Bill Engvall on Comedic Advice , Laughter as Therapy and Blue Collar Comedy

Summary

Podcast Summary: Takin' A Walk with Bill Engvall

Episode Title: Bill Engvall on Comedic Advice, Laughter as Therapy and Blue Collar Comedy
Host: Lynne Hoffman (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: November 10, 2025

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Overview

This episode of "Takin' A Walk" (syndicated as "Comedy Saved Me") features celebrated comedian Bill Engvall—best known for his iconic "Here's Your Sign" bit and as a founding member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. In a warm, in-depth conversation with host Lynne Hoffman, Engvall candidly discusses the transformative power of laughter, the realities of burnout and his return from retirement, behind-the-scenes stories from his career, and how comedy serves as both personal therapy and communal healing. Engvall and Hoffman keep the tone light and genuine, full of anecdotes, humility, and practical wisdom for both fans and aspiring comedians.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bill Engvall’s Return from Retirement

Timestamps: 05:29–06:13

• Burnout & Stepping Away: Engvall admits he was simply exhausted and needed a break. Watching mindless reality TV tipped him off that it was time to get back to his purpose.
  • Quote: "When I caught myself watching Housewives of Salt Lake City, it was time to come out of retirement." (05:41, Engvall)
• On the Scope of His Comeback: At first, Engvall didn’t realize the impact his return would have on fans and the comedy community.

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The Birth and Reach of "Here’s Your Sign"

Timestamps: 06:15–10:47

• Origin Story: Engvall reflects on the creation of his signature catchphrase, explaining its organic rise and initial commercial flop (only 100 album copies sold in the first week). Things changed dramatically when they released a music video with Travis Tritt, leading the track to become a #1 hit on country charts.
  • Quote: "It basically became the where’s the beef of the ’90s." (06:54, Engvall)
• Comedic Serendipity: Engvall stresses that catchphrases can’t be manufactured—they succeed only if embraced by the public.
  • Quote: "You don’t [plan it]. You write it, but it’s up to the audience." (07:07, Engvall)

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The Blue Collar Comedy Tour: Relatability and Healing

Timestamps: 14:22–19:51

• Why It Worked: The Tour’s explosive popularity was rooted in authenticity—four "regular guys" making everyday Americans laugh. The arena shows created a rare sense of community for thousands at a time.
  • Quote: "We were your neighbors... We weren’t this kind of artificially created group." (15:01, Engvall)
• The Power of Storytelling: The most beloved segments weren’t the stand-up sets, but the casual story circles at the end. Audiences responded to the camaraderie and genuine personalities.
• Personal Impact: Engvall recalls a letter from a cancer patient who said he "cured her cancer"—the point being that humor allowed her to momentarily escape her trauma.
  • Quote: "For 75 minutes, I let her forget some of the most horrific news you could get." (19:51, Engvall)
• On Responsibility: Engvall reminds aspiring comics that you never know how your comedy will touch someone's life.

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Authenticity in Comedy and Personal Growth

Timestamps: 19:51–29:51

• Staying Genuine: He discusses industry pressures to imitate others (notably Jeff Foxworthy) and cites Ron White for encouraging him to return to his true self:
  • Quote: "I was so busy trying to be Jeff, that I forgot to be me." (28:08, Engvall)
• Audience’s Need for the Hits: Engvall compares joke "classics" to hit songs at a rock concert. Fans come to relive the "sign" bits, just like they want Aerosmith to play the classics.

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Music, Nostalgia, and Pop Culture

Timestamps: 13:06–14:22

• Engvall’s Favorite Bands: He reveals a fondness for classic rock—Aerosmith, Boston, and notably the Alan Parsons Project.
• On Licensing Music: They laugh about the changing attitudes towards bands licensing their music for ads, citing the Stones’ big deals.

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Laughter as Personal Therapy & Life Purpose

Timestamps: 25:03–44:00

• Struggles & Salvation: Engvall discusses his darker moments on the club circuit, his battle with drinking, and the personal cost of comedy. Laughter—both giving and receiving—pulled him out and saved his family life.
  • Quote: "I could have lost everything. Her, the kids, my career. And thank God... I did." (25:22, Engvall)
• Rediscovering Purpose: After retirement, Engvall realized his gift was meant for service: "It went from being just a job to a passion." (28:08, Engvall)
• The Comedy/Healing Connection: Bill relays his father's story: operating rooms with laughter lead to patients healing three times faster.
  • Quote: "If the room is light and there’s kind of laughter and stuff, people heal three times faster." (38:22, Engvall)
• On Validation: Engvall treasures when audience members tell him he helped improve their day.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Feeling Grateful for Comedy's Influence: "I am just so honored and humbled. The fact that, for whatever reason, the gods of comedy reached over and touched me and said, you’re going to be the one." (42:25, Engvall)
• On Legacy: “With all my heart, I hope that when people remember me it’ll be... ‘He was a nice guy.’” (43:44, Engvall)
• Bill’s Headstone Joke: "The first one I want to have on my headstone is, wow, it’s more humid than I thought it'd be." (43:41, Engvall)

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Laughter in Dark Times, Changing Landscape of Comedy

Timestamps: 36:05–44:00

• Comedy as Relief & Escape: Bill observes the rising tendency for audiences to seek ways to be offended, but maintains his resolutely uplifting, inclusive comedic style.
  • Quote: "As a comedian, I’ve always felt like it was my job... Not to tell you what you should think... My job is to make you laugh." (36:25, Engvall)
• Physical Power of Laughter: Engvall and Hoffman agree that laughter triggers endorphins, brings community together, and is a healing force, even for those delivering it.

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Pop Culture Anecdotes

Timestamps: 30:01–35:28

• The Kevin Costner & John Travolta Stories: Bill relives run-ins with celebrities, delighting in mutual fandom and quirky encounters. Notably, Jennifer Lawrence’s first job was on his sitcom.
• Celebrity Humility: Both Engvall and Hoffman reinforce the importance of staying grounded, sharing how the "real" ones in entertainment are memorably genuine.

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• “It basically became the where’s the beef of the ’90s.” (06:54, Bill Engvall)
• "You don’t [plan a catchphrase]. You write it, but it’s up to the audience." (07:07, Engvall)
• "When I caught myself watching Housewives of Salt Lake City, it was time to come out of retirement." (05:41, Engvall)
• "For 75 minutes, I let her forget some of the most horrific news you could get." (19:51, Engvall)
• "I was so busy trying to be Jeff, that I forgot to be me." (28:08, Engvall)
• "If the room is light and there’s kind of laughter and stuff, people heal three times faster." (38:22, Engvall)
• “I am just so honored and humbled. The fact that, for whatever reason, the gods of comedy reached over and touched me and said, you’re going to be the one.” (42:25, Engvall)
• “With all my heart, I hope that when people remember me it’ll be... ‘He was a nice guy.’” (43:44, Engvall)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Return from Retirement: 05:29–06:13
• "Here’s Your Sign" Backstory: 06:15–10:47
• Blue Collar Comedy Tour & Healing Power: 14:22–19:51
• Authenticity, Influence, and Personal Growth: 19:51–29:51
• Role of Comedy in a Troubled World: 36:05–44:00
• Pop Culture Anecdotes: 30:01–35:28
• Closing Reflections, Legacy and Laughter: 43:01–44:38

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Tone & Language

True to Bill Engvall’s comedic and everyman persona, the conversation is relaxed, heartfelt, and often self-deprecating. Engvall is humble, quick to laugh, and open about his struggles, reinforcing his role as both craftsman and conduit for communal healing. Lynne Hoffman brings energy, empathy, and camaraderie, guiding the conversation with wit and insight.

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Conclusion

For fans and first-time listeners alike, this episode offers much more than laughs: it’s a master class in the art and science of comedy, a testament to laughter’s capacity for healing, and a window into the generous spirit of one of America’s most beloved stand-ups. Bill Engvall’s journey speaks to anyone who’s ever needed a moment of levity—and to those searching for the deeper meaning behind a good joke.

Transcript

[Lynne Hoffman]

Comedy Saved Me.

[Bill Engvall]

There's an art and a science to comedy and I don't think people understand that how hard it is. Although Seinfeld once had a bit he said that they did a survey of people's top five fears and number two was death. Number one was speaking in public.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I'm Lynne Hoffman and welcome to Comedy Save Me, the show that explores the healing power of laughter and how it helps us all more than we sometimes even know. Our guest today knows something most of us forget. Laughter isn't just entertainment, it's literally survival. The man who gave us here's your sign didn't just create the catchphrase, he created a lifeline for millions of people who need to laugh their way through the absurdity of everyday life. From selling cars in Texas to selling out arenas as a part of the legendary I remember this so clearly. Blue Collar Comedy Tour was awesome. Bill Engville is one of the biggest names in the business who's turned observer humor into cultural movement that reminded us that we're all in this together, stupid signs and all. But here's the thing about Bill. Behind the laid back drawl and the everyman Persona is someone who deeply understands the transformative power of laughter. He's seen it heal marriages, men, broken hearts, and bring strangers together. He has lived it, breathed it, and dedicated his life to it. And today we are so lucky on Comedy Save Me to be talking about more than just the jokes. We're gonna dive into why laughter matters, how comedy has shaped his journey, and what happens when you dedicate your life to making the world a little lighter. One punchline at a time with Bill Engvall next right here on Comedy Save Me.

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[Bill Engvall]

Are you.

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[Lynne Hoffman]

Comedy saved me. Bill Engville, welcome to Comedy Saved Me. I'm so happy you are back in action and you decided to come out of retirement. This is such big news in the comedy world. Did you realize how big this was?

[Bill Engvall]

Not at the time. I. When I. In hindsight, what I should have done is just taken a break because I was burnt out. And as we'll get into if I'm burnout, then it doesn't reflect, you know, the show's not as good. And I knew when I caught myself watching Housewives of Salt Lake City, it was time to come out of retirement.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh, no. I better check myself then, because that's sort of a staple. Thanks for warning me. I'm getting close to burnout.

[Bill Engvall]

Oh, you're fine.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Well, we're so glad you're back. Here's yous Sign bit sort of became a cultural phenomenon that brought millions of people together through laughter. In fact, I remember a little music video with Dwight Yocum in it, which was it's still hysterical. I had to revisit it again because it was so good. Can you take us back to the first time you saw how powerfully that joke connected with audiences and what it meant to you to have given so many people that shared language of humor?

[Bill Engvall]

Well, at first, I should probably give you a small correction. It wasn't Dwight Yoakum. It was Travis Tritt that sang this song.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Sorry about that.

[Bill Engvall]

Listen, don't worry about it. The. It's funny that. No, the short answer to that is I had no idea how big that was going to get. I mean, it basically became the where's the beef of the 90s?

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah.

[Bill Engvall]

The thing with hearing here with a catchphrase, whether it's here's your sign, whether it's you might be a redneck or get her done or whatever, you can't go into these thinking, I'm going to write a catchphrase because you don't know whether that's going to be it or not. I get young comedians all the time asking me, how do I write a catchphrase? I go, well, that's the deal. You don't. You write it. But it's up to the audience. And I remember the first time I heard someone say, here's your sign. And they weren't directing it at me. In other words, like, they didn't know I was within proximity of was. I was in a grocery store, and the little girl that was checking everybody out couldn't get something going on the cash register. And the manager came over and hit like, one button and looked at her and said, here's your sign. And I went, oh, my God. I go, this is. It's. It's something bigger than I. If it wasn't for here's your sign, we probably wouldn't be talking right now.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Do you think?

[Bill Engvall]

So it got so huge. And when Travis. An interesting story that when we. I released my first album, here's your sign, it was. All I had to compare it to was foxworthy, and you might be a redneck. And of course, he had hit the stratosphere with that.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah.

[Bill Engvall]

And so I thought when my manager. We had the same manager at the time, and I remember thinking, okay, he said, we're going to release the album. Here's your sign. I go, all right, here we go. Let the. Let the. Let the roller coaster begin. And the first week the album came out, we sold 100 copies across the country. That means we sold less than two estate. So I was like, wait a minute. This. We're supposed to be getting big and getting our name known. And then we did the. The problem was on the album. The song wasn't on it. And so we released the video with Travis Tritt singing the song, and it literally went from 100 copies a week to 10,000 copies a week, which was incredible. The. The. The power that that song had. Now, that was back when CMT was allowing, you know, us to do little funny videos with country singers. They loved the singers, loved it. And I loved it because it showed everybody a different side of these artists, that thing. A quick, funny story about it when at the time, I was on tour with Joe Diffie, who unfortunately, we lost, and just a great guy, but I went to him and I said I was on tour with him, and I said, hey, Joe, we're going to release a song. I was wondering if you'd sing it. And he goes, oh, yeah, man, I'd love to do that. He said, let me get clearance from the record label. And he went to the record label and said, they want to do this song. And they said, oh, Joe, you don't want to. You don't want to be part of a novelty song. You got a career going here. And so he said, they. They won't let me do it. And Travis Tritt did it, and it was number one for 15 weeks on the country charts, which was at the time, you know, other than Foxworthy was unheard of. And here we are. We. We were rolling. And it's funny because it kind of became my. In a comedic form. Of if, like I remember the, the Bye bye Miss American Pie. If I, I could do 90 minutes of killer comedy. But if I don't do the here's your sign, people walk out going, oh, he didn't do here's your sign. So I have kind of have to, I have to do it now.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. I wonder. You could probably do an entire set of just here's your sign. Just like link all of them together, right?

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah, you would think so, but I think after a while, people might get a little tired of that.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I understand. I totally get it. And it's almost like a musician, you know, you've got to play the hits.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah, well, and that was one of the interesting things about coming out of retirement was I was kind of flipping out about, oh, man, I gotta write a whole new 90 minute set. And then the more I thought about it, I thought, no, you don't have to do it. Because like, if you and I were gonna go see Aerosmith on the way to the concert, not one of us is gonna say, oh, I hope they play all new stuff.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. No, I can't believe you just said that though. Because when I, when I was younger, I used to work at a radio station and Aerosmith was, is still one of my all time favorite bands of all time. I'm originally from Boston, so you kind of have to be an Aerosmith fan. But I used to say, man, they're putting out another album. Like, can't they give room to somebody new to come in? And then I realized, no, they've, they've, they still got to make a living, make new things.

[Bill Engvall]

Hey, hey, hold on one second. I don't know how we're gonna do this. Somebody just rang the doorbell. Hold on.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh. Oh. Go get it. Go ahead, go ahead. Let's see who it is. Sorry, who is it?

[Bill Engvall]

Okay, do you want to know who it is?

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yes, yes.

[Bill Engvall]

It's the plant lady.

[Lynne Hoffman]

The plant lady.

[Bill Engvall]

She comes in and waters the plants and stuff when we're gone.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh, that's so nice. So now she knows. She thought you maybe weren't home.

[Bill Engvall]

No, no, she knew this is her day to come. I just didn't pay attention to it. I love it.

[Lynne Hoffman]

That's great. Last show I did, the lawn doctor came, so I feel your pain about that.

[Bill Engvall]

It's. It's so funny how as. As much as I'd like to be Hollywood and stuff like that. This is me. This is me. The doorbell ringing, the dogs barking, the.

[Lynne Hoffman]

So listen, don't, don't ever be Hollywood. Being you is just so refreshing, and it's like talking to a normal person. I try.

[Bill Engvall]

I try to be normal, but, you know, who seems like the harder I try? I. I finally realized that maybe sometimes I need to just step out of the way for a little bit. You know, let. Let life happen and get out of your own way.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah.

[Bill Engvall]

Get out of my own way. That's a. The. But, yeah. Back to what you were saying about Aerosmith. It was. I was kind of that same way. I was a huge rocker. A lot of people don't know that. That I was.

[Lynne Hoffman]

All right, hit me with some of your favorite bands. Are we talking, like, Motley Crue? Are we talking glam rock or hard rock? Heavy metal.

[Bill Engvall]

I was. I wasn't into heavy metal, but I was. I'm definitely a classic rocker, whether it's Aerosmith or whether it's Boston or whether it's. You know. And that's what's hard to accept sometimes, is the songs I grew up with now are considered golden oldies, which that says about me.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I'm with you. I'm with you all on all of it.

[Bill Engvall]

It's hard to imagine, probably my most weird band, that people go, what? I was a huge Alan Parsons Project fan.

[Lynne Hoffman]

One of the best.

[Bill Engvall]

Come on. Yeah.

[Lynne Hoffman]

That's so cool. I love that. Yeah. It's interesting, too, now, because all of these songs are coming back in commercials we see on TV now. Yeah. That never happened when they were big.

[Bill Engvall]

You got labeled a sellout because. Yeah. You know, then all of a sudden, everybody went, oh, wait a minute. The Stones got a hundred million dollars for them to use.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. And that only happened a few years ago. It was like, in the early 2021 or 22 or something. Like, almost every major band from, you know, 1900 to today sold their back catalog.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's crazy, obviously, to commercial companies. Let me ask you, since we were talking about this, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, you helped to create this, like, communal experience that we were just talking to. And it wasn't just a comedy club, Bill. It was arenas full of people that you were making laugh and share. This experience is there. When you were there, going through this at the moment, did you. What was it that you witnessed about this? This sort of healing, unifying power of laughter when thousands of complete strangers could kind of join arms and do the same thing at the same time together?

[Bill Engvall]

Well, I think that was one of the keys to blue collar success, was we were your neighbors. You know, we weren't. You know, it wasn't this kind of artificially created group, you know, like the Monkeys or whoever. Jake. Jake is that puppy. Yeah, that's Jake the. Oh, he. He's got a nice bark, but that's about all he's got. But so the thing. Back to again. Here we go. The. The normal life. The. I remember we held the record for selling out the Nashville arena in 24 hours. And at that, you know, we were finally dethroned by Bon Jovi, which is two names that just don't go together. Blue Collar Comedy Tour and Bon Jovi. But it was. I remember we would get to the arena and I used to make a habit of. This is. I would walk. They usually had a center stage and everybody was around us. And I used to go before they opened the doors to the stage, and I would just look around and go, this is insane. This. This is not stand up comedy. You know, stand up comedy. Like I said, it was the old brick wall in front of the, you know, microphone. And I remember one night. I forget where we were. We were somewhere in the Midwest, and for whatever reason, we had all come from different locales. And the promoter got four limousines, which was silly because we just rode together in the same car. But after the show, so we all had chartered planes because we were coming in from different areas. And after the show, the limousines pulled out of the arena and we went to this little regional airport and there was the four jets lined up in a row and each limousine pulled off to a jet. And I remember standing on the steps of my plane looking at Jeff. And I said, dude, this is as close to rock and roll as we're ever going to get. And the funny thing was, we all could do. The deal was everybody did 20 minutes. And I don't care how good your set was, what people really, really tuned into and loved was at the end of the show when we would come out on bar stools and we would all sit on each corner of the stage and we would just tell stories. And that was people's favorite part of the whole show was because I think what it did was it made us human. We weren't. Yeah, you know, we. We were just four guys. And I think if you were to ask the guys, they would all say that it was. We were just four guys who were good at their craft, but, you know, we were all just taken back about how big this had gotten. I mean, there was Blue Collar Dolls, for God's sakes.

[Lynne Hoffman]

At one point, it's because you are authentic.

[Bill Engvall]

People can tell. Yeah, we. We didn't try to be somebody we weren't. It was just, you know, and we imagine being on the road with three of your best buds and you're selling out arenas and it's stupid money and people are, you know, people would dress up like Larry. We, at some point, I think all of us had kids that would dress up as we were, you know, the cable guy.

[Lynne Hoffman]

There's like an audience filled.

[Bill Engvall]

Oh, people dressed up. Yeah.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I love that so much. Well, it was, it had an impact. It. I almost. It's like mash, you know, it was. Everybody watched it, so everybody had the experience together. Everybody could talk about it together. And because you're pulling in these arenas of people, that's a large swath of. Of people. And they all talk to people and so on.

[Bill Engvall]

Well, and I think that we all really appreciate the fact that these were working class people. I mean, there was. We hit an audience that Hollywood had, you know, had basically ignored. Yep. And I'll tell you one of my favorite stories to this day about talking about how comedy has a healing faction to it. I was years ago, I was at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Detroit. Royal Oak, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. I found this out later on, but a lady had come to the show and she said, she wrote a letter to the club owner and she said, I don't know, I don't remember his name, but he was the last one on the show and that would have been me. She said, please tell him he cures cancer. And what happened was she had gotten diagnosed with terminal cancer. And she said I had to make a choice. I could either wallow in this or I could just go on with my life. She goes, I went to the show. I laughed for 75 minutes. She went back to the doctor the next day and they told her she'd been misdiagnosed.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I have goosebumps all over.

[Bill Engvall]

I listen. I didn't cure her cancer, but what I did was for 75 minutes, I let her forget some of the most horrific news you could get. And she said, tell him. I said, thank you. And it was just like, I'll never forget that as long as I live that. And that's what I try to tell young comedians is you never. You always got to do your show, whether it's five, 50 people or whether it's 5,000 people. You don't know who's in that audience and how you're going to affect their lives. And when I finally realized the power that comedy has, it was like the world, the comedic world, opened up to me and I realized I didn't. I didn't have to try to be somebody I'm not and I could just do be Bill and that was good enough. Wow.

[Lynne Hoffman]

That. That's pretty powerful stuff, Bill.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. Yeah, that was my wow. We'll be right back with more of the Comedy Save Me podcast.

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[Bill Engvall]

Welcome back to the Comedy Saved Me podcast.

[Lynne Hoffman]

You've talked about growing up in Texas and finding your voice in comedy. Was there a specific moment, like an epiphany you had, where laughter either making others laugh or comedy itself for you literally saved you your life or helped you get through something difficult?

[Bill Engvall]

I think if we're being brutally honest here, when I was in the club circuit, you know, it was. I loved the club circuit. I had a blast doing it, but I had a dark side. I started drinking, and it wasn't because I wanted to drink. It was because you're trying to kill the pain of being away from your home, being away from the babies. My wife and I think the defining moment for me was one I used to go and I would drink at the club because they gave free drinks. And I remember I would go back to the hotel room and I knew I had to call Gail, my wife. And I would be looking at the phone going, she's gonna know. She's gonna know. And sure enough, I would. Soon I would say, hey. And she Goes, call me back tomorrow when you're sober. When you're sober. And I could have lost everything. Her, the kids, my career. And thank God. I. I do thank God for that, because I. I did. I was too dumb to see what was happening. And then I finally just. I was lucky enough to be one of those people that could say, okay, I'm gonna stop, you know, because there. There's bigger things than. Than me at work here. Wow. So what? And back to the retirement thing. I think that's what brought me out of it was I figured that God had given me this gift to be able to make people laugh, and who am I to say, no, that's not what I want to do? I have. I had to kind of turn my life over to him, and thank God I did, literally, because it was the. It's what made me realize, you. You have a goal. I know now what my purpose on this earth is, and it's to make people feel. I always say in interviews, I always hope that people leave my show feeling better about themselves than when they got there. When you can do that, it's. It's amazing not only what it does for them, but what it did for me. You know, I love making people laugh, and I love the fact that. That people will. They had a hundred other ways they could have spent their money, but they decided to come see my show, and it's my job to deliver.

[Lynne Hoffman]

What you just said was so huge. And how many years did you take off or when you retired?

[Bill Engvall]

It was a couple years.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It was a couple years.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah.

[Lynne Hoffman]

And during that time, were you ever. What. When did it finally hit you that you needed to go? Like, when did you realize who. What your calling was? I mean, you would have think you've been doing this a long time, Bill, so to say, just a couple of years ago was when you finally realized what your calling was. That's a big deal, right?

[Bill Engvall]

It went from being just a job to a passion. And. And, you know, I. I love the. I love when I. I always say, I know I've written a good joke when I see a husband or a wife kind of elbow each other and go, oh, yeah, that's you right there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lynne Hoffman]

That happens all the time.

[Bill Engvall]

That's what made me, was that I got a funny story. One night we were doing Blue Collar, and as. After the show and Ron and I had went down. We were staying the night, and so we went down to the bar, and I've known Ron since he went up on open mic night, and we were sitting at the bar. I had was. I tried so many different things. I mean, I tried the rock and roll opening with the music and the lights and all that. And Ron White, of all people, said, you know, Bill, I remember a day I'd go up on stage and I'd just gut the room, and then they'd introduce you, and you'd come up there with that slow draw. And within three minutes, it was Ron who. And I realized that Ron White, of all people, showed me that. Go back to who you were. I was so. And this is odd. And I've told Jeff this. I was so busy trying to be Jeff that I forgot to be me. Wow, that's a great compliment to Jeff Foxworthy because, you know, he was who I patterned. Was he. He was all I had to judge by.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's the highest form of flattery.

[Bill Engvall]

It's. Thank God it all worked out the way it's supposed to, because it's. It's, you know, I'm having fun again. And, you know, like, when I do my show now, there'll be some new stuff, but then, you know, like that we talked about it earlier. Then I'll do some of the old classics. And you forget that sometimes there's people in the audience who may not have heard that bit. You know, whether it's, you know, like you said, I've been doing. I've been doing this for almost 45 years.

[Lynne Hoffman]

And you're just turning 40 now.

[Bill Engvall]

I wish I was just turning 40. I'll be. I'm on the south side getting close to 70, so get out of here.

[Lynne Hoffman]

You know who you remind me of? You always have kind of reminded me of. Tell me that people haven't told you this before, but a certain lead character in a show called Yellowstone. Oh, yeah, Kevin Costner.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. I actually tried to get my agents and stuff to send them a letter saying, hey, you might want to look at this guy.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh, yeah, why not? As a stand in a new character on the.

[Bill Engvall]

His brother. I get that quite a bit. I'll tell you a funny story about Kevin Koster years ago. I'll tell you how far back it was. HBO was doing a special on Willie Nelson's 60th birthday. And my job, I wasn't even on the show. My job was just to keep the audience up in between takes.

[Lynne Hoffman]

You were audience fluffing?

[Bill Engvall]

Basically, Yeah, I was a fluffer for the audience. Yeah.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Okay.

[Bill Engvall]

And sit right in front of me in the stage was Kevin Costner and Gary Busey. And Gary Busey. Was hammered. I mean, hammered. And just not really the kind of audience you want to have. But Kevin Costner was laughing and hitting the table and stuff. And so we went backstage, Somebody came, and they said, hey, Kevin Costner wants to meet you. And I said, great. I'd love to meet him. This is how far back this was. Dances With Wolves had just come out.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Okay. All right.

[Bill Engvall]

And so Gail's with me, and we're backstage, and I see Kevin Costner walking towards me, and I see Gail walking towards me, and they haven't seen each other yet. And Gail was a. If Gail was going to cheat on me, it would be with Kevin Costner.

[Lynne Hoffman]

But to be fair, you do look alike, so maybe she could have made a mistake. It was dark.

[Bill Engvall]

I would love to believe that. But the. And so I see him, and also. And I see my wife see Kevin Costner, and he's talking to me and saying, hey, I really enjoy your stuff. You're very funny. And I said, thank you very much. I'm a big fan. And Gail was standing next to me, and she hadn't said a word the whole time. And he grabbed her arm and pulled her into him and said, and you are such a good sport. And then he walked off. And I looked at Gail and I said, why didn't you say something? She goes, because it would have come out.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh, my God. He just. He made her so nervous. I have to tell you, it's a very strange thing. I had a similar situation where I ran into Kevin Costner at an event because he has a band, right? And he wanted to come on a show that I had that was a music show on A. E years ago called Private Sessions. And he was like, hey, I want to be on your show. He tells a friend. And my friend says to me, come over here. Motions me over. We're at some hotel somewhere. And I'm like, no, I don't want to be one of those people. No, come here. Come here, he says. And I go over, and I said, what's going on? He said, lynn, this is Kevin. Kevin, this is Lynn. And next thing you know, Kevin has my cell phone, and he's programming his manager's number in it to call so that he can be booked on my show. And I'm looking across, and my husband's looking at me like, why does he have your number phone in his hand? And what is going on? But he's just. Is he not the most real.

[Bill Engvall]

Oh, he's totally real.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Genuine straight shooter.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. I listen, would if. If I Could have a dream. It would be that he and I did a project together or something, because. But I don't know if that's ever going to happen, but it would sure be cool.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Well, we put it out there, so you never know.

[Bill Engvall]

By the way, if you got Kevin's number in there, you win the phone poker game.

[Lynne Hoffman]

You know, I haven't even thought to go look until you.

[Bill Engvall]

And for a long time, I had John Travolta on mine.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Wow. How did that go?

[Bill Engvall]

Okay. Okay. That was another weird. That's the thing about this business. You get. Sometimes you get thrown into the A situation. You just go, how is this happening?

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah, where am I?

[Bill Engvall]

So I had. I was coming. Gail and I were coming back. We flew into LA on a charter plane. And I said, I'm going to go in and get the bags. And I walk in and there's John Travolta sitting in the lobby because he's a pilot and he's going to take his plane out. And I swear to you, Lynn, he looked at me, he goes, hey, Bill, how you doing? And I was like, you know me. I'm. I'm. I'm good, John. And he goes. And he. We started talking. Yeah, here's my number. And I was like. I looked at Gil. I go, I. I have his phone number now.

[Lynne Hoffman]

What are you gonna do with it?

[Bill Engvall]

Nothing. It's just for, you know, what is. So I can win the phone poker game.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I know. Like, what am I gonna really. Call up Kevin and you're gonna call up Travolta.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. John, what's up? Remember we met in an airport and he may have been recruiting me. I don't know.

[Lynne Hoffman]

No, but another one of the genuine ones in the world, you know, just.

[Bill Engvall]

So I think that's, you know, I. I remember when I had my sitcom, the Bill Engville show, on tbs, we had. We gave Jennifer Lawrence her first job. She put my daughter on my sitcom. And I remember she was. I. I remember one day I'm walking into her dressing room and I turned to the producer and I said, we're going to be writing the episode where she goes off to college real quick, because you just. You just. She had it, but it was it. And that. It was. She was just Ginny. She was. She didn't try to be. And I think that's why people loved her at the Oscars. She's fallible. You know, she. And bless her little heart, when she got started getting all these movies, for about the first two or three of them, she would Always thank me for giving her that job. And she's done all right for herself. You know, that's pretty special.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I mean, that's for you to see that too, and to want to push her out as opposed to keep her.

[Bill Engvall]

You know, I love to kept her, but I knew we weren't going to be able to.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah, yeah. That's amazing. Well, the world has been through a lot since your sitcom there, and we've. I could list a million things. 9, 11, the pandemic, political division. How have you seen comedy's role evolve as a source of relief or escape? And what do you think the. What responsibility do you feel that the comedians have to help people when the times are really the darkest?

[Bill Engvall]

I think that's when we need comedy the most. You know, it used to be, Linda, that people went to a comedy show to just kind of get a break from life. And now, you know, there was a period of time where it's almost like people were coming to the show hoping you would say something that would offend them.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah.

[Bill Engvall]

So they could shout out or whatever. And I just took, I just took that to me as like, just do your stuff. Don't. You know, my stuff's always been middle of the road, middle America. That's what people wanted. They just wanted some kind of stability, like, help me get through this. As a comedian, I've always felt like it was my job to do what I get. Not to tell you what you should think or how you should, because I don't care. I don't care what your political beliefs are or anything. I just. My job is to make you laugh. And if I can do that, then we've both achieved a goal, you know, that, that you're. You're a little more relaxed now. I'm. I'm having fun. And, you know, there's. There's a niche for everything. You know, some people like that kind of in your face comedy and stuff. I always tell people, I go, if you come to my show, just sit back, you're gonna laugh and you're gonna walk out of here feeling good.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I love that. I wish you were my doctor. Imagine if your doctor said that to you every time you went for an appointment.

[Bill Engvall]

You're gonna be fine.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah, everything. Just sit back, relax, put on the seat belt. Has your understanding of laughter and the power of the actual physical laughing, has it changed who you are as a person, not just as a performer? Like, now that you know the power that it has.

[Bill Engvall]

I think maybe there was a period of time where I Like, I didn't really. It was just a job, you know, it was a. Thank God it worked out because I was literally not trained to do anything else. You know, that's where you say comedy saved my life. I didn't, I, I didn't know what I was going to do, you know, if this comedy thing hadn't worked out. I had no B plan. There was no backup. And I don't know if maybe subconsciously I knew that and it, it made me work harder at it.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah.

[Bill Engvall]

But, yeah, it was, it's one of those things that, and just the actual. You think about how good you feel when you laugh out loud. I mean, there's no bad feeling. The endorphins kick in. You walk out of there feeling great. I think if we can all, as a, as a society, just remember that not everybody's out to get you. Sometimes it's good just to sit back and laugh. And I'll tell you a story. My dad was a doctor at the time and he was telling me, I remember, never forget that he was an anesthesiologist and had done all this stuff. I remember one morning at breakfast he said, you know, I've always wanted to try stand up comedy. I went, what? I go, why? You're a doctor. You, you, you've got, you, you heal people. He goes, they did a study that in an operating room situation, even when a patient is under sedation, if the room is light and there's kind of laughter and stuff, people heal. I think he said it, people heal three times faster than they do if, if the room is, you know, somber and people aren't talking. And so when he said that, I go, wow. I go, this is way bigger than, than I am. I had. Than my comprehension. I, I thank dad for that because he, he reminded me that your job is to make people laugh. And if you do that, you're going to be okay.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. Even if you're not a brain surgeon or.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. You know, you don't have to.

[Lynne Hoffman]

You're healing people in a different way.

[Bill Engvall]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Wow, that's pretty cool. And that. You know that too. It's almost like I remember getting into the business when I was a kid and, and always feeling sort of like, yeah, I know, I know it's not a doctor. I'm not a lawyer. I'm not some, you know, philanthropist or, you know, whatever, and. But when you realize that what you do can help people, then it changes. And all of a sudden you don't feel inferior just because you're in entertainment or, you know.

[Bill Engvall]

Right. Well, and especially then with comedy because, you know, Rodney Dangerfield summed it up, you know, when he said, you know, he did the. I don't get any respect. Comedy is just starting to gain that respect that it deserves because, you know, people, my friend and I would be on the road and we used to laugh at people who go, well, just get up there and do your stuff. You know, it's, there's, there's an art and a science to comedy, you know, and I don't think people understand that, how hard it is. Although Seinfeld once had a bit. He said that they did a survey of people's top five fears and number two was death. Number one was speaking in public.

[Lynne Hoffman]

You're the second person.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. What you're saying is you'd rather be the guy in the box than the guy given the eulogy.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's true. I never knew that, though. You're the second person in the last two weeks that it said that to me. That statistic.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah, it's, it's, it's crazy. And, you know, and I tell you this, the other thing, I love it. I love making people laugh. I love it when people will come up to me and say, you know what, I was having a really crappy day and you made me laugh. And thanks, you know, that, that to me is like the greatest compliment you can get.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's the best. And how can you not want to do that? I can't even imagine what you were doing when you were retired. Yeah, well, like that, to me, I would need that all the time. I would need to know that I was help and being helped by that. Just by helping others. I mean, right, right. There isn't. And also, I want to say something to the listeners right now. Bill, you are one of the biggest names in comedy and you are probably one of the most down to earth people I've ever spoken to in the entire entertainment industry. So I just want to say thanks for even carving out the time for us today and for sharing your vulnerable side and giving us a peek at it, what it's really like, because it's, it's pretty incredible.

[Bill Engvall]

It's, it's an incredible power. I am just so honored and humbled. The fact that whatever reason, the gods of comedy reached over and touched me and said, you're going to be the one. And now, you know, it's so funny because now every once in a while, like if I'm working on some new stuff, I'll go to a club and, you know, on an open mic night or whatever, just to work out some material. And invariably, one of the young comes ago. I've been listening to you my whole life. And I'm like, yeah, what?

[Lynne Hoffman]

How is that even possible? You're just getting started.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah. But it's got that power. And, you know, I hope that, you know, it's funny, you mentioned about the. The being just a kind of a homegrown guy. Somebody asked me, there was a. We were playing a game where they go, what. What do you want written on your headstone? And I hope with all my heart that they can write. There's one I told my wife, I said, the first one I want to have on my headstone is, wow, it's more humid than I thought it'd be. She goes, I am not putting that on your headstone. The more I thought about that. I really do hope with all my heart that when people remember me that it'll be in one phrase. He was a nice guy.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Wow. I can't even. I don't even know how to go on to the next thing with you, because that's just. First of all, I love the first one, though, because everybody who would come to visit your headstone of you and see that, they would laugh. And so you would continue to make people laugh.

[Bill Engvall]

Hopefully, they would laugh.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. And then you reminded me of a story real quick of my grandfather when he was dying, when I was really little, and they wouldn't let me in the room to see him because it was really difficult. But I remember standing out in the hall with my whole family, and I wonder if this is why I always like comedy. It was that or Carol Burnett. But I'd see the nurses coming out of the room cracking up. Bill, my grandfather, he's literally taking his last breaths, and he's joking with the staff, the doctors and the nurses, and they're coming out of the room and they're laughing and crying at the same time because they can't believe they're laughing while this man is dying, so.

[Bill Engvall]

Well, you know what that tells me? He got it.

[Lynne Hoffman]

He did.

[Bill Engvall]

He got it.

[Lynne Hoffman]

He did.

[Bill Engvall]

Wow.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. Well, Bill, it's been such a pleasure talking with you.

[Bill Engvall]

Oh, it's been my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

[Lynne Hoffman]

So honored. Here's your sign. It wasn't my time. Is a tour coming up for you?

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah, that's the new tour. Yeah, it went for from here's your sign. It's finally time to. Now it's here's your sign. It wasn't my time.

[Lynne Hoffman]

As long as it rhymes, it's good. And then you can find that at Bill Engville and all was it. Did I see something else? Something about just sell them for parts.

[Bill Engvall]

Oh, that was.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Is that a special.

[Bill Engvall]

That, that was a special idea that I really loved. I just love the title. Just edit because it came from, you know, as you get older, you start, you know, I just, you know, this, things start breaking down and, you know, you're getting older and, and my fear was the doctor was going to go to my wife and go just selling for parts.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's better than getting sent out to pasture, I guess.

[Bill Engvall]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Bill Angle, thank you so much for coming out of retirement to save all of us with your laughter. I can't wait to see all the new things that you're going to be doing. And thank you for healing all of us with your laughter and for coming on comedy.

[Bill Engvall]

Save me Lyn. It's been my honor and thank you for doing this.

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[Bill Engvall]

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[Bill Engvall]

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