You know him as “Larry the Cable Guy”, the redneck with a strong Southern accent who co-stars with Bill Engval in the 2007 movie, “Delta Farce”. The same guy who co-stars with Engval and Jeff Foxworthy on the series “Blue Collar TV.” The guy who starred in the movie “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector.” The guy who made “Git-R-Done” and “Lord, I apologize” two of his famous catch phrases. You know him, he’s the guy who jokes about everyday life in his usual crude manner. You know him when he’s performing, but who is “Larry the Cable Guy” really?
“Larry the Cable Guy”, aka “Larry Whitney
“Larry the Cable Guy” claims he was born “in the back of an El Camino during a Foghat concert”. In reality, though, his birth certificate reads “Daniel Lawrence Whitney”, and he was born on February 17, 1963 in Pawnee City, Nebraska. His nickname has always been “Larry” though, so his first name is truly part of the real man. “Larry The Cable Guy” says that “Jeff Foxworthy’s real name is Hyman Stein and (he) has never eaten grits!”.
Whitney’s Early Rural Life
As a boy, Larry Whitney helped raise pigs on his father’s farm. His father is also a minister who worked as a high school guidance counselor. Being a preacher’s son, Whitney was raised up in a conventional, religious manner.
His Life in West Palm Beach
Whitney’s family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida when he was sixteen. There, he was enrolled in “The King’s Academy”, a Christian school, while his father was the principal of the K.A. elementary school.
Whitney’s Career Start in Comedy
Larry Whitney loves the comedy of Steve Martin, Milton Berle, Don Rickles and Henny Youngman. It was probably that influence that made him quit his job at a Wendy’s Restaurant in 1985 and start doing stand-up comedy. But, Whitney was captivated with the humor about “rednecks” and their “lower class” lifestyle. By 1991, he had started doing comedy on the radio. Whitney would call into radio stations and play different characters he made up. The persona of “Larry the Cable Guy” was invented when someone suggested he call into a station pretending to be a cable installer. So, who is “Larry the Cable Guy” really?
Fictional and Real Family Life
Larry tells tales about his make-believe, redneck family, which includes a grandfather who has to use a device to speak because he had throat cancer, a deaf brother who has Tourette’s Syndrome, a grossly obese sister named “Liddie”, and another overweight sister he calls “Old Moley,” “Holy Moley,” or “Guacamole. In reality, though, Larry Whitney has a wife, Cara, and two children. When he’s not performing as “Larry the Cable Guy”, he spends time with his family in their Sanford, Florida home. They also have a home in Lincoln, Nebraska. And neither home is in a trailer park either. Not with the huge success that Whitney’s “Larry the Cable Guy” persona brings him. Whitney joined up with Jeff Foxworthy’s “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” in 2000, and the trek grossed $15 million. He produced his first CD, titled “Lord, I Apologize” (Hip-O Records) in 2001. It’s stayed in the “Top 20” of the Billboard Comedy Charts ever since it was released. The album was re-released in 2003.
According to “Larry the Cable Guy”, “Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.” Obviously, the word “laziness” doesn’t even exist in Whitney’s real vocabulary. Because, he has kept busy performing, recording, acting, writing songs. “Larry the Cable Guy” even found time to pen an autobiography titled, “GIT-R-DONE” (Crown 2005). The achievements I’ve mentioned are only a tip of his golden iceberg.
So, who is “Larry the Cable Guy” really? Whitney’s a 5 foot, 10 inch comedian who has lived in Florida most of his life. Still, he still calls Nebraska “home.” And, he’s a diehard fan of the University of Nebraska football team. Because of this, “Larry the Cable Guy” always wears a ball cap or a piece of clothing that reads “Nebraska” or “Huskers” every times he performs. Larry Whitney also loves Nascar racing (he’s a Michael Waltrip fan) and bull riding.
“Larry the Cable Guy” is a made-up character who has some of the same attributes as his creator, Larry Whitney. Sometimes, you can see a solid difference between the two. For example, “Larry the Cable Guy” talks with a strong Southern accent, while Larry Whitney doesn’t. Whitney turns the accent on and off at will, although he always uses the accent when he’s in public. Which only makes sense. Whitney’s making millions of dollars being “Larry the Cable Guy. That’s who his fans love and want to see and hear.
