E.J. Nolan

E.J. Nolan has spent nearly three decades appearing in Films, Television, on Stage, Radio, in Comedy, Improvisation and Theatre. He grew up as Ed Nowinski in Detroit, Michigan, the son of the Senior Chief of the Detroit Fire Dept. He went to Cass Technical High School where classmates included Ray Parker Jr. and Lonette McKee. After several years performing in rock bands around the Detroit area he was graduated from the University of Detroit with a Magna cum Laude degree in Radio, Television and Communications. There, he was Managing Editor of the U of D Newspaper, The Varsity News. Before finishing college "Ed" began working in radio as a producer and "disk jockey." He was heard on WVOD, WNRS in Ann Arbor, WEXL in Detroit, WHMI in Howell as News Director, and on WITL in Lansing, Michigan, where he was the "all-day-voice" of the automated AM station while doing live shifts on the FM. Meanwhile, he performed as "EJ the DJ" at the Rainbow Ranch, a popular Michigan State University area Disco. Moving to Houston, Texas in 1978, he dived into Improvisation, performing as a member of the Comedy Workshop Tour Company. Theatre roles include appearances the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz and General Ghengis Khan Schmitz in Seussical at the 10,000 seat Miller Outdoor Theatre. EJ has written, produced and performed in hundreds of Educational and Industrial films, trade shows, TV and radio commercials. Numerous National and International awards including Addy's, Telly's, Mobius, Vision Award, New York Intl. Radio Gold Award and International Broadcasting Award for the World's Best Advertising. In 1993 he bested 31 contenders to become the Public Address Announcer for the NBA Houston Rockets during their first Championship Season. EJ is writer and producer for Die Laughing Mysteries and the Ringmaster for the Annual Circus of the Stars held in front of Houston City Hall during the Houston Children's Festival in collaboration with the Nerveless Nocks 7th generation Circus Family. His jingles for Sun & Ski Sports and others are currently airing nationally. In his spare time he has written and produced a series of Educational Films on Substance Abuse for Brain Trust Films. EJ is married to Deborah, Artistic Director of Dionysus Theatre, a theatre troupe for disabled and able-bodied teens and young adults. It was founded in memory of their son, Dustin who died of cancer at age 15 in 1997. They have another son Skyler, who is attending the Guthrie Theatre BFA program at the University of Minnesota. EJ, Deborah and Skyler all performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in the Summer of 2004 to celebrate the passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act. EJ has created a CD of baseball music entitled "Play Ball! America's Baseball Favorites," By "Coach Eddie and the All Stars." "Play Ball!" includes some classic baseball pieces along with several songs written and performed by EJ.