Larry the Cable Guy is home in Nebraska, fresh off getting his kids to school and eyeing a day on the golf course.
“I love golf. I started in 2010, but I’m not very good. I was lucky enough recently to work with [Tiger Woods’ former swing coach] Hank Haney. And I’ll tell you what, after 20 minutes, I was throwing my clubs 20 yards farther.”
He is a one-liner machine, estimating that he’ll have 265-290 punch lines Monday night at the Fulton County Fair. The Wauseon-based fair has always been known for attracting big names. On Sunday, recent rock’n’roll hall of famers Cheap Trick will be in concert at 7:30. The Van-Dells, a ’50s and ’60s-era comedy and musical act, will perform Saturday at 7:30. On Sept. 8, the Shades of Blue will provide some Motown, beginning at 7 p.m.
But Monday night will belong to Larry the Cable Guy, whose real name is Daniel Whitney. Unlike what certain online biographies say, he did not learn to be funny at the University of Nebraska. Instead, he went to the now-closed Baptist University in Decatur, Ga., planning to play baseball while studying to be a youth pastor.
He played baseball, but he fell in love with comedy during an open mic night. During that first show, he took a copy of Weekly World News and a boom box to supply his own laugh track.
“I loved it. I was finally good at something,” he said. “At that time, I was good at a few things and bad at a few things, but I was good at this.”
At a later gig, searching for a character he played a rodeo bull rider. The shtick got no laughs. The next night, he used the same material but made his character a cable installer and had the crowd in tears. Larry the Cable Guy was born and has resulted in seven comedy albums, of which three have been certified gold for sales of more than 500,000. He has been a regular on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall. He is now touring with Foxworthy, and the duo started a comedy channel on Sirius. Besides that, he’s currently doing his work for the upcoming Cars 3, in which he will once again provide the voice for the dilapidated tow truck, Mater.
“My kids think everyone other than me is a big deal. Then they go to school and someone says, ‘Your dad is Mater,’ and suddenly I’m a big deal.”
The fact is, Whitney takes pride in the fact he really isn’t a big deal. He’s just a regular guy who likes to laugh and was lucky enough to invent a character that struck a chord with America.
“Larry has no couth, says things he shouldn’t say. I care, and when people see me, I actually have manners. I’m an opposite type of guy. The only thing similar is that we both are Christian, conservative guys,” Whitney said. “It’s kind of like [pastor] Franklin Graham and Archie Bunker. They might vote for the same guy and have the same views, but they are much different people.”
The one thing that success has enabled Whitney to do is to start his Git-R-Done Foundation, which has donated millions to help children and veterans. The site can be found at gitrdonefoundation.org.
Coming from a small Nebraska town and growing up on a pig farm, Whitney never expected to be where he is. On the phone, he comes across as very real and seamlessly transitions from one anecdote to another. Told that the interview was enjoyable and really interesting, Whitney responded as only Larry the Cable Guy would:
“I like talking to myself too. I’m a real interesting guy.”
Larry the Cable Guy will be the Fulton County Fair’s grandstand show on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Track seats are $47. Seats in the grandstand are $37 and $27. Entry to the fair is $5 and concert tickets can be purchased at fultoncountyfair.com or by phone: 419-335-7469 or in person at the fair box office.
Contact Brian Dugger at: bdugger@theblade.com or on Twitter @DuggerCountry.
First Published September 1, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
