Lashonda Lester

Lashonda Lester (September 11, 1975—April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian from Austin, Texas. Her posthumous debut album, Shondee Superstar, was released by Dan Schlissel's Stand Up! Records in 2019, and was critically praised. John-Michael Bond of Paste magazine called her "a rare talent with a preternatural gift for razor-sharp storytelling."

Early life Lester was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 11, 1975. She was a precocious reader and performer from a young age, and was giving the announcements at her local church at age 4. As a child, she was a voiceover actress in local commercials. She developed an early interest in comedy, memorizing routines by Redd Foxx, Slappy White, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor. She worked various jobs, including as a wrestling promoter and a madam.

Career Lester moved to Austin in 2004 to work in politics and marketing, and began performing stand-up in 2008 while trying to start a magazine about Austin nightlife. She was one of the top 100 comics on season 9 of the NBC show Last Comic Standing in 2015.

In 2016, Lester won the prestigious annual "Funniest Person in Austin" competition at Austin's Cap City Comedy Club, becoming the first black comedian to win the award. Her win was captured in the 2016 documentary Funniest, directed by Katie Pengra and Dustin Svehlak. In 2016, the Austin Chronicle gave Lester a special award in its Best of 2016 issue, "Best Unstoppable Comedy Dynamo".

Lester was increasingly well known nationally when she died in 2017. Several national publications, including Paste and Vulture, published lengthy obituaries after her death.

A posthumous album, Shondee Superstar, was released by Stand Up! Records in 2019. It was compiled by Stand Up!'s Dan Schlissel from three performances by Lester at Austin's Velveeta Room in 2016 and 2017. The album was later reissued as part of Stand Up! Records' anniversary box set The Headliners in 2024. She underwent dialysis four times a week, often using the time to write new material.

Discography Shondee Superstar (Stand Up! Records, 2019)

Podcast appearances Comedy Wham, "Lashonda Lester: The Kitten From Murder Mitten" (April 19, 2016)