Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy(born September 6, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, author, radio and television host, and writer. He is a member of theBlue Collar Comedy Tour,withLarry the Cable Guy,Bill Engvall,and formerlyRon White.Known for his "You might be aredneck"one-liners, Foxworthy has released six major-label comedy albums. His first two albums were each certified triplePlatinumby theRecording Industry Association of America.He has written several books based on his redneck jokes, as well as an autobiography entitledNo Shirt, No Shoes... No Problem![1]
| Jeff Foxworthy | |
|---|---|
 Foxworthy in 2010 | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy |
| Born | September 6, 1958 Atlanta,Georgia,U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up,film,radio,television |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Genres | Observational,word play,sitcom |
| Subject(s) | Marriage,Southern culture,everyday life,family,rednecks |
| Spouse |
Pamela Gregg (m.1985) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | jefffoxworthy |
Foxworthy has also made several ventures into television, starting in the mid-1990s with his own sitcom calledThe Jeff Foxworthy Show.He has also appeared alongside Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in several Blue Collar television specials, includingBlue Collar TVforThe WB.In addition, he hosted the game showsAre You Smarter than a 5th Grader?andThe American Bible Challenge,as well as the radio programThe Foxworthy Countdown.
Early life
editJeffrey Marshall Foxworthy was born inAtlanta, Georgia,on September 6, 1958, the first of three children of Carole Linda (néeCamp) andIBMexecutive Jimmy Abstance Foxworthy. His parents were both ofEnglishdescent,[1][2]with his roots lying in the county ofEssex.[1]His grandfather, James Marvin Camp, was aHapevillefirefighter for over three decades.[1]He has two younger siblings, Jay Foxworthy and Jennifer Foxworthy.[3]
Foxworthy graduated fromHapeville High School.He attendedGeorgia Institute of Technologyin Atlanta, but left just before graduating.[4]He worked for five years inmainframe computermaintenance at IBM, where his father also worked. At the urging of IBM co-workers, Foxworthy entered and won the Great Southeastern Laugh-off at Atlanta'sPunchlinecomedy club in 1984.
Career
editComedy albums
editIn 1993, he releasedYou Might Be a Redneck If…,which topped the comedy albums chart and started the "You Might Be aRedneck"fad.The album went gold in 1994, platinum by 1995, and 3× platinum by 1996, which is more than three million copies.[5]
Foxworthy's July 1995 releaseGames Rednecks Playreceived a 1996 Grammy nomination forBest Spoken Comedy Album.[6]
Totally Committedwas released in May 1998. In conjunction with the album was a one-hourHBOstand-up special by the same name. The album reached "gold" status and received a 1999 Grammy Award nomination.[7]The video for theTotally Committedsong featured frequent references to then-Atlanta Bravespitcher,Greg Madduxas well as an appearance at the very end by Maddux himself (along with teammateJohn Smoltz).
In 2001, Foxworthy received a nomination forBest Spoken Comedy Albumfor the 43rd Annual Grammys.[8]
Television
editIn 1995, Foxworthy starred inThe Jeff Foxworthy Show,a sitcom created out of his stand-up comedy persona. It aired onABC,but was canceled after one season.NBCsubsequently picked up the show, but it was again canceled after one season. Later, he remarked that the network did not understand how to properly market his humor; thinking his routine was "too Southern" for a national network ( "Has anyone heard me talk?", he commented in one of his stand-up routines), they based the first season of his sitcom inBloomington, Indiana.Later, the series aired onNick at NiteandCMTin 2005 and 2006. He also appeared inAlan Jackson's video for "I Don't Even Know Your Name"in 1995.
Foxworthy hosted Country Weekly's "TNNMusic City News Country Awards "show for 1998, 1999, and 2000.[9]
In 1998, Foxworthy appeared on the mock talk showSpace Ghost Coast to Coast,where he attempts to explain his famous "You might be a Redneck" joke toSpace Ghost,yet fails entirely. Throughout the episode, Space Ghost,Zorak,andMoltarare taking the Ghost Planet to theUS,with plans to make it the 51st state. By the end of the episode Foxworthy is sent to "The Box".
He hostedAre You Smarter than A 5th Grader?onFoxinprime time.He hosted the syndicated version of the series from September 21, 2009, until its cancellation on March 24, 2011.[10]In 2015 it was announced that Foxworthy would return as host ofAre You Smarter than a 5th Grader?[11]In addition, he is a host onThe Bucks of Tecomatewhich airs on theNBC Sports Networkwith Alabama native David Morris.[citation needed]
He was the subject of aComedy Central Roastin 2005.[12]
In 2011, Foxworthy appeared as a guest “Shark” for two episodes ofABC's second season ofShark Tank.[13]
Since August 2012, Foxworthy has been the host and a producer of theGSNbiblical-themed game showThe American Bible Challenge,which has aired two seasons.[14]He is also the host of the foodreality competitionseriesThe American Baking Competition,which aired its first season in summer 2013.[15]
Foxworthy has appeared as host and featured guest on several programs on theOutdoor ChannelandVersus.[16][17]
In February 2019, Foxworthy was announced as a judge for NBC's comedy competition seriesBring the Funny.[18]
In 2020, a new episode ofEllen's Game of Gamesfeatured Jeff Foxworthy on a game of Stink Tank.
Blue Collar Comedy
edit
In the early 2000s, Foxworthy had a career resurgence as a result of theBlue Collar Comedy Tour,in which he and three other comedians (Larry the Cable Guy,Ron White,andBill Engvall), specializing in common-man comedy, toured the country and performed for record crowds. The tour lasted three full years, constantly being extended after an initial run of 20 shows.
In 2004, he launched a new television series calledBlue Collar TVonThe WB.He served asexecutive producerand starred alongside Blue Collar Comedy Tour-mates Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall. (Ron White made occasional guest appearances.) On Larry the Cable Guy's website, he posted that the show was canceled on October 17, 2005, by The WB. Reruns ofBlue Collar TVcontinued until the network merged withUPNto formThe CW.In 2006, Foxworthy resurrected theBlue Collar TVformat onCountry Music Television(CMT) withFoxworthy's Big Night Out.The show began airing in the fall and was canceled after one season of 12 episodes.
Books
editFoxworthy has authored several books, includingYou Might Be a Redneck If...(1989), as well as his autobiography,No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!(1996). ArtistLayron DeJarnetteprovided illustrations for the Redneck Dictionary books. R. David Boyd has been the exclusive illustrator for most of Foxworthy's books and album covers.
He also has released acookbookentitledThe Redneck Grill,co-authored withNewnan, Georgia,artist R. David Boyd, and "Redneck Extreme Mobile Home Makeover"(2005), a book with some of his redneck jokes.
Written works
edit- Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary: Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of(2005)
- Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary II: More Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of(2006)
- Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary III: Learning to Talk More Gooder Fastly(2007)
- Rednecks in College
In February 2008, Foxworthy released his first children's bookDirt On My Shirt.This was followed bySilly Streetin 2009 andHide!!!in 2010, both of which were illustrated by Steve Bjorkman.
In May 2008, Foxworthy releasedHow to Really Stink at Golf,with co-authorBrian Harttand illustrations byLayron DeJarnette.In May 2009, he releasedHow to Really Stink at Work, A Guide to Making Yourself Fire-Proof While Having the Most Fun Possible.This book was also co-authored with Hartt and illustrations byDeJarnette.
Radio work
editIn April 1999, Foxworthy beganThe Foxworthy Countdown,a nationallysyndicated,weeklyradio show,which featured the top 30 country hits of the week, as reported byMediabase.In 2001, he received aCountry Music Associationnomination for "Broadcast Personality of the Year". The program's last broadcast, the 2009 year-end countdown, aired the weekend of December 27, 2009.[19]In 2006,Sirius Satellite Radiolaunched the Blue Collar Comedy channel, which featured stand-up comedy centered around the Blue Collar group. In 2015, now under theSiriusXMbanner, the station rebranded asJeff & Larry's Comedy Roundup,which featured similar programming to the previous channel with an enhanced focus on Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy.[20]
Foxworthy Outdoors
editIn August 2011, Foxworthy launched Foxworthy Outdoors, a website carrying an assortment of Foxworthy-brand hunting and outdoors products. On the site, he also hosts aweb seriescalledJeff Foxworthy: Inside & Out,featuring some of his friends as they document hunting trips, fishing outings, and land conservation on hisGeorgiafarm.[21][22]
Other
editIn 2017 Foxworthy created thecard gameRelative Insanity,a game similar toCards Against Humanitywith a family theme. Family Game Shelf praised the game, saying "it will have you laughing until your sides hurt".[23]
Personal life
editFoxworthy met his wife Pamela Gregg at the Punchline inAtlanta,Georgia, and they married on September 18, 1985.[24]They have two daughters, Jordan and Julianne.[25][26][27]He is a noted hunting enthusiast, beginning when he was a teen hunting on his father's farm property in Central Georgia.[citation needed]
Politics
editFoxworthy claims to keep his jokesapoliticaland has criticized thememescirculating on social media that appear to show him making jokes at the expense ofliberalsin his stand-up.[28][29]Despite this, he donated to the presidential campaign ofGeorge W. Bush,as well as theRepublican National Committeein the 2000s.[30] In 2012, Foxworthy endorsed Republican presidential candidateMitt Romney,[31]and later stated thatDonald Trumpis "tapping into the American spirit".[32]
Discography
edit- Albums
- You Might Be a Redneck If...(1993)
- Games Rednecks Play(1995)
- Crank It Up: The Music Album(1996)
- Totally Committed(1998)
- Big Funny(2000)
- Have Your Loved Ones Spayed or Neutered(2006)
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie | Himself | |
| 2005 | Racing Stripes | Reggie | Voice role |
| 2005 | Ron White, Jeff Foxworthy & Bill Engvall: Live from Las Vegas! | Himself | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | The Fox and the Hound 2 | Lyle | Voice role |
| 2008 | The Aviators | Linberg | Voice role |
| 2010 | I Am Comic | Himself | Documentary |
| 2011 | The Smurfs | Handy | Voice role |
| 2013 | The Smurfs 2 | Handy | Voice role |
| 2013 | Crackerjack | Narrator | |
| 2013 | Hatched | Charlie Horse | Voice role |
| 2016 | The Gate | Narrator | Short film |
| 2016 | Ozzy | Grunt | Voice role |
| 2017 | Bunyan and Babe | Babe the Blue Ox | Voice role |
| 2024 | The Garfield Movie | Shocked bird | Voice role |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Jeff Foxworthy: Check Your Neck | Himself | TV special |
| 1993 | Banner Time | Jeff | TV movie |
| 1995 | A.J.'s Time Travelers | Thomas Jefferson | "Thomas Jefferson" |
| 1995–1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Himself | series regular (41 episodes) |
| 1996 | Cybill | Lyle Clocum | "Pal Zoey" |
| 1996 | Funniest Comedy Duos | Himself | TV movie |
| 1996 | 23rd Annual AMA Awards | Himself (host) | TV special |
| 1997 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | "Larry's New Love" |
| 1997 | ESPY Awards | Himself (host) | TV special |
| 1998 | Jeff Foxworthy: Totally Committed | Himself | TV special |
| 2000–2003 | Scruff | Peter | |
| 2004 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again | Himself | TV special |
| 2004–2006 | Blue Collar TV | Various characters | series regular (45 episodes) |
| 2005 | Reno 911! | Fast Eddie McClintock (voice) | "Fastest Criminal in Reno" |
| 2005 | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Himself | "The Harper Family" |
| 2005 | Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy | Himself | TV special |
| 2005 | 2005 CMT Music Awards | Himself (host) | TV special |
| 2006 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | Himself | TV special |
| 2007 | American Idol | Himself | (Season 6) "Finale" |
| 2007–2015 | Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? | Himself (host) | series regular (111 episodes) |
| 2008 | Larry the Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganze | Himself | TV special |
| 2009 | Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy | Himself | TV special |
| 2009 | Biography | Himself | "Larry the Cable Guy" |
| 2010 | Blue Collar Comedy: Ten Years of Funny | Himself | TV movie |
| 2011 | Shark Tank | Himself (shark) | 2 episodes: "#2.4", "#2.7" |
| 2012 | Phineas and Ferb | Southern Meap (voice) | "Meapless in Seattle" |
| 2012 | The American Bible Challenge | Himself (host) | series regular (27 episodes) |
| 2013 | Bounty Hunters | Jeff | series regular (13 episodes) |
| 2013 | The American Baking Competition | Himself (host) | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking | Himself | TV special |
| 2018 | Jay Leno's Garage | Himself | "Down and Dirty" |
| 2019 | Biography | Himself | "Jeff Foxworthy" |
| 2019 | Bring the Funny | Himself (judge) | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | Himself (voice) | "The Wedding Witch of Wainsly Hall!" |
| 2020 | What's It Worth? | Himself | 10 episodes |
| 2022 | The Good Old Days | Himself | Netflix Special |
Writing credits
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Jeff Foxworthy: Check Your Neck | TV special |
| 1996 | Games Rednecks Play | Short Film |
| 1996–1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | 3 episodes — "Before You Say 'No' Just Hear Me Out" (1996) — "One Wedding and a Baby" (1996) — "The Briarton Syndrom" (1997) |
| 1998 | Jeff Foxworthy: Totally Committed | TV special |
| 2000 | Bill Engvall's New All Stars of Country Comedy Vol. 1 | Direct-to-Video |
| 2003 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie | |
| 2004 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again | TV special |
| 2004–2006 | Blue Collar TV | Creator (44 episodes) Writer (43 episodes) |
| 2005 | Ron White, Jeff Foxworthy & Bill Engvall: Live from Las Vegas! | Direct-to-Video |
| 2006 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | TV special |
| 2006 | Foxworthy's Big Night Out | "Kenny Rogers" |
| 2012 | Them Idiots Whirled Tour | TV special |
Producing credits
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Jeff Foxworthy: Check Your Neck | TV special (Executive Producer) |
| 2004–2006 | Blue Collar TV | Executive Producer (45 episodes) |
| 2007–2015 | Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? | Executive Producer (12 episodes) Producer (12 episodes) |
| 2013 | Crackerjack | Executive Producer |
| 2013 | Bounty Hunters | Executive Producer (13 episodes) |
| 2016 | Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking | TV special (Executive Producer) |
Accolades
edit| Year | Title | Association / Category | Results | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | — | American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic | Won | |
| 1994 | Jeff Foxworthy: Check Your Neck | CableACE Award for Stand-Up Comedy Special | Nominated | |
| 1996 | Games Rednecks Play | Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album | Nominated | [33] |
| 1996 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Series(tied with Drew Carey) | Won | |
| 1997 | Redneck Games | Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals(shared with Alan Jackson) | Nominated | [33] |
| 1999 | Totally Committed | Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Big Funny | Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album(shared with Bill Engvall, Ron White & Larry the Cable Guy) | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show | Nominated | |
| 2014 | The American Bible Challenge | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show | Nominated | |
| 2014 | The American Bible Challenge | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host | Nominated |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^abcdFrom Essex England to the Sunny Southern USA: A Harris Family Journey,Robert E. Harris, Genealogical Press, 1994, page 870.
- ^"Surname Database: Foxworthy Last Name Origin".The Internet Surname Database.
- ^"Jeff Foxworthy: a Heart for the Underdog".All Pro Dad.February 8, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 12,2022.
- ^"Redneck Repartee".Gtalumni.org. Archived fromthe originalon May 19, 2006.RetrievedOctober 16,2010.
- ^"Gold & Platinum".RIAA.RetrievedFebruary 22,2020.
- ^"List of Grammy nominees - Jan. 4, 1996".CNN. January 4, 1996.RetrievedOctober 16,2010.
- ^"Jeff Foxworthy Bio".Utopia Artists. June 12, 2000. Archived fromthe originalon July 17, 2011.RetrievedOctober 16,2010.
- ^"Directory.distributeyourarticles".Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2013.
- ^"Nl.newsbank".Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2012.RetrievedAugust 6,2008.
- ^Pursell, Chris."Foxworthy Signs on for Syndie '5th Grader'".In Depth.TVWeek.RetrievedOctober 16,2010.
- ^"Fox".Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2015.
- ^VideoonYouTube
- ^"ABC renews 'Shark Tank,' adds Jeff Foxworthy'".The Hollywood Reporter.August 9, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 7,2020.
- ^"Jeff Foxworthy to host 'The American Bible Challenge'".Washington Post.March 21, 2012.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
- ^Bibel, Sara (March 5, 2013)."Jeff Foxworthy to Host 'The American Baking Competition' premiering Wednesday May 29 on CBS".TV by the Numbers. Archived fromthe originalon May 5, 2013.RetrievedMarch 16,2013.
- ^Channel, Outdoor."Outdoor Channel - Watch Videos Hunting".Outdoorchannel.Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 4,2014.
- ^"Fallingblind".Archived fromthe originalon August 10, 2014.
- ^Otterson, Joe (February 1, 2019)."NBC Orders Comedy Competition Series With Jeff Foxworthy Among Judges".Variety.
- ^"News | Sara Evans Soars to New Heights with 2001 CMA Nominations".BMI. August 28, 2001.RetrievedOctober 16,2010.
- ^"Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy to launch 24/7 comedy channel exclusively on SiriusXM"(Press release). March 13, 2015.RetrievedMay 30,2019.
- ^"Comedian, Outdoorsman, Guy - Jeff Foxworthy".Foxworthyoutdoors.
- ^"Watch the best outdoor shows for free on CarbonTV".CarbonTV.RetrievedFebruary 8,2016.
- ^"Relative Insanity Game Review".Family Game Shelf.October 26, 2021.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
- ^"Family time comes first for comedian - Entertainment - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH".Dispatch.March 3, 2008.RetrievedApril 28,2020.
- ^"Jeff Foxworthy Leaves Daughters 'Mortified'".People.
- ^"Jeff Foxworthy on Being a Dad".Atlantaparent.November 29, 2017.RetrievedApril 28,2020.
- ^"Comedy star Jeff Foxworthy depressed after losing one daughter, writes family book".miamiherald.Archived fromthe originalon October 10, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
- ^Hickman, Matt (August 21, 2019)."The Good Redneck: Jeff Foxworthy wonders what the hell happened to our country".The Anchorage Press.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
- ^"Comic Jeff Foxworthy Says All Those Right-Wing Memes That Quote Him Are Fake".HuffPost.March 2, 2020.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
- ^Dana, Rebecca (May 21, 2014)."Why Game Show Hosts Vote Republican".The Daily Beast.RetrievedAugust 15,2020.
- ^Bingham, Amy (March 12, 2012)."Celebrity Endorsements: Jeff Foxworthy Backs Mitt Romney".ABC News.RetrievedOctober 19,2015.
- ^Caterina, Peter (September 1, 2015)."Jeff Foxworthy On Donald Trump: He Is Tapping Into The American Spirit".
- ^ab"Jeff Foxworthy".GRAMMY.November 23, 2020.RetrievedAugust 16,2021.
References
edit- Gilbert, Calvin (1998). "Jeff Foxworthy". InThe Encyclopedia of Country Music.Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 180–1.
External links
edit
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Quotationsfrom Wikiquote
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