Renowned Des Moines singer, actor, & showman Steve Berry is Joey Libido. According to dsm Magazine:
Berry created Joey Libido in 1993 and has re-created him thousands of times since then. “A buddy and I were brainstorming one day and we both thought the lounge singer that Bill Murray played on ‘Saturday Night Live’ was hilarious,” Berry recalls. “I wanted to make Joey completely naïve about his lack of talent. The role never gets old because it’s such an audience participation show that opportunities to ad lib keep it fresh.” (To watch Joey Libido in action, click here.)
Joey Libido resembles a 1980s Holiday Inn lounge act, with an ego and costumes that are part Tony Orlando and part Tom Jones. His caped tuxedo reveals lots of chest hair and bling. Joey loves women except for an ex-wife who sometimes performs with him, at least in adult venues. Joey is so versatile that he can perform at everything from children’s parties to honky-tonk bars and comedy clubs, where the act becomes edgier and Joey’s cocaine problem is part of the humor.
Berry believes that Joey has played shows in every county in Iowa, plus at Treasure Island Casino in Minnesota, on cruise ships and in Nashville, Indianapolis and Fort Myers, Fla. He’s also opened for national acts, including Tony Orlando, Jay Leno, Phyllis Diller and Jimmie “J.J.” Walker and has performed benefits with Joan Rivers, Frankie Avalon and Cloris Leachman.