I started in comedy April of 2001 in Farmington N.M. at a comedy contest where it began with 22 contestants and ended up with 4 of us actually going on stage and strutting our stuff. I was back stage and I was as nervous as I have ever been that night. I mean I literally was about to chunk my mutton sandwich.

The funny thing about it was that I walked out of the Civic Center to get in my car and head for home. Why? because I couldn't handle it. I was just so nervous. I said to myself: James your not cut out for this. Maybe it was easier for me just to pursue a different dream like barber college. So I called my wife Rose and talked to her on the cell phone. I asked her if I really had what it takes to be in this business. She told me to calm down, that she believed in me 100% and that I was going to be fine. She said if anyone has the talent to make people laugh it was me. At that instant, I felt a sense of calmness that came over me after I had got off the phone with her.

As history would have it I met a guy back stage who was just as nervous as I was. He was just pacing back and forth like a cheetah about to be let out of his cage at the zoo. He was mimicking something to himself so I stoped to listen to him. He was saying "peter piper picked a pack of peppers if peter picked a pack of peppers how many peppers would he have picked". Something like that, so I asked him what his name was. He told me his name is Ernest David Tsosie III A.K.A. Concho Roman. I told him my name is James Junes nice to meet you. Instantly, we connected, started talking and found ourselves in a little conversation. That conversation was probably what calmed both of us down. Then Ernie went on stage before I did and he tore up the crowd with rolling humor that just blew me away in my chair. I said to myself "man this guy is good". I really got intimidated by Ernie and that made me even more nervous. His routine pushed me to try even harder to win the contest.

Finally, it was my turn I had no clue what I was going to say, but it just flowed from me like a river after a rainstorm. In the end James Junes was the winner of the first native American stand up comedian contest.

After that show, our solo career's were born and both of us opened for Vincent Craig at the Farmington Civic center in front of a sold out crowd of 1000 people. Talk about being thrown to the wolves. We did our solo stuff for about two years and then we both got invited to a show in Tuba City A.Z. called "The Stars in the Desert. We were asked if we could do something together. We did not know what to do, but we just improvised the whole act and it came off as a hit.

Since then we are doing shows all over the place. I quit my full time job with the maintenance department with Farmington schools to pursue comedy full time. Right now I'm just taking it one step at a time. I guess they call it talent, but for me it's my personality. I'm following my dream and the talent that God has given me is making it come true. Hopefully, we can be role models for other people not just Native Americans. I got caught up in drugs and alcohol and it made a mess out of my life. I was cast out of the society and people told me that I was never going to amount to anything. Never say never I guess. I'm here to tell you that dreams do come true, no matter how down and out you are. You're never too old or too young to make your dreams come true. I'm no better than anyone else and I don't claim to be. I'm just doing my job for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.............. James Junes