Jeff Foxworthy | |
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Foxworthy in 2006
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Birth name | Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy |
Born |
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
September 6, 1958
Medium | Stand-up, television, film, radio |
Years active | 1984–present |
Genres | Observational, word play, sitcom |
Subject(s) | Culture of the Southern United States, everyday life, family, rednecks |
Spouse | Pamela Gregg (m. 1985) |
Children | 2 |
Notable works and roles | |
Signature | |
Website | jefffoxworthy |
Jeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy (born September 6, 1958) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White. Known for his "You might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy has released six major-label comedy albums. His first two albums were each certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Foxworthy has written several books based on his redneck jokes, as well as an autobiography entitled No Shirt, No Shoes... No Problem!
Foxworthy has also made several ventures into television, starting in the mid-1990s with his own sitcom called The Jeff Foxworthy Show. He has also appeared alongside Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in several Blue Collar television specials, most notably Blue Collar TV. Since 2007, he has been the host of the quiz show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? on Fox (2007–09 and 2015) and in syndication (2009–11). Foxworthy hosted a nationally syndicated radio show called The Foxworthy Countdown from April 1999 to December 2009. For three seasons, he hosted GSN's The American Bible Challenge.
Foxworthy was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 6, 1958, the first child of Jimmy Abstance Foxworthy, an IBM executive, and Carole Linda (Camp) Foxworthy, both of English descent. His grandfather, James Marvin Camp, was a fireman in Hapeville for more than 30 years. According to Foxworthy, who grew up in the old Southern Baptist tradition, he remembers accepting Jesus Christ when he was 7 years old. When he told his mother that he wanted to go down to the local sanctuary to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, his mother, who felt he was too young, told him to wait until he had a firmer understanding of the undertaking. Foxworthy argued with her until a preacher came to their home and vouched for Foxworthy, who went back to the church that night with his mother. Despite this, Foxworthy says that complying with the often-strict rules of the church were difficult for him, saying, "I love God, but I can’t act and dress like that."