Who is Daniel Lawrence Whitney? The entertainment and comedy world knows Larry the Cable Guy, as an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality.[2]He is one of the co-stars of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also includes Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Jeff Foxworthy, with whom he has starred on Blue Collar TV.
Larry the Cable Guy has released seven comedy albums, of which three have been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies. In addition, he has starred in three Blue Collar Comedy Tour-related movies, as well as in the films Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Delta Farce, and Witless Protection. He has also provided the voice of Mater in the Disney/Pixar films Cars and Cars 2. His catchphrase, Git-R-Done!, is the title of his book.
On January 26, 2010, the History Channel announced it was ordering a series starring Larry the Cable Guy, titled Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, in which the comedian explores the country, immersing himself in different lifestyles, jobs and hobbies.[3] The first episode of the series aired on February 8, 2011.[4]
Early life
Whitney was born February 17, 1963, he grew up on a pig farm in Pawnee City, Nebraska.[5] Whitney went to college at the now defunct Baptist University of America.[6] He credits his roommates from Texas and Georgia for developing his imitation Southern accent.[7] He dropped out after his junior year after trying his hand at comedy.[7]Career
Radio career
Whitney started his career in radio as a disc jockey in Blue Springs, Missouri. He became known in the early 1990s when he made regular radio appearances via phone on programs such as The Ron and Ron Show, The Chris Baker Show on KOOO and KEZO's The Todd and Tyler Show in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the Kirk, Mark, and Lopez morning show on WIYY in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a frequent guest on the Johnny Dare and Murphy show on 98.9, KQRC, Kansas City. He also did appearances on WJRR in Orlando, Florida, on the Monsters in the Mid Day (presently the Monsters in the Morning), as he was a personal friend of BlackBean (Carlos Navarro) with whom he had done voice-over work. He was brought to New England on Greg and the Morning Buzz on WHEB 100.3 and WGIR 101.1 in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, respectively, doing two commentaries a week.Stand-up career
He became famous developing the Larry character, a personality that he now maintains throughout his stage act. The Larry character is characterized by a stereotypical redneck appearance, recounting stories about his "family", and using, among other common expressions, his own catchphrase "Git-R-Done!" A part of Whitney's routine is his affected Southern accent. He says in interviews and in his autobiographical book GIT-R-DONE that he deliberately "turns on" the accent both on and off stage, because he may forget it if he kept his normal accent intact.[8] He uses catchphrase humor, including "Git-R-Done," "Lord, I apologize, and please be with the Pygmies in New Guinea. Amen." and "I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there" after certain jokes. He appears in Nutrisystem commercials with Dan Marino. Marino delivers the catchphrase, "Git-R-Done," and is shown dressed in Whitney's trademark attire, including a pair of jeans, a cut off, untucked flannel shirt, and camouflage hat.His first two comedy albums, Lord, I Apologize (2001), and The Right To Bare Arms (2005), have both been certified gold by the RIAA. A third album, Morning Constitutions, and its accompanying TV special were released in 2007.
Other work
In 2006 he was approached by Comedy Central to voice a character for an as-yet-unnamed animated series. The show would involve his character as one of two owners of a small cable channel (the other, a high-classed, high-attitude woman). A half-hour pilot was ordered by the network, but has yet to air.[9]Whitney was roasted in a Comedy Central special on March 15, 2009.[10] During the roast he can be heard greeting roasters out of character and in his normal speaking voice, as well as being called "Dan" by Bill Engvall.
He is a partial owner of three Robinson Bucking Bulls that participate with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), Inc. One world champion bull is named "Chicken On A Chain", the second top bull is named "Booger Butt", and the last one is named "Git R Done".
Personal life
Whitney resides in Lincoln, Nebraska. He married his wife Cara in 2005. They have two children together, a son, Wyatt (born August 2006) and a daughter Reagan (born October 2007). In 2010, Whitney and his wife disclosed in an article that their son Wyatt has hip dysplasia.[11] On his show, Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy he stated that his favorite baseball team is the Atlanta Braves.(Episode 2, February 15, 2011.)His home town of Pawnee City, Nebraska has a street named after him. Whitney also donated money to buy new theatrical equipment for the local high school.[12]
He is a major influence on fellow comedian Billy the Bassman.
Radio shows
Whitney was a radio personality on:- KKAR 1290 AM in Omaha, Nebraska
- KGDE 101.9 The Edge in Omaha, Nebraska
- KEZO "Z-92" in Omaha, Nebraska
- KQRC 98.9 FM "The Rock" in Kansas City
- KMYZ "Z104.5 The Edge" in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- WWRM 94.9 FM "Magic 94.9" in Tampa, Florida
- WJRR 101One in Orlando, Florida
- WDIZ in Panama City, Florida
- WPLA "Planet Radio" 107.3 in Jacksonville, Florida
- WIYY 97.9 "98 Rock" in Baltimore, Maryland
- WPYX in Albany, New York
- WHEB in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- KTPI-FM in Tehachapi, California
- WPBZ 103.1 "The Buzz" in West Palm Beach, Florida
- Blue Collar Radio on Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Discography
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy | US Country | US | |||
| 2001 | Lord, I Apologize
| 1 | 53 | — |
|
| 2004 | A Very Larry Christmas
| 1 | 8 | 43 |
|
| 2005 | The Right to Bare Arms
| 1 | 1 | 7 |
|
| 2007 | Morning Constitutions
| 1 | 5 | 16 | |
Christmastime in Larryland
| 1 | 12 | 42 | ||
| 2009 | On the Can
| 7 | 50 | — | |
Tailgate Party
| 1 | 19 | 71 | ||
| 2010 | The Best of Larry the Cable Guy
| 4 | 72 | — | |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "All Jacked Up" (w/Gretchen Wilson and Friends) | Deaton-Flanigen/Gretchen Wilson |
| 2006 | "Wagon Wheel" (w/Jeremy McComb) | CW |
| 2008 | "We Love the Green and Gold" (w/Mel Blanc & Pat McCurdy) | Roger Pistole |
Filmography
- Larry the Cable Guy: Git-R-Done (2003)
- Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (2003)
- Blue Collar Comedy Tour: Rides Again (2004)
- Blue Collar TV (2004–2006)
- Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector (2006)
- Cars (2006) (voice) – Mater
- Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One For the Road (2006)
- Delta Farce (2007)
- Witless Protection (2008)
- Comedy Central Roast (2009)
- Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party (2010)
- Cars 2 (2011) (voice) – Mater
