Larry the Cable Guy

Larry the Cable Guy was born in Nebraska February 17, 1963, and moved to Florida when he was sixteen. He credits those two locations, as well as his university years in Georgia for informing his stage accent, which is a slow southern drawl. His delivery comes slowly as well, setting up his audience for knock down one-liners. Larry the Cable Guy’s comic focus is on life in the South, as well as the world from a Southern perspective. He plays on some Southern stereotypes, but his performance is always well seasoned with personal experience.

As a performer, Larry the Cable Guy has benefited considerably from the ground broken by Jeff Foxworthy in terms of popularizing Southern Comedy. But in terms of performance style, Larry might be more easily compared to Garrisson Keillor or David Sedaris—he shares their ambling, anecdotal approach to standup writing. His routines have a dynamism and sudden punch from the hilarious one-liners, and his colorful delivery recalls early Bill Cosby records. But Larry the Cable Guy is different from these comedians because he represents Red State, blue-collar America.

“Larry the Cable Guy” is a stage name used by Daniel Lawrence Whitney. Friends that had noticed Larry’s quick wit urged him to try his hand at standup. He was a hit with the small audience and continued gigging alongside service jobs until he could complete the switch to comedy. He was creative in finding ways to hone his skills during this time, including calling into radio shows in the voice of different characters, both as part of the show and sometimes to hijack the show.

Larry the Cable Guy became a popular character and soon Whitney was writing whole shows to be delivered as the character. 2001 was the year Larry the Cable Guy broke out, releasing Lord, I Apologize on the strength of a successful tour with Jeff Foxworthy. He has released several other comedy CDs, books, DVDs of life performances, and a feature film.