Tennessee comedian Leanne Morgan’s dream Knoxville activities: 'I need closet space'

Leanne Morgan credits her Tennessee upbringing for her comedy success.

“I had a lot of storytellers around me, I was raised around my grandparents, my extended family and we had a ball,” Leanne told us in Nashville during a meet and greet with fans.

“You know when elderly people live in the same [house] with you, it was really kind of old timey but it was sweet and I really think that kind of helped me in my comedy to have the sensibility of a close family and all these wonderful, funny people around me. I have funny people in my family.”

Leanne grew up in Adams, Tennessee, which she recalls fondly as “precious.”

“You know, it’s 500 people, 35 miles northwest of Nashville. I would come here to the doctor and shop. Back then we didn’t have a GPS so we’d end up on a horse farm in Franklin instead of the mall.”

And it’s Tennessee that gives her the advantage for her comedy.

“I do think that Tennessee is sweet, and I think we’re sweet people,” she explained. “That’s a blanket statement but the South is sweet, I think we’re hospitable and I think being raised in sweet Tennessee has really been an influence on me.”

Leanne added that despite not doing well in school, she still feels supported by The University of Tennessee, saying “they lifted me up.”

She continued, “and there’s something about Tennessee people, [they] are sweet and loving and want to help and I’ve always felt that support from the state of Tennessee, from Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, all of them have been good to me. When I started selling tickets that was the first place that they would sell.”

There are even references to Nashville, Knoxville, and more Tennessee hot spots in her new Netflix sitcom, “Leanne.”

“UT sent actual film of a football game for us, so it was all wonderful,” she said.

But where does Leanne like to spend time in her home state?

“In Knoxville, I love Market Square, I love the Tennessee Theater, The Bijou, we’ve got wonderful acts that come through there. I like all those restaurants down there in Market Square because that’s downtown. And I’ve often thought if I sell my house that I raised my children in, I might live downtown and walk dogs and be one of those hip people that live downtown.”

“I need closet space though,” she added.

“Leanne” is streaming now on Netflix, and you can go to leannemorgan.com to check out her tour dates.