Watch Jeff Dunham’s First Big Break on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’

With Jeff Dunham coming to the Sprint Center in Kansas City on February 9th, we thought we'd throw out a little history on how he got his big break on the national stage.

After graduating high school in 1980, he enrolled at Baylor University, and performed around campus hoping to get his degree in Communications. He would also fly around the country performing up to 100 private shows a year. Dunham's act was receiving some recognition and was able to fill opening spots for such legends as Bob Hope and George Burns.

Feeling that he had gone as far as he could, he moved from Dallas to Los Angeles at the end of 1988.  At the end of that year, he received word that he would have a spot on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Unfortunately, Dunham was told that he wasn't quite ready for the spotlight so he went back to his ventriloquist/comedy routine trying to polish his act.

Finally his big break came with Carson on April 6, 1990, as he went onstage alongside guests Bob Hope and B.B. King.

His performance will be at at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.50-$47.50. We also have a chance for you to win tickets to the show. Click the button below to enter!