will hurt your heart,"
said Codie. "We had run the fastest time coming in to Regionals and we were
predicted to get first, at least second at State."
But a drop of the baton at the third leg of the relay ended things for the
team of 1996.
"I wanted to go to State so bad and there was my dream, on the ground."
But that wasn't the worst of it. Carlos also lost his mother that year.
"With some of the decisions I had made, I think I was probably picked as the
one 'most likely to not succeed'. I admit I didn't respect authority," said Codie.
"But things changed my senior year when I lost my mother. It took me losing her to
look at life differently. When she died, I changed 360 degrees."\
"Don't disrespect your parents," Codie tells his fellow Jackets. "Love them
regardless of how you may feel at the time."
Today, stories of life with his late mother, Francie, are the basis of a lot
of his monologue. He also talks about his life as a dad and "his baby's mama."
"When I was growing up and we were punished, mom sent us to our room," Codie
tells students. "It's different for you guys. Going to your room is no big deal
cause you've got everything in there -- TV, the phone, VCR, the computer!"
"Now, when I punish my daughter, I send her to the living room and I go to
her room!"
The Dallas Comedy Web site bills Codie's act as "a rollercoaster comedy with
a positive message."
Principal Justin Marchel heard the same thing from students who had caught
Carlos' act and told him about it.
"A lot of our kids said it was really good," said Marchel. "I saw him later
and when he said he would really like to talk to our kids, I thought it would
be a good idea."
"From what he shared with me, I felt our teachers had done a lot to help him
change and get his life straight," said Marchel. "He wanted to give back to his
school and felt that sharing a positive message with our students would be one
way he could do that."
"I had Carlos in my PE class back when I was here in the late 90s," said Marchel.
"He wound up being an outstanding performer on our track team. And the straight
forward, to-the-point message that he delivers in his own unique way shows that
he's still an outstanding performer."
He also receives rave reviews from his former English teacher, Linda Williams.
"I am so proud of him," said Williams. "I knew he'd be okay."
Carlos gives a lot of the credit for his dream of becoming a comedian to
English teacher Roxy Sherwood, who served as the theatre arts teacher at
CHS when he was in school.
"She told me I needed to take acting classes," said Codie. "They were doing
'The Music Man' at school and I read for the part of Professor Hill. She told
me I really nailed it, but the play would be going on at the same time as
Regional Track, so I had to choose."
Sherwood still remembers that tryout, noting that Carlos had the personality
for the role.
"He was a natural comedian," she said. "I saw glimpses of possibilities. He
was always upbeat and had a smile that we, as teachers, always responded to."
Now, it's crowds responding to his smile, and his stories of family, high
school antics and life in general. Codie hopes to eventually broaden his
career to include the movies. He's worked with Jamie Foxx and actor/comedian
Ricky Smiley and would like to do more.
In the meantime, "Los Codie" is on the road, appearing in places across the
state, from the Coach's Corner in Dallas to Hyena's in Arlington and points
north, south, east and west. And he takes a little bit of Cleburne with him
everywhere he goes.
Back to Los Codie
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