Music and comedy fans will share an evening of entertainment on Saturday, May 9 when R&B sensation Jazmine Sullivan and comedian Rickey Smiley appear on the same bill at the Fairmont Southampton. Local company T.O.C. Entertainment, which has been putting on major shows in Bermuda since 1993, is bringing the rare combination of song and laughter to the Island.

"People are looking to be cheered up in these difficult times," said a spokesman for T.O.C. "This show is a one-two punch that will take people's minds off their problems. Rickey Smiley makes people laugh and Jazmine Sullivan is a hot new artist that Bermudians already know and love."

Local acts Joy Barnum, Taylor Rankin and Live Wire will round out a full evening of entertainment, with music by Jugglin' Jason. The show, at the Poinciana Ballroom of the Fairmont Southampton, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets, at $90, are available from Secrets Washington Mall and 27th Century Boutique, both in Hamilton. "Tickets are expected to be sold out early, so we'd advise people to get their tickets early, since a lot of people are going to want to catch this show," the T.O.C. spokesman said.

A VIP package will also be available for the show. Just 150 VIP ticket holders will be able to attend a reception, starting at 7 p.m. sharp, at which they can meet the artists, obtain autographs and enjoy finger food, wines and champagne. VIP tickets are $150.

Jazmine Sullivan, who was nominated for five Grammies this year, was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Ms Sullivan's debut single, "Need U Bad", topped Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list, and her second single, "Bust Your Windows", reached number four. She cites Lauryn Hill, Monica and Erykah Badu among her biggest influences and inspirations.

"I was doing solos in church and someone wanted me to sign to a gospel label when I was 11, but I wasn't ready to do that," Ms Sullivan said in an interview. "Then, when McDonald's had a competition for kids in major cities, I got a chance to perform 'Accept What God Allows' on 'It's Showtime at the Apollo' and the audience responded really well."

She sang with Stevie Wonder at his grandson's birthday when she was 13, and wrote every song on her debut album, "Fearless".

Rickey Smiley has been working the comedy circuit for the past 16 years and has established himself as a clean comic. His down-home southern humour has made him a favourite in top comedy venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Universal Amphitheater and the Lincoln Center.

Mr. Smiley has hosted BET's "Comic View" and "The Way We Do It". He was a guest presenter on the 2001 NAACP Image Awards and hosted the special awards banquet for the 2002 Stellar Gospel Music Awards.

Mr. Smiley's characters, such as "Bernice Jenkins" and her church announcements, and "Coach McClainy" and his lack of motivational skills, have proved to be extremely popular. On his morning radio show on HOT 107.9 in Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Smiley makes prank calls that have made him a household name in the US.