Larry the Cable Guy

Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his stage name Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, singer and radio personality, with a career spanning over 30 years.
He was one of the members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which included Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Jeff Foxworthy (with whom he has starred on Blue Collar TV).
Larry the Cable Guy has released seven comedy albums, of which three have been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies and in addition has starred in three Blue Collar Comedy Tour–related films, as well as in Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Delta Farce, and Witless Protection, as well as voicing Mater in the Cars franchise. Whitney's catchphrase "Git-R-Done!" is also the title of his book.
On January 26, 2010, the TV channel History announced that it was ordering a series starring Whitney called Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, in which he would explore the country and immerse himself in different lifestyles, jobs, and hobbies. The first episode of the series aired on February 8, 2011. The series finale aired August 28, 2013.
==Early life==
Whitney was born in Pawnee City, Nebraska on February 17, 1963, where he was raised on a pig farm. He is the son of Tom Whitney – a guitarist, entertainer, and Christian minister – and Shirley Whitney. Whitney attended high school at The King's Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the late 1970s through 1980 where his father was The King's Academy's elementary school principal. 
Whitney graduated from Berean Christian School in West Palm Beach in 1982. He went to college at Baptist University of America in Georgia, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He majored in drama and speech. He credits his roommates from Texas and Georgia for inspiring his Southern accent impression. He dropped out after his junior year after trying his hand at comedy.
==Career==
===Radio career===
Whitney started his career in radio in the early 1990s when he made regular radio appearances on the nationally syndicated program, The Ron and Ron Show, as well as other radio shows such as "The Bob and Tom show" The Chris Baker Show on KDGE and KEZO's The Todd and Tyler Show in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the Kirk, Mark, and Lopez morning show on WIYY in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a frequent guest on The Johnny Dare Morning Show on 98.9/KQRC, Kansas City.
He also appeared on WJRR in Orlando, Florida. He was brought to New England on Greg and the Morning Buzz on WHEB 100.3 and WGIR-FM 101.1 in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, respectively, doing two commentaries a week.
===Stand-up career===
Initially performing stand-up under his real name with limited success, he became famous after developing the Cable Guy character, a personality that he now maintains throughout his stage act. The Cable Guy character has a stereotypical redneck appearance and a thick Southern accent, recounts stories about his "family", and uses, among other common expressions, his own catchphrase "Git-R-Done!".
He says in interviews and in his autobiographical book GIT-R-DONE that he deliberately "turns on" the accent both on and off stage, because he may forget it if he kept his normal accent intact.An Interview with Larry the Cable Guy, Dead-Frog.com, June 15, 2005 He uses catchphrase humor, including "Lord, I apologize, and be with the starvin' Pygmies in New Guinea. Amen" after telling jokes of questionable taste; and, "I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there" after jokes that evoke raucous laughter.
His first two comedy albums, Lord, I Apologize (2001) and The Right to Bare Arms (2005), have both been certified gold by the RIAA. A third album, Morning Constitutions, and its accompanying TV special were released in 2007.
===Other work===
Whitney was roasted in a Comedy Central special on March 15, 2009.
On February 8, 2011, the première of his newest travelogue series, Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, was broadcast on the History Channel. A total of 4.1 million viewers, 1.7 million adults 25–54, tuned in, nearly doubling the total for the "Top Shot" season 2 opener.‘Only In America with Larry the Cable Guy’ Premieres to 4.1 Million Viewers; ‘Top Shot’ S2 Premieres to 2.8 Million. Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com (February 9, 2011). Retrieved on 2012-07-23. During season two in the episode "Larry Goes To Washington", Whitney was the first on-air talent from a non-news crew allowed in the War Room, also known as the Command Center, as he explained during the program.
In June 2012, Disneyland's California Adventure theme park's "Cars Land" features a ride called "Mater's Junkyard Jamboree" that features Whitney's voice as his character Mater from the Disney/Pixar Cars movies.Mater's Junkyard Jamboree . Disneyland.disney.go.com. Retrieved on 2012-07-23.
Bektrom Foods of North Dakota developed a line of Larry the Cable Guy food products, such as boxed hamburger dinners, with some of the proceeds from its sales benefiting the "Git-R-Done Foundation".
==Personal life==
Whitney resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, on a farm. On July 3, 2005, he married his wife, Cara. They have two children together: a son, Wyatt (born August 2, 2006), and a daughter, Reagan (born October 29, 2007). His hometown of Pawnee City, Nebraska has a street named after him. Whitney also donated money to buy new theatrical equipment for the local high school.
Whitney is an avid Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan. His signature camouflage hat has the University of Nebraska–Lincoln nickname "HUSKERS" emblazoned on it, as seen in the 2007 film Delta Farce. He is also frequently seen with a gold Nebraska "N" on a chain around his neck. On October 1, 2016, in his luxury suite at Memorial Stadium during the Nebraska vs. Illinois football game, Whitney was challenged to an arm wrestling match by an Army veteran and Nebraska Army National Guard member, John O'Connell, who lost the match in less than one minute with his arm (humerus) broken by Whitney.
Whitney is also an avid REO Speedwagon fan. In 2013, he appeared with the group, including a benefit concert in Bloomington, Illinois for tornado disaster relief,https://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article169764257.html
In September 2010, Whitney donated $5 million to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida. The gift was for further development of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute at the Orlando hospital. After Dr. Chad Price at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children helped cure their son, Wyatt, of his dysplasia when he was an infant, Whitney and his wife, Cara, made private donations to the hospital and Whitney raised money through appearances on Family Feud and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. 
The hospital opened a new wing called the Wyatt Whitney Wing in May 2012.Taylor, Gary. (September 26, 2010) Larry the Cable Guy gives , million to hospital – Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved on 2012-07-23.
Whitney is a close friend of contemporary comedian Lewis Black, despite their dissimilar political views, background, and comedic material.
==Radio shows==
Whitney formerly worked as a radio personality on Blue Collar Radio on Sirius XM Radio.
==Discography==
Title 	Album details 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Certifications(sales thresholds)
Rock 100 Diz Presents: Larry the Cable Guy 	Album details 	US Comedy 	US Country 	US 	Certifications(sales thresholds)
Law and Disorder 	
* Release date: 1995
* Label: Self-released	— 	— 	— 	
Salutations and Flatulations 	
* Release date: 1997
* Label: DJT Records	— 	— 	— 	
Lord, I Apologize 	
* Release date: October 30, 2001
* Label: Hip-O Records	1 	53 	— 	
* US: Gold
A Very Larry Christmas 	
* Release date: November 16, 2004
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1 	8 	43 	
* US: Platinum
The Right to Bare Arms 	
* Release date: March 29, 2005
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1 	1 	7 	
* US: Platinum
Morning Constitutions 	
* Release date: April 3, 2007
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1 	5 	16 	
Christmastime in Larryland 	
* Release date: October 3, 2007
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1 	12 	42 	
On the CanA 	
* Release date: July 21, 2009
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	7 	50 	— 	
Tailgate Party 	
* Release date: September 22, 2009
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1 	19 	71 	
The Best of Larry the Cable Guy 	
* Release date: November 16, 2010
* Label: Warner Bros. Records	4 	72 	— 	
Them Idiots: Whirled Tour(with Bill Engvall and Jeff Foxworthy)	
* Release date: March 13, 2012
* Label: Warner Music Nashville	1 	45 	— 	
We've Been Thinking (with Jeff Foxworthy) 	
* Release date: September 29, 2017
* Label: Comedy Dynamics, Netflix	— 	— 	— 	
"—" denotes releases that did not chart 	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart
1994 – Rock 100 Diz Presents
1998 – A Very Larry Christmas (Original Version) (DJT Records)
* A Box set consisting of The Right to Bare Arms, Christmastime in Larryland, and Morning Constitutions.
==Filmography==
===Film===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
2003	Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie 	Larry 	Documentary
2004	Larry the Cable Guy: Git-R-Done 	Larry 	TV movie
2004	Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again 	Larry 	TV documentary
2006	Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector 	Himself 	
2006	Cars 	Mater 	Voice
2006	Mater and the Ghostlight 	Mater 	Voice; Short film
2006	Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road 	Himself 	TV movie
2007	Delta Farce 	Larry 	
2008	Witless Protection 	Deputy Larry Stalder	
2009	The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy 	Himself 	
2009	Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau 	Himself 	TV movie
2010	Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party 	Himself 	TV movie
2011	Cars 2 	Mater 	Voice
2012	Them Idiots: Whirled Tour 	 	
2012	Tooth Fairy 2 	Larry Guthrie 	
2013	A Madea Christmas 	Buddy 	
2014	Jingle All the Way 2 	Larry Phillips 	Direct-to-video
2014	CMT Artists of the Year 	Host 	
2016	Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking	Himself 	Documentary
2017	Cars 3 	Mater 	Voice
===Television===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
2004–06	Blue Collar TV 	Cast member	
2008–12	Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales 	Mater 	Voice; 11 episodes
2009 	Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 	Himself 	Episode: "3.13"
2011–13	Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy	Host 	
2013 	Bounty Hunters 	Larry 	
2013–14	Cars Toons: Tales From Radiator Springs 	Mater 	Voice; 2 episodes
 As producer
Year 	Title 	Notes
2007 	Larry the Cable Guy: Morning Constitutions 	TV movie
2007 	Larry the Cable Guy's Christmas Spectacular 	TV movie
2008 	Larry the Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza	TV special
2009 	The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy 	TV documentary
2009 	Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau 	TV movie
2010 	Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party 	TV movie
2013 	Bounty Hunters 	TV series; 8 episodes
2011–13	Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy 	50 episodes
2016 	Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking	TV documentary
===Video games===
Year 	Title 	Role
2006 	Cars 	Mater
2006 	Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures 	Mater
2007 	Cars Mater-National Championship 	Mater
2009 	Cars Race-O-Rama 	Mater
2010–12	The World of Cars Online 	Mater
2011 	Cars 2 	Mater
2012 	Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure	Mater
2013 	Disney Infinity 	Mater
2014 	Cars: Fast as Lightning 	Mater
2014 	Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes 	Mater
2015 	Disney Infinity 3.0 	Mater
2017 	Cars 3: Driven to Win 	Mater
===Theme park attractions===
Year 	Title 	Role
2012–present	Radiator Springs Racers 	Mater
2012–present	Mater's Junkyard Jamboree 	Mater
2019–present	Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy	Mater
==Awards and nominations==
Year 	Nominated work 	Category 	Result 	 	
Golden Raspberry Awards	Golden Raspberry Awards 	Golden Raspberry Awards 	Golden Raspberry Awards	Golden Raspberry Awards	Golden Raspberry Awards
2007 	Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector 	Worst Actor 	 	 	
2009 	Witless Protection 	Worst Actor 	 	 	
2009 	Witless Protection 	Worst Screen Couple (with Jenny McCarthy) 	 	 	
2014 	A Madea Christmas 	Worst Screen Combo (with Tyler Perry) 	 	 	
2014 	A Madea Christmas 	Worst Supporting Actor 	 	 	
Grammy Award 	Grammy Award 	Grammy Award 	Grammy Award 	Grammy Award 	Grammy Award
2006 	The Right to Bare Arms 	Best Comedy Album 	 	 	
2007 	Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road	Best Comedy Album 	 	 	
Visual Effects Society 	Visual Effects Society 	Visual Effects Society 	Visual Effects Society 	Visual Effects Society 	Visual Effects Society
2007 	Cars 	Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1963 births
Category:20th-century American comedians
Category:21st-century American comedians
Category:Actors from Lincoln, Nebraska
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American stand-up comedians
Category:Entertainers from Nebraska
Category:Living people
Category:Male actors from Nebraska
Category:People from Pawnee City, Nebraska
Category:University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni
Category:Warner Bros. Records artistsCategory:Pages stolen off Wikipedia