Just a Guy: Notes from a Blue Collar Life

by Bill Engvall

Blue Collar Comedy star Bill Engvall is just a guy. He's been one his whole life. He can't help it; he was born that way. And that makes him an expert on the subject. For the record, here's the official definition of a a person who doesn't think before he speaks. He can't. He's not that deep. Because a guy has only three basic eating, sleeping, and sex. That's it. Just a Guy chronicles a lifetime in pursuit of those needs. In this memoir, Bill Engvall takes you on the rollicking ride of his life, including his childhood in Texas and adolescence in Arizona (where he became a fixture in local emergency rooms, the result of massive amounts of non-thinking behavior while trying to impress girls or torture his sisters); following his dream as a stand-up comic and, gulp, singer; and his brief stint in children's theater while sharing the stage and the back of a van with the director's dog. You'll also hear about his bumbling and riotous courtship of, and then marriage to, Gail, the love of his life. And finally, Bill talks about fatherhood and remaining, to this day, a well-meaning but flawed parent.

Through it all, Bill gamely stumbles along, struggling to maintain a facade of confidence and control. Far from a superhero, Bill Engvall is an everyday Everyman, the poster boy for normal. The result is disarming, perceptive, wildly funny, and unexpectedly moving. Just a Guy will make you laugh out loud and tug at your heart.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir, Comedy, Biography Memoir

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

A short but interesting memoir of his life... there was a few bits I remembered from his comedy CDs, only with more detail than the stand-up act.

Some touching stories, one almost made me and sigh in relief when it turned out alright in the end. The stories of his children made me smile, you can tell he loves his family very much. His wife seems like a great lady, I'd probly get along with her if we met in real life. Her and Bill's relationship is wonderful :).

There were times I wish he had gone deeper into some events, it felt like it skipped around too much at times and sometimes the writing felt choppy but I overall enjoyed it. It was never boring, and I loved hearing Bill narrate the audiobook, he wasn't an awkward narrator in the least.

Would recommend if your a big fan of his, but I would suggest getting the audiobook, only 5 discs but worth the money :).

Hopefully I'll get to see him live one day, would love to meet him.

[Daniel]

Oddly enough, I didn't buy this book nor was I familiar with Bill Engvall before reading it. I happened to be flipping thorough a friend's copy while waiting on them and asked to borrow it. At it's core, "Just a Guy" is a series of short stories about a comedian's life, from childhood up through middle age. Unlike many comedy books, this one doesn't strive to hit you with jokes or strange stories on every page, its humor is more subtle and endearing. There are moments where I chuckled at the weirdness of it all and there were times I felt empathy with what he and his family is going through. The book is a light read and the narrative isn't difficult to follow, nor does it require any analysis by the reader. Overall, I enjoyed the book. There wasn't much substance, but the tales and the storytelling were charming and Engvall has a way of making you feel and understand what he went through.

[Sara Goldenberg]

It was fun and I had a good time reading it.

[Jeri]

A look into Bill's life growing up to adulthood to now. It shows that Bill is afterall, "Just A Guy". If you go into it thinking it is going to be one of standup routines you will be disapointed. But Bill does share some interesting and funny stories of his life, along with a few sad ones.

[Nicole]

I actually used an audiobook (does that count as reading?). I have to admit it was very good. I done like his comedy. And reading this book definitely makes me like him more. Engvall definitely seems like a typical, stable, down-to-earth comedian. He grew up in a loving family, and grew into a loving husband and father. (Btw, he just became a grandfather last month). He does not glorify himself, and he does admit to doing stupid things (like buying a $800 boat from a shady guy without following advice from his wife to do research). And of course, I loved listening to his and his wife’s relationship and marriage (still going strong). Unlike so many celebrity couples, they have to be the most stable, supportive, loving couple I’ve ever read. Many people could definitely look up to them as a model couple. I’d give it a recommendation!

[Matt Halvorson]

If you enjoy his humor you will enjoy this book.

[Janet]

definitely funny stories and many heart-felt moments

[Jan Mc]

This isn't really a memoir, so don't expect to hear the nitty-gritty details of struggling as a standup comic. It's just an extension of one of Engvall's comedy routines, really, with a few tender-hearted stories about how close he is to his family. I like his comedy (except for the gross bathroom humor) so I enjoyed listening to him read the audiobook. But pay attention to the title: Notes. That's what you get, and they're all about being a guy. Meh.

[Kristin]

As I did with the book by one of the other Blue Collar Comedy guys, Jeff Foxworthy, I read Bill Engvall's book while at the gym, because it was an easy one to read in bits and pieces, and I find humor books more enjoyable a little at a time. I found the two books very similar, as the guys trace their careers from early childhood to the present day, without the boring filler. Pretty much, Engvall picks out milestone occasions such as his first public performance as the lead, albeit the female lead, in the school play, or the birth of his first child and puts his typical humorous spin on them. Unlike many comedians, Engvall takes most of his material from real-life, so while nothing in this book has been reproduced in his stand-up shows that I've heard, it's easy to see the parallels.
As with the Foxworthy book, my biggest complaint is that the book can't capture the same tear-jerking humor that the live shows do. I rated this book one star higher than Foxworthy's because it was newer and didn't feel as dated as Foxworthy's 15 year-old effort, but if I had to pick, I'd still choose hearing a comedy show by each guy than reading the books.

[Justin Sylvia]

Having this book recommend to me by Barnes & Noble based i suppose on my past purchases through them, i decided to give this book a chance. After i purchased this book, i was hoping that i would hear a lot of stories about the Blue Comedy Tour from 1/4 of the group. I wasn't what you would say disappointed in this book, however i was bummed out during my reading of this. I guess that i was hoping to read a book from 1 of my favorite comedians in the same style as the Jeff Dunham book. Unfortunately that isn't how the book plays itself out. I however did enjoy reading about bill's life growing up, some of his experiences and embarrassing moments while he attended college, and even some of his touring life. I would definitely give this book a 1 & a 1/2 thumbs up seeing as how i am a fan of bill engvall and his style of telling jokes, but i felt like there could of been more "meat" in the story of a such a great comedian as bill engvall.

[Margie]

My favorite part about his autobiography was his youth growing up in Winslow Arizona. It took me right back to my old stomping ground a stones throw from there. This wasn't really funny per se, as it was more historical and how he developed his style and was actually pretty long. I liked also how he was really respectful of his wife.

[Luke Southard]

I was… hesitant to read this.

On one hand, Bill Engvall is one of my favorite comedians - not because of his “here’s your sign,” schtick (I actually think it’s little more than the cost of admission to get to the good stuff - the meat of the routines, just like Jeff Foxworthy had his “redneck,” stuff. People love it, but I always looked at it as little more than what put most asses in seats) but because of his real-world stories of family life.

That’s my jam.

But the idea of reading a book about being a guy felt… shaky.

The ideas of masculinity and traditional roles and expectations of it has been on my mind a lot lately. You can’t help but think about it when you whip out your latest cross-stitch and have everyone around you comment that their grandmother did that or their wife does that or, brazenly, that it’s shocking to see a man do women’s hobbies.

And other stuff.

But I think Engvall made good points in this book. For one thing, it isn’t a guide or anything - it’s just stories from his life. And he does talk about “rules,” of being a guy, but in almost every single case he immediately follows it up with how he breaks those rules all the time.

“Guys don’t cry. But I cry at everything and anything.”

There was one exception: A man (not just a guy) is there for the people he cares about.

That’s the one rule he doesn’t break and I can get behind that. While there is a lot to be said about societal pressure to be the pillar of strength in a family, stoic, unflinching, and strong, I think the FAR more rational idea is to always do your best to be there for the ones you care about around you.

But everything outside of that? Well, some rules were made to be broken and almost ALL of the rules about what makes a man a man fall into that category.

This was a good book - a fun book. And I like how he put his co-author on the cover. You don’t see that too often.

[Mike Kowis]

This book contains several amusing and sometimes heart-warming (short) stories about Bill's life. Although the stories are enjoyable, they are not near as funny as his stand-up performances. I wish he had spent more time detailing his career and telling behind the scenes stories about performing with other famous comedians. Most of the stories in this book are light-hearted, except for a few moving stories about his family/spouse that really make you think. Overall, I give it 3 stars out of 4.

[Brandon]

In the second grade, my Grandpa Neely gave me this book to read. My Grandma Neely was unwilling to let me read something with so much adult content, so Grandpa had to go through and sharpie over any curse words or inappropriate paragraphs. I quickly learned that if you run a black Expo marker over sharpie, it will briefly reveal the printed words below. I learned a lot of vocabulary through this book.

[Ellen Ansok]

It is about a comic growing up in a small town. But dreaming of a life on stage. He highlights some of his trials, like his parents divorce and moving to the big city. He tries to convey that his life was very ordinary. I enjoyed reading a book that hits the positive moments in ones life and not the negatives.

[Jim Gleason]

Very much enjoyed listening to this audiobook read by the author, Bill Engvall, my all-time favorite comedian. Only 5 chapters long, I wanted to hear so much more, but each of those chapters had both my wife and I on our drive, laughing out loud together as Bill shares his personal story from early childhood to famous stage celebrity today.

Definitely a fun read!

[Ashley]

I LOVE Bill Engvall (and all of the guys from BCCT). This book wasn't as funny as I was expecting, but I still really liked it. Bill is just a down to earth guy, and his stories are relatable and cute.

[Robin Caston]

I liked this book! I really enjoy him as a comedian and his book about his life was just as pleasurable as his stand up. It’s nice to read an autobiography where the author had a happy childhood and no drugs involved!

[Juliana Lee]

Easy to listen to while driving with fun little vignettes from his life from childhood through college years and into marriage. A little sexist with the 'guy' stereotypes but given the era in which he grew up, Bill tells it like it was.

[Hillary Nicholson]

Excellent. I love Bill Engvall. His book is full of his humor! I would recommend anyone who likes him to read. It goes into details about meeting and marrying his wife, childhood, college, raising his on kids, and other major life events.

[Sherrie]

Loved this book. It really made me LOL. Bill is my favorite of the Blue Collar guys. I had tickets to see him 2 yrs ago and never made it because 2 days before I fell and broke my shoulder. I will forever be sad about that. Must read for all of Bill's fans!

[Milton O Sauer Jr.]

Awesome

I read in bed and woke my wife up laughing. If I didn't know better I'd think this was about me. Except I'm not funny. I loved every word.

[Matt]

funny as all get out.

[Carolyn Manlove]

Pretty good read. Not laugh out loud funny. Just a pleasant autobiography.

[Marylu Sanok]

Funny guy funny stories sometimes you will laugh out loud

[Jesper Koplev]

a fine and funny book. Engvall is a great storyteller and a pleasant narrator. there is no big secrets or chock, just plain funny and entertaining stuff.

[Holly]

I've always loved Bill; this was a nice read and I enjoyed learning more about him!

[Joseph]

Started ok but it is just one of his standup routines that I have seen.

[Diana Barnett]

Cute book... very funny

[Jennifer]

I picked this up to laugh. A dozen pages in and I wasn't laughing. Nope. A comedian should have me in stitches by then.