Bill Engvall coming to Sikeston on Saturday

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Bill Engvall doesn't claim to have the cleanest act in comedy. As he puts it: "It's not Disney on Ice."

At the same time, the award-winning comedian of "Blue Collar" comedy fame prefers not to use profanity in his routines either.

Engvall, who will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sikeston Field House, said comedians must give their audiences more credit -- a concept he always tries to relay to young comics.

"If I say my wife and I are getting amorous in the bedroom, you know what I'm talking about," Engvall said.

The stand-up comedian and actor said he's always felt like Bill Cosby and Bob Newhart, with the common denominator being they were "clean" with their performances.

"We talk about real-life stuff," Engvall said.

And it's these everyday experiences that have made Engvall one of the most relatable comedians for audiences of all ages.

The comedian recently took time for a phone interview with the Standard Democrat. From his Southern California home, the Galveston, Texas, native discussed his upcoming performance in Sikeston, how he got his start in the business and why people in today's world need comedians in their lives.

"My wife and I lived in Missouri for a while -- in the St. Louis area," Engvall said. "... I'm excited to come to Sikeston."

During his stand-up Engvall often shares with his audiences the day-to-day parodies of marriage, parenthood and everyday life. Most recently, Engvall said he and his wife of nearly 30 years have become empty nesters as their two children are college-aged.

Engvall is also widely known for his "Here's Your Sign" routine, which involves Engvall offering signs to people to identify them as foolish upon them asking a redundant or obvious questions.

"I really wasn't the class clown but the class instigator. I would set guys up to do it," Engvall said about his road to comedy.

At 21 years old, Engvall was working at a nightclub in Dallas when he and another friend visited a new comedy club that had just opened in the city.

"We watched amateurs perform, and after a couple rounds of liquor, the next thing I knew, I was on stage," Engvall recalled.

Engvall proved so successful, he was even asked to be the club's house stage emcee.

"That was back when [Jay] Leno, [Garry] Shandling and [Jerry] Seinfeld were doing what I'm doing today so I learned from the best," Engvall said.

Engvall later moved to Los Angeles to pursue television opportunities. In 1990, he landed his first acting job with a small guest role on "Designing Women." ("Designing Women" fans: He was in the episode, "Tough Enough," when the female designers vie against a group of sexist male designers for a decorating job at a bowling alley.)

"I didn't have to audition -- which was nice, and that was really fun," Engvall said about the experience. "Annie Potts [who played Mary Jo] was so funny."

That "Designing Women" appearance led to Engvall being cast as regular on Delta Burke's 1992 show, "Delta." From there, Engvall co-starred on "The Jeff Foxworthy Show."

He also made several appearances on both "The Tonight Show" and the "Late Show with David Letterman." He was one of the stars of the sketch comedy show, "Blue Collar TV," on the WB network and also part of the "Blue Collar" comedy tour documentaries.

When asked if he and fellow "Blue Collar" comedians -- Foxworthy, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy -- are as good of friends as they appear on stage, Engvall said: "The fun it looks like we're having, you can triple that."

From 2007 to 2009, he starred in and served as executive producer of the TBS sitcom, "The Bill Engvall Show."

"I really enjoyed being on the 'Leverage' episode where I got to play a bad guy," Engvall said of his 2010 appearance on the TNT drama.

His latest role is as the host of the mystery word game show, "Lingo," which will relaunch in June on the Gameshow Network. Engvall said the show, which was previously hosted by Chuck Woolery, is set to begin filming this week.

"I've been really blessed in my career, and I've been lucky enough to get the breaks," Engvall said about his success.

To prepare for his game show hosting duties, Engvall said he watched his good friend Foxworthy, who hosts "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?," and Woolery.

"I watched to see how they do it and what is and is not acceptable," Engvall said.

The comedian is a multi-platinum-selling recording artist, a Grammy nominee, and he has also written several books, including his autobiography "Bill Engvall-- Just A Guy."

"But my first love is still stand-up comedy," Engvall said.

And Engvall seems well aware of the affect he can have simply by making others laugh. He recalled a conversation he once had with a limousine driver.

"There was a driver, and I was sitting in big, long, black limousine," Engvall recalled. "We drove by a house with a white picket fence and a man was out in his yard. I asked him: 'Who has the better life -- him? Or me chasing the brass ring?' And the driver said: 'That guy needs a guy like you to make his world better.'"

Engvall's purpose set in, and as the world endures the economy and tragic events like the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, Engvall knows what he must continue to do.

He said: "In this day and time, people need to laugh."

Tickets are available at the UPS Store and Homestead Electronics in Sikeston, McClain's Food Center in Charleston and Valeria's Floral and Gifts in Bloomfield or by calling (870) 351-8432.

The ticket office will open at 4 p.m. the day of the performance; however, event promoter Carlos Nelson recommended purchasing tickets as soon as possible.

Pertinent address:

200 Pine St., Sikeston, MO