Cheech and Chong Back in Action

After a 25 year split, Cheech and Chong announced plans on Wednesday for their first reunion comedy tour.

"Cheech and Chong: Light Up America," a tour appropriately titled for the duo who became famous because of their marijuana-influenced humor, will swarm the United States beginning September 12 and run until December 20. Some city stops include Philadelphia, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington D.C.

Cheech Marin, 62, and Tommy Chong, 70, first became popular in the 1970s, appealing to the hippy youth who looked for entertainment that mirrored their lives. They began their entertainment career performing at nightclubs in Los Angeles, and released their first album in 1971, the self-titled Cheech and Chong. In 1973, their album, Los Cochinos, won a Grammy award for best comedy album; and in 1978 they released their first movie, Up in Smoke. They performed on stage together until 1981, but continued to release movies and records until their split in 1987.

Marin said to a source that the two feel their humor about doing stupid things while being stoned on marijuana will appeal to today's youth, as well as their older fans.

"We've had the younger audience all along. Every time they get to that certain age, they go through that Cheech & Chong period of watching the movies, listening to the records. So, it's almost like a right of passage," Marin told reporters at a news conference announcing the tour, sources say.

Chong told reporters, "This is a moment that I've been looking forward to for many, many years because we have such a legacy and history together that we couldn't escape it, even if we tried."

Source: Reuters