Peninsula In Passage

The Mad Hatter The Mad Hatter, one of the most popular stand-up comedians at Hampton Roads night spots in the 1980s and 1990s, hailed from the Driver/Bennett’s Creek community. Armed with a repertoire of outrageous headgear as well as an arsenal of one-liners, James L. “Skip” Holland delighted in peppering his audience with comically barbed jibes “He always remembered the names of people in the audience and got them involved,” Bonnie Sims, Holland’s younger sister said. Holland discovered acting at John Yeates High School and developed his stage skills at Chowan University. A rotund man with a quick humor, The Mad Hatter was also a ventriloquist and friends from Driver, like Craig Parker, remember him as a talented drummer. Holland also loved to sing and ended every performance with James Taylor’s “You’ve got a Friend.” He lived on a 41 foot yacht anchored in Bennett’s Creek behind Sims’ house and worked the eastern half of the U. S. During the winter he performed all over the Caribbean. “A lot of people didn’t see the other side of Skip - a genuine nice guy,” Sims says. “When we were growing up he was always lazy but always smart.” One day he made a deal with her and their younger brother - if they would rake the pine needles in the back yard he would do the whole front yard. “Hours later we finished and came around to the front

James L. “Skip” Holland

yard, sweaty and tired after working like slaves,” she said. “And there was Skip kicked back by a sign that said “Pine straw for sale – you rake.” Holland was only in his mid- 40s when his career and life were cut short in an auto accident while he was on tour. At his memorial service friends from the music business paid homage to The Mad Hatter with You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am I’ll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, you’ve got a friend.

Bonnie Holland Sims

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