Coyle and Sharpe were a United States comedy duo active on radio in the early 1960s, composed of Jim Coyle (1932–1993) and Malcolm "Mal" Sharpe (1936–2020). They are recognized as pioneers of the "man on the street" prank interview genre, in which they approached unsuspecting pedestrians in San Francisco with absurd, deadpan questions delivered as though conducting a serious vox populi interview.
History
Jim Coyle was born in 1932. Mal Sharpe was born in 1936 in Boston. The two met in 1958 in a San Francisco boarding house. According to the duo's official website, Coyle was described as a "benign conman who talked his way into 119 jobs by the time he was 25." Sharpe had recently graduated from college and was drawn to the emerging San Francisco cultural scene.
In 1964, the duo was hired by radio station KGO (AM) in San Francisco to perform pranks, which they jokingly called "terrorizations." Their radio program was titled Coyle and Sharpe On The Loose. Following the broadcasts, they released two comedy albums on the Warner Bros. label: The Absurd Imposters (1963) and The Insane (But Hilarious) Minds of Coyle and Sharpe (1964).
In 1963, Coyle and Sharpe filmed skits on San Francisco's Market Street and later produced a pilot for a television show in Los Angeles. The television pilot was never picked up, and the duo disbanded in 1965.
Later Years and Legacy
Jim Coyle died in February 1993 from complications of diabetes. Mal Sharpe continued performing man-on-the-street interviews after the duo's breakup. In the year 2000, Sharpe hosted a centennial exhibit at the Whitney Museum called "The American Century," in which Coyle and Sharpe were featured in the Soundworks Exhibit.
Coyle and Sharpe's work has been cited as an influence by a range of comedians and personalities, including the Upright Citizens Brigade, Henry Rollins, and WFMU radio. Their recordings have been reissued on CD and digital formats, including Coyle & Sharpe On The Loose (2.13.61, 1995) and Coyle And Sharpe — Audio Visionaries (Thirsty Ear Recordings, 2000).
Discography
- The Absurd Imposters (Warner Bros., 1963)
- The Insane (But Hilarious) Minds of Coyle and Sharpe (Warner Bros., 1964)
- Coyle & Sharpe On The Loose (2.13.61, 1995) — reissued material
- Coyle And Sharpe — Audio Visionaries (Thirsty Ear Recordings, 2000) — reissued material
