Comedian Engvall on farewell tour

Nov. 18—Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling comedian and recording artist Bill Engvall will perform shows at 7 and 9 p.m. today, Nov. 18 at the RiverPark Center as part of his "Here's Your Sign, It's Finally Time" farewell tour.

And Engvall is happy to come back to Owensboro during his last hurrah.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said from his home in Denver. "It's been such a great career, and I've got some of the greatest fans all across the country, and obviously Owensboro is up there on the top of the list for the shows that we wanted to get in before retirement."

Engvall has fond memories of visiting Owensboro.

"My experiences in the past (have been) great," he said. "They're good people, they love to laugh. My show is a very relatable show, and the people there in Owensboro and I just kind of clicked.

"As I always say, we all do the same stuff; it's just with different accents. ...It's almost like not seeing a comedian — it's more like we're sitting around the living room, and I'm the funny guy doing the talking."

A native of Galveston, Texas, Engvall's first album, "Here's Your Sign" in 1996, was certified platinum and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 50 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.

He also made his mark as part of the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" specials with comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, with the troupe's soundtrack "Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One For The Road" being nominated for "Best Comedy Album" at the 49th annual Grammy Awards.

Engvall has also made a career in television as a host for game shows such as "Lingo" on the Game Show Network (GSN), while also starring and executive producing his own sitcom — "The Bill Engvall Show" — on TBS for three seasons.

Engvall decided to end his time on the road, as he felt that he "caught the brass ring."

"I've got to do anything I wanted to do in this business — TV shows, having my own TV show, books, albums, platinum albums, gold albums — and I always said I never wanted to do this just for a check," he said. "...During COVID, when I couldn't work, I found I wasn't missing it, and then I knew that's the time. I wanted to go out on my terms, and this is the way to do it.

"I feel like I'm at the top of my game, and it's time."

While Engvall is proud of the accomplishments and accolades, he knew early on that it may not have happened.

"I think you dream it, but the reality (is) that there was a good chance it could have gone the other way and I would have done it for a year and decided I had to go get a real job," he said, "but things worked out."

Part of his success, Engvall feels, is being able to put on a "clean show" and steering away from controversial topics.

"It's a show that you could literally bring anybody to," he said. "...(I hope) people know that they can come to my show and just sit back and laugh and go, 'Man, yeah — stuff like that has happened to me.' "

Engvall said the shows will have new material, while also doing some of "the hits" and reflecting on memories throughout his career and experiences over the past few years.

"We're going to talk a lot about the fact that I turned 65 and just stuff I'm having trouble grappling with, like technology," he said. "I tell the audience that I now know what my dad felt like when VCRs first came out."

He also plans to talk about how conversations revolving around medical issues have become a common occurrence, while sharing how he and his wife spent their time together during the coronavirus pandemic and "what we've learned from each other."

"I haven't had a show, I felt, was this fun in a long time," he said, "... and I think the people in Owensboro will really enjoy it."

And he looks to keep the audience in a good mood long after they get up from their seats and head home.

"I always want them to feel better when they leave the show than when they got there," he said.

While Engvall said he may pursue film and television opportunities if they come along, he plans to stay busy with other important things.

"We've got grandkids now, and I want to be part of their lives, and I want to start spending more time with my wife," he said. "The road's kind of been the mistress, and it's time to let her go."

Tickets are available at riverparkcenter.org.