Stand-up vet Ron White changes plans, decides to go back on the road

Stand-up comic Ron White, who lived in metro Atlanta for several years, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in early 2022 that he was throwing in the towel and retiring from the stage by the end of that year.

“I don’t think it really makes sense to anybody but me,” said White, who is 66, at the time. “I’ve been doing this 37 years. I’ve loved the whole ride. I just feel like it’s time to put it down. I have a big year coming and that’ll be it.”

He added: “I’m in a good place in my life and comfortable with my decision.”

The veteran entertainer’s most recent show in Atlanta was at the Fox Theatre January 14, 2022.

But White now has 26 scheduled shows on his website, starting with the WinStar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, on Dec. 29. He will return to the Fox Theatre on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Tickets start at $50 and go up to $85 at foxtheatre.org.

White didn’t respond to a text seeking comment and his spokeswoman said he isn’t doing press right now.

His stand-up career took off in 2000 when Atlanta’s Jeff Foxworthy created the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and asked him to join Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. The tour, which went on and off for six years, became one of the most successful comedy tours in history with the movie version selling millions of DVDs.

Cigar in hand and a shot of tequila always nearby, Texas native White would regale his fans with tales of drunken escapades. The Blue Comedy Comedy tour propelled him from comedy clubs to big theaters almost overnight. For more than 15 years, he was a major headliner, stopping regularly in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

For several years, he lived part time in an 11,000-square-foot mansion in Suwanee off a golf course, inspired to live in the area because of his buddy Foxworthy. But White decided to sell the place in 2018 for around $2.5 million. He now lives in Austin, Texas.

IF YOU GO

Ron White

8 p.m., Saturday, March 9. $50-85. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. foxtheatre.org

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