announcement #38 - People's Press

“Sporting an old school fedora, pin striped navy coat, jeans and sleek, athletic-hybrid-dress shoes, the comedy icon that is Paul Rodriguez spryly bounded up the stairs to take the stage of Prestige Event Center here in Heber for one final time, ending a decades-long career performing live, standup comedy.

At 70 years old, Paul Rodriguez was last seen locally in concert in the Imperial Valley 17 years ago for the Police Athletic League prior to his May 17, 2025, date in Heber, having first come to the Valley by invitation from Rodriguez’s long-time friend, former ECPD policeman, Eric Scoville.

Rodriguez’s final live performance was filled with his signature comedic takes on growing up as an immigrant in the US, emigrating as a young child while navigating Mexican family dynamics, coming of age in Los Angeles, being Catholic in today’s society, experiencing old age and embracing mixed feelings about certain doctor visits. Rodriguez left his Imperial Valley audience in stitches, ending the night with well-wishes for his fans while enjoying the standing ovation from a crowd of locals, coming off stage to a lengthy line of Raza looking to snap a pic with the iconic Latino legend of comedy and film.

On behalf of People’s Press, I was lucky enough to catch not only his swan song performance in standup, but also Rodriguez’s final post-show interview, capping the end of his 42 year-long career as a standup comic and closing out his “Redemption Tour” while he continues to promote his independently released film Holy Cash, now streaming on various platforms.

From his thoughts on AI, politics, and Latino culture, to his health, parenting, and recent arrest in Burbank, below is what the iconic Latin King of Comedy shared on his final farewell to standup.

(And yes, El Jefe did call me “Fluffy” when I walked in to interview him )”