Thanks to Twitter, 55-year-old comedian Bill Engvall discovered Zac Hanson, part of the trio responsible for "MMMbop," was a fan.

Engvall often tweets before or after shows, saying things about the city, the venue, staff and people.

"I didn't know this, but the Hanson Brothers are fans of mine. Zac was at the show. I was tweeting and I get this tweet" from

Getting started

A Texan, Engvall attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, to study education with a goal of becoming a teacher. But he became a club disc jockey which led to trying out routines in comedy clubs.

He loved it and moved to Los Angeles because "I wanted to be an actor. No one was coming to Dallas, Texas, to make stars."

He had never taken any acting classes and after reading lines to his wife one day in L.A., his wife, then pregnant with Emily, started to panic.

"I didn't know it but she cried after I left," he said.

She was eight-months pregnant, living in an expensive house in L.A. and had just realized "I couldn't act my way out of a paper bag," he said.

When she confessed her fears, Engvall signed up for acting classes.

He eventually got roles in "The Jeff Foxworthy Show" and "Delta" with Delta Burke. He's also been in movies including "Delta Farce" with Larry the Cable Guy and DJ Qualls.

The Blue Collar Tour

The success of the 2000 movie, "The Original Kings of Comedy," starring the Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hugley and late Bernie Mac, inspired Foxworthy and Engvall to "do something for our demographic," he said.

The Blue Collar Tour was born. The four comedians did six tours starting in 2000, which resulted in several movies and a TV series. He doesn't expect another tour, though.

"One day, I'll be able to sit down with my grandkids and tell them their granddad was on the biggest comedy tour. I just don't want to be the last one to leave the party," he said.

Engvall travels to do shows every Friday-Saturday, he said. He's traveled all over the United State and Canada in his almost 30 years as a comedian.

"It was a cool hobby for a while," he said. "Then it became work. Don't get me wrong, I have a great life."

But he said once he gets to the city where he's performing, he ends up sitting in a local hotel, waiting for show time, by himself.

But once on stage, he gets energized, looking out in the audience and seeing people of all ages, from 8 year olds to 80 year olds.

"When you get them young, you have them for life," he said.