Jeff Foxworthy (born September 6, 1958 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American comedian and actor who is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian. He was a member of the class of 1979 at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, but left his mainframe maintenance job at IBM (where his father also worked) after five years to become a full-time comedian.
In 1993, he released You Might Be a Redneck If... which started the "You Might Be a Redneck" fad. The album became the highest-selling comedy album of all time, eventually selling over 14 million copies.
In 1995, he starred in The Jeff Foxworthy Show, a sitcom created out of his stand-up comedy persona. It aired on ABC, but was canceled after one season. NBC subsequently picked up the show, but it was again canceled after one season. Foxworthy later remarked that the network did not understand how to properly market his humor; thinking his routine was "too Southern" for a national network, they based his sitcom in Indiana. It can now be seen on Nick at Nite and CMT.
In the early 2000s, Foxworthy had a career resurgence as a result of the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour," in which he and three other comedians (Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White, and Bill Engvall), specializing in common-man comedy, toured the country and performed for record crowds. The tour lasted three full years, constantly being extended after an initial run of 20 shows.
In 2004, he launched a new television show called Blue Collar TV on The WB Television Network and Comedy Central. He serves as executive producer, and stars alongside Blue Collar Comedy Tour-mates Larry The Cable Guy and Bill Engvall. On Larry the Cable Guy's website, he says the show was canceled on October 17, 2005 by the network.
Foxworthy also hosts The Foxworthy Countdown, a nationally syndicated weekly radio show featuring country music hits.
Foxworthy has authored books including You Might Be a Redneck If... (1989) and related "redneck humor" books, as well as No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem! (1996). He also has released a cookbook entitled The Redneck Grill, co-authored with David Boyd, and Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary: Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of. (2005)
In 2005, Jeff Foxworthy was roasted in a TV special called Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy.