In 2000, Bill Engvall hit a career peak when he teamed up with Jeff Foxworthy, Ron White, and Larry the Cable Guy for the first of six Blue Collar Comedy Tours. The lineup, determined by Foxworthy's manager, offered a cross-section of personalities that immediately connected with an eager audience. Foxworthy academically picked apart nuances of everyday life, White related his exploits as a tequila-loving hellion, Larry was pure country bumpkin, and Engvall offered pragmatic wisdom in dealing with unusual situations.
Engvall recalled the initial tour experience with awe. "I remember one night, I forget the town, [but] because we'd all come in from different places, everyone was on a private plane," he said to the Post-Crescent. "And for whatever reason, the promoter sent four limos. And after the show, each limo pulled up in front of a private plane and I looked at Foxworthy and I said, 'This is about as close to being a rock star as we're ever going to get.'"
He wasn't kidding. After the final tour ended in 2006, bean counters were still keeping track of the tour's other revenue streams, which included movies, DVDs, merchandise, and even dolls. In 2010, Forbes listed Engvall tenth among the country's top 10 money-earning comedians at $10.5 million. The Blue Collar pandemonium didn't turn Engvall into a rock star, but it still made him pretty rich.
