Carl Hurley
Encyclopedia
Carl Hurley or Carl Hurley, Ed.D. is a former Eastern Kentucky University
professor, and nationally recognized Lexington, Kentucky
comedian
and lecturer
. In his early career, he was often billed as "America's funniest professor." Hurley is a common entertainer for local events, and is often heard several times daily nationwide on XM Radio's Channel 151, Laugh USA
, and Sirius Satellite Radio's
Channel 103, Blue Collar Comedy
. Hurley is the Author of We Weren't Poor--We Just Didn't Have Any Money, and his entertainment has also been featured in video
format.
Hurley was born in 1941 in a log cabin
in the Appalachian foothills
of Laurel County, Kentucky
. Hurley is famously from East Bernstadt, Kentucky
, route one. In early life, he enjoyed family members' richly embellished tales, and the Grand Ole Opry
radio
comedian
s Minnie Pearl
and Rod Brasfield
. Heading off to Eastern Kentucky University
, Hurley worked his way to a M.A.
in education in 1966. In 1971 he was awarded a doctorate
in education from the University of Missouri
in Columbia, Missouri
. Returning to EKU
as a professor and coordinator, in 1971 his next career started when he decided to "liven up" a boring school conference. Invitations to speak elsewhere followed, and in 1982, Hurley left EKU
to speak and entertain full-timehttp://www.mckinneyspeakers.com/speakers/Carl_Hurley.
Hurley displays a trademark story-telling style considered similar by some to American humorists such as Andy Griffith
and Garrison Keillor
, combining a down-home yarn-spinning style with public comedy
. His early work often displayed an impish giggle throughout his routines, which later vanished.
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
professor, and nationally recognized Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
. In his early career, he was often billed as "America's funniest professor." Hurley is a common entertainer for local events, and is often heard several times daily nationwide on XM Radio's Channel 151, Laugh USA
Laugh USA
Laugh USA is a Sirius XM Radio channel featuring family comedy. The channel's slogan is "Classic Comedy and Good Clean Fun." The comedy aired sometimes contains mild profanities and slightly risqué material, and is only very rarely considered offensive...
, and Sirius Satellite Radio's
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
Channel 103, Blue Collar Comedy
Blue Collar Comedy (radio)
Blue Collar Radio is an uncensored comedy station on Sirius XM Radio . The station is affiliated with the Blue Collar Comedy brand. It was added to the channel Sirius lineup on 2006-03-14 and to the XM lineup on 2008-11-12. It also airs NASCAR Fans Show, a NASCAR news program...
. Hurley is the Author of We Weren't Poor--We Just Didn't Have Any Money, and his entertainment has also been featured in video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
format.
Hurley was born in 1941 in a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
in the Appalachian foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
of Laurel County, Kentucky
Laurel County, Kentucky
Laurel County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 58,849 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is London.The London Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Laurel County....
. Hurley is famously from East Bernstadt, Kentucky
East Bernstadt, Kentucky
East Bernstadt is a census-designated place in Laurel County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 774 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Bernstadt is located at ....
, route one. In early life, he enjoyed family members' richly embellished tales, and the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s Minnie Pearl
Minnie Pearl
Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon , known professionally as Minnie Pearl, was an American country comedienne who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and on the television show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1991.-Early life:Sarah Colley was born in Centerville, in Hickman County, Tennessee,...
and Rod Brasfield
Rod Brasfield
Rodney Leon Brasfield was an American comedian who was prominently featured on the Grand Ole Opry from 1947 until his death in 1958. In 1987, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
. Heading off to Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, Hurley worked his way to a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in education in 1966. In 1971 he was awarded a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in education from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
. Returning to EKU
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
as a professor and coordinator, in 1971 his next career started when he decided to "liven up" a boring school conference. Invitations to speak elsewhere followed, and in 1982, Hurley left EKU
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
to speak and entertain full-timehttp://www.mckinneyspeakers.com/speakers/Carl_Hurley.
Hurley displays a trademark story-telling style considered similar by some to American humorists such as Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
and Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
, combining a down-home yarn-spinning style with public comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. His early work often displayed an impish giggle throughout his routines, which later vanished.
Video Presentations
- Kinfolk & Characters
- Off the Main Road
- Laughing Matters
- Back Home
- Sunny Side Up
- Southern Fried
- Lessons in Laughter
- Might As Well Laugh
- Country Formal
- Live at Renfro Valley
- Looking for the Humor
Seminar Topics
- Success Is a Process
- Coping With Change
- What Sales People Need to Know About Their Customers
- Developing Peak Performance
- On a Clear Day You Can See Tomorrow
- Helping Skills for Managers
- Looking for the Humor
- Keep on the Funny Side
External links
- Home page www.carlhurley.com
- Carl Hurley's Agency Listing for seminars http://www.mckinneyspeakers.com/speakers/Carl_Hurley
- Kentucky Educational Television'sKentucky Educational TelevisionKentucky Educational Television, also known as KET: The Kentucky Network, is Kentucky's non-commercial educational public television state network...
factsheets http://www.ket.org/pressroom/2004/49/KCOFF_.html and http://www.ket.org/pressroom/2004/49/KCOFF__homepage.html (with pictures). - Nick Koch Weiler's photos of Carl's performance in Tim Farmer's Christmas Jubilee http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickweileroriginals/5260902759/