Larry 'gits' it done

By RUTH RICE
THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

JOHNSTOWN November 10, 2005 03:48 pm

— The cable guy is coming to town, but local cable companies don’t have anything to worry about.
Redneck comedian Larry the Cable Guy will bring his “The Right to Bare Arms Tour” to Johnstown at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Cambria County War Memorial Arena, 326 Napoleon St.
With his rapid-fire one-liner delivery, the cable guy, known offstage as Dan Whitney, has brought such catchphrases as “Git-R-Done” and “Lord, I apologize” into America’s vocabulary.
“I’m an old-style guy,” Whitney said of his comedy style. “I like Don Rickles and Henny Youngman.”
Whitney said he has tons of jokes in his show, which lasts about an hour and 20 minutes, and the audience will have a great time.
“It’s not rocket science, but it’s a lot of fun,” Whitney said. “My fans take it in stride and laugh.
“Especially in Pennsylvania, my fans have been good to me.”
The title of Whitney’s tour, “The Right to Bare Arms,” comes from his usual stage outfit – a sleeveless flannel shirt, jeans and a ball cap with a fish hook.
Whitney likes to keep his show as fresh as possible for his fans. Even those who have listened to his “The Right to Bare Arms” CD can expect to hear some different material at his Johnstown show.
“I like to laugh, and I like what I do,” Whitney said. “I like to make my show accessible and nice for them. I have a good relationship with my fans. They’re awesome, and I love them to death.”
Whitney has had a busy year.
His “Bare Arms” tour started with the release of his CD on Jan. 14, and he’s been on the road ever since.
After touring hard through April, Whitney spent some time working with fellow comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall on the third installment of their “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” movies.
June and July were spent making appearance at county fairs, and in August Whitney worked on his upcoming movie “Larry the Cable Guy – Health Inspector,” due out on March 31.
“It’s a cross between Dirty Harry and Don Knotts,” Whitney said. “Someone is poisoning people at restaurants and there’s going to be a big chef tournament, and I have to investigate.”
Whitney said his summer was easier since he got to be home10 days a month.
Since September, he’s been back on the road with his tour.
On Dec. 9, Whitney will make his fifth appearance on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
“It’s awesome,” Whitney said. “I just go to the couch and talk.”
In Gretchen Wilson’s music video, “All Jacked Up,” Whitney plays himself and his girlfriend.
“They called and asked me to be in it, and I said ‘It’s Gretchen Wilson, of course, I’ll do it.’ ”
In Whitney’s book “Git-R-Done,” which was released about two weeks ago, fans will find out how the cable guy came to be.
“It was 1991, and I called a radio station and pretended to be the cable guy,” Whitney said.
“They asked my name, and I said Larry. The name stuck.”
Before hitting it big with Foxworthy in the Blue Collar Comedy Tour in 2000, Whitney appeared on “Evening at The Improv” and “Comic Strip Live” on television and the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom Show” and Foxworthy’s “Country Countdown Show” on radio.

Ruth Rice can be reached at 532-5052 or rrice@tribdem.com.

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