William Ray (“Bill”) Engvall, Jr. (born 27 July 1957 in Galveston, Texas) is an American comedian best known for his work as a stand-up comic, and as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy group.
Starting his career on the Television show Designing Women, Engvall hit his acclaimed first “big break” when he went on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and from there won the American Comedy Awards Comic of the Year, landing then on the television show Delta Burke, which lasted for one year, and from then on producing his albums. Before becoming a well-known comedian, Engvall joined the popular talent show Star Search.
Engvall’s career toiled in relative obscurity for several years, hitting a low point while starring as CHUD #14 in the cult film C.H.U.D, until he turned his most famous routine, “Here’s Your Sign,” into a song by country music star Travis Tritt. The song was a hit, catapulting Engvall to comedic stardom. More recently, he recorded a Comedy Central special and starred with fellow comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White in the hit redneck-themed stand-up movie Blue Collar Comedy Tour (as well as its sequels and spin-off TV show). The Blue Collar group has been called the redneck Rat Pack. Foxworthy is both the leader and most famous of the group, like the Rat Pack’s Frank Sinatra. Engvall equates to Dean Martin, since he is the best friend of the leader, and is arguably the second-most famous member of the group.
He is married to his wife Gail since 1982 and has a daughter named Emily, a junior at the University of Puget Sound, as well as a son named Travis.
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