If I said, “You might be a redneck if…”, you’d probably recognize that as being the signature line of comedian Jeff Foxworthy. His first album, ‘You Might Be a Redneck If . . .’, came out in 1994, and has sold more than 3.5 million copies. It’s the “best-selling comedy album of all time”. Ever since then, Jeff Foxworthy has been on a roll, laughing all the way to the bank. He has recorded two triple platinum albums and has written eleven books, among other endeavors. You can hear him on the radio hosting his award-winning radio show, “The Foxworthy Countdown.” You can even see him hosting the game show, ‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?’ on FOX TV. Here are some little known facts about comedian Jeff Foxworthy that are sure to entertain you!
His Childhood
Jeff Foxworthy was born on September 6, 1958 in Hapeville, Georgia. He grew up with a penchant for making jokes and goofing around. According to Foxworthy himself, his favorite pastime was driving around with his friends mooning people.
But, a little known fact about Jeff Foxworthy is that, after he graduated from Hapeville High School, he enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Being such a “born comedian”, you would have thought Foxworthy’s career in stand-up comedy was automatic. Instead, he followed in his father James’ footsteps and got a job at IBM in Atlanta.
His Career
A little known fact about Jeff Foxworthy is, his future audience almost lost him to the world of high tech computers. Winning the “Great Southeastern Laugh-off” at the Punch Line Comedy Club in Atlanta made Jeff Foxworthy realize he had real talent to make people laugh. He’s quoted in http://gtalumni.org/ as saying, “I was always funny, but I had no idea that you could do this for a living.” So, he quit his $30k a year job at IBM in 1984 and headed off to exercise his funny bone.
Today, he is worth millions of dollars. When Foxworthy started out, he was working stand-up comedy and earning very little money. But it hasn’t come easy. Having talent is only one of the necessary factors. Building a successful career takes a lot of time, effort and perseverence.
So, what is it that makes Jeff Foxworthy so popular? His style of humor appeals to the “common folks.” A “redneck”, according to the comedian, is a person who displays a “glorious absence of sophistication.” Rednecks may be considered unrefined, uncultured and even uncouth by social standards. But these laid-back, “break the rules” type of people are what make Foxworthy’s audiences howl with laughter.
His Greeting Cards
Another little known fact about Jeff Foxworthy is that he released his own line of greeting cards in 2001. Each of the twenty-eight cards smacks of his characteristic redneck humor. For example, one of the cards shows a picture of a woman sporting tattoos and wearing a baseball cap. She’s carrying a couple bags of groceries. The caption reads, “”You might be a redneck if when packing for vacation your biggest decision is whether to use paper or plastic.” Open the card up, and the inside reads, “Miss you.”
The cards are created through American Greetings and are sold at Wal-Mart stores.
Besides his albums, appearances, books, greeting cards, yearly calendars, beef jerky and even his “The Foxworthy Down Home Cookbook” published in 1998, a little known fact about Jeff Foxworthy is that 2002, he signed an agreement with Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. to allow them to use his image on a line of their slot machines. Now, you can see Jeff Foxworthy and gamble like a redneck too!
Family Life
The six feet tall southerner has remained true to his roots in more than one way. Jeff Foxworthy still lives in Georgia with his wife Pamela and their two daughters. Naturally, Foxworthy is a fan of the Atlanta Braves.
