After 40 years on the road, legendary comedian Bill Engvall is hanging up his hat. But you can catch him on his last tour when he makes a stop in Rutland at the Paramount Theatre for two shows, at 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5, with “Here’s Your Sign, It’s Finally Time.”
The Grammy-nominated stand-up comic and one of the stars of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour said the decision to retire from touring came after not being able to, as consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At a time when America needed laughter, we couldn’t give it to them,” he told News Nation. “But I realized … when the shows finally started coming back online, that I wasn’t missing the traveling.”
A native of Texas, Engvall was working as a DJ with plans to become a teacher before he tried his hand at stand-up comedy one night at a club — and found that he had a knack for it.
Soon after he moved to Los Angeles he found himself starring in the Showtime special “A Pair of Jokers,” hosting A&E’s “Evening at the Improv,” and appearing on “The Tonight Show” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Engvall released several award-winning comedy albums, including his first, “Here’s Your Sign,” which was certified platinum and held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Comedy Chart for 15 straight weeks. The title comes from his infamous bit about the dumb things people say sometimes, and the sign they should be wearing to warn people.
“I shot me a nice deer, and I hung it on the den wall in my house. My neighbor comes over and he says, ‘Did you shoot that thing?’ I said, ‘Nope. He ran through the wall and got stuck.’ Here’s your sign.”
That brand of down-to-Earth humor is at the heart of Engvall’s career including a slew of comedy specials, hosting numerous award shows, appearing in movies, starring in and executive producing his own TV show, “The Bill Engvall Show,” guest appearances on other TV shows, writing books, and hosting a weekly podcast. Most recently he hosted the TV series “Blue Collar Auction” featuring collectors’ items and the personal stories behind them. In between all of that he’s been touring his stand-up show.
“Making people laugh is a dream job and has fulfilled my life in so many ways,” Engvall told Variety. “I’m excited to focus on future opportunities in entertainment and spend more time with my family. I’m not going anywhere — just hanging up my hat when it comes to sleeping in the airport and in-room dining.”
