▁He ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁single - parent ▁household ▁by ▁his ▁mother ▁Nancy ▁Hart , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁systems ▁anal yst ▁for ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Student ▁Reg istration ▁and ▁Fin an cial ▁Services ▁at ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania . ▁He ▁has ▁one ▁older ▁brother ▁named ▁Robert . ▁His ▁father , ▁Henry ▁With ers po on , ▁was ▁a ▁c oca ine ▁add ict ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁j ail ▁throughout ▁most ▁of ▁Kevin ' s ▁child hood , ▁and ▁Kevin ▁used ▁humor ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁his ▁trouble d ▁family ▁life . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁George ▁Washington ▁High ▁School , ▁Hart ▁briefly ▁attended ▁the ▁Community ▁College ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁He ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Bro ck ton , ▁Massachusetts , ▁and ▁found ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁sh oe ▁sales man . ▁He ▁began ▁purs uing ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁stand - up ▁comedy ▁after ▁performing ▁at ▁an ▁amateur ▁night ▁at ▁a ▁club ▁in ▁Philadelphia . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Stand - up ▁Hart ' s ▁first ▁gig ▁was ▁at ▁The ▁La ff ▁House ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Lil ▁Ke v , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁well . ▁His ▁career ▁suffered ▁a ▁slow ▁start , ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁bo o ed ▁off ▁stage ▁several ▁times , ▁once ▁even ▁having ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁ch icken ▁thrown ▁at ▁him . ▁After ▁those ▁initial ▁un success ful ▁shows , ▁Hart ▁began ▁entering ▁comedy ▁compet itions ▁throughout ▁Massachusetts ▁and ▁audience ▁reception s ▁of ▁his ▁performances ▁eventually ▁improved . ▁