Blue-Collar Comedian Bill Engvall Ditches California For Red State: ‘More At Home’

Comedian Bill Engvall has decided to leave California for Utah after a successful career, feeling more at home in the new state. Engvall, who spent 30 years in California, revealed his fondness for the state but also noted the rising taxes and economic factors as reasons for his move.

He and his wife Gail now enjoy a different lifestyle in Utah, embracing outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, and skiing.

“We were in California for 30 years and we had a good time. We had a great time,” he mentioned in an interview with Fox News while discussing his upcoming comedy show. “I always said, if you can’t find something to do in California, you’re not looking.”

The comedian and his family, however, chose to pursue a different path. “You know, there was nothing in California that we ever went, ‘Oh my God, we’ve got to get out of here.’… I still have a fondness for California,” he said. “And like I said, if work comes, it’s probably gonna come out of LA… I still go back and do TV shows, you know, talk shows and stuff like that.”

Comedian Bill Engvall left California for Utah after successful career: 'Felt more at home' https://t.co/dK34kDDxBF

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“I had achieved all my goals in the industry. Additionally, from an economic standpoint, the taxes were becoming exorbitant. So, it was a mix of several factors. But I don’t hate California,” he explained.

Engvall, best known for his work as a stand-up comic, was born in Galveston, Texas. He is perhaps most famous for being a part of the Blue Collar Comedy tour, a comedy troupe which also included Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White. The group gained significant popularity in the early 2000s, largely due to their relatable, ‘everyman’ style of comedy.

“I felt more at home, if that makes sense. I mean, I’m from Texas and I love Texas, but I don’t know that I could move back there… It’s got its pluses and minuses, just like every state does. But I never saw Utah on our radar at all, you know. But again, it was my probably narrow-mindedness, of judging what it was like. And then I got to realize, ‘Oh, it’s nothing like what I thought.'”

Apart from his stand-up career, Engvall has also appeared in several films and television shows. He had a self-titled sitcom, “The Bill Engvall Show,” which aired from 2007 to 2009, and he was also a contestant on the 17th season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

“That happens a lot with people moving to big cities and then moving out… I think it was a very successful time in California, and I’ll always have a soft spot.”

“My wife and I, when we first got [to California’, I said, ‘We’ll give it 10 years, and if nothing’s happened, then we’ll move.’ Well, every 10 years it seemed like something would happen – I got a show, or you know a new special was coming out and I got a little more attention to me… But I’m happy to say, like I said before, that I accomplished everything I wanted to and now I’m just having fun.

“Some of my dearest friends still live there and we go visit them. And it’s fun to go back,” he stated.