Comedian Tracy Morgan is 'Picking Up The Pieces' onstage at Caroline's

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Friday, June 3, 2016
Watch the full interview with Tracy Morgan
Sandy Kenyon interviews comedian Tracy Morgan about the accident that nearly killed him 2 years ago and the road to recovery.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- When comedian Tracy Morgan was injured in a horrific crash two years ago, some wondered whether he'd ever perform again. But the actor and funnyman has returned to his stand-up roots, launching a new one man show.

Billed as "An Intimate Evening with Tracy Morgan," the former Saturday Night Live star made an emotional return to the stage this week in New York.

Nothing was off limits, and in fact, he drew much of his new material from his near-death experience.

PART 1:

Entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon has the exclusive interview.

PART 2:

Entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon has the latest details.

"I went to heaven but I didn't stay long," he said. "God saw me coming and said 'uh, uh.'"

Morgan is doing the show at Caroline's on Broadway, where he began his career two decades ago. But the sound of the laughter today is all the more sweet given what happened in June of 2014.

"It's hard to talk about it," Morgan said. "It's gonna never go away. That's my Vietnam. You just live with it."

Some of the scars he bears are more obvious than others, but Morgan said he has more good days than bad.

"I still have injuries in my knee, and I feel it," he said. "But I can't complain about that. I'm here. I'm alive."

The star has come with a title for his new show: Picking Up The Pieces.

"Cuz that's what I'm doing," he said. "When you're in an accident, your life is shattered. When you lose a friend like that, your life is shattered."

He was referring to his friend and mentor Jimmy Mack, who was killed in the crash while returning from a show.

"I have to forgive myself for asking everyone to be on that bus," he said. "I had to forgive myself so I could move forward."

Since the accident, Morgan has married girlfriend Megan Wollover and found a new and deeper love.

"When I was in a coma, she sat in the room with me for 10 days, in the dark," he said. "Our baby was 10 months old."

Today, his daughter is almost 3, and Morgan is back on his feet again.

"I went to the other side and came back," he said. "I don't think there's no other stand-up out there who could talk about that."

And talk about it he does, telling plenty of jokes about the accident and the aftermath.

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