Stand-ups like David Chappelle and Louis C.K. might garner more attention due to their controversial material and headline-grabbing inappropriate behavior, but you'll find no shortage of comedians flying under that scandalous radar who do rather nicely for themselves, thank you very much. Enter Bill Engvall, a buttoned-down comic who, unlike the many comedians whose divisive jokes have put their careers in jeopardy, avoided platforming on politics and religion and chose to spark laughs from more G-rated, slice-of-life anecdotes.
"They want to know that you're like them, that you go through the same things that they do," said Engvall about his audiences to the Florida Times-Union. "I want people walking out of that theater feeling better about themselves than when they walked in."
That jocular combination resulted in Engvall winning a national stand-up comedy award and eventually landing a spot on the legendary Blue Collar Comedy Tour with heavyweights Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White. Subsequent TV appearances on such shows as "Dancing With the Stars" and Tim Allen's "Last Man Standing," movie roles, and several solo junkets helped keep his name in lights.
Lately, however, fans have likely wondered why Engvall, best known for his "Here's Your Sign" shtick, isn't so visible these days. Although he announced one facet of his career he plans to drop, the comedian remains busy to the point where he hardly has time to sit on his front porch watching the sun set on the horizon.
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