WHO'S YOUR Bubba?
T. Bubba Bechtol dishes up local humor for the masses
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

If you enjoy reading "Bubba's Beach" in Gulf Breeze News, you'll love reading "Who's Your Bubba?" the first Book published by local comedian Bubba Bechtol. Published in Gulf Breeze by Maximum Press. Book costs $14.95 and is available through bookstores or through a link online at www.gulfbreezenews.com.

Once upon a time, there was a man who thought in a funny way. He looked upon the things that other people accept as normal and decided they were worth commentary. Then, other people began to see the humor in ordinary things as well and T. Bubba Bechtol became famous.

"Most of my comedy is observational humor," Bechtol said. "I walk in a laundromat, see a sign that is really funny and I'll do 10 minutes on that."

After 15 years of compiling his humor and performing on stage all over the United States several USO tours in Europe, including a regular stint at the Grand Ole Opry for eight years, Bubba is taking it nationwide with a book called "Who's Your Bubba?"

"Who's Your Bubba?" is a book designed to introduce Bubba the writer to the national public, and to be the platform for subsequent books which are already written and ready to publish.

Bubba is at his funniest in his fourth CD, entitled "The Way I See It." Hear the famous funnyman performing live at the Farmer's Opry in Chumuckla. Available for $12.98 at record stores nationwide and also through a link online at www.gulfbreezenews.com

Bubba has long been introducing Pensacola Beach to the uninitiated, through his standup comedy and CDs. He describes the southern-ness of Pensacola Beach as if it were the most southern place on the planet, ideologically.

He hails from Fontainebleau, Miss., the oldest child of five Winona Bechtol, who began his career as a professional speaker and president of the U.S. Jaycees.

When Bechtol found Pensacola Beach, he hit the mother lode in standup material.

"The Mississippi Gulf Coast to Panama City is the Redneck Riviera. It's a mishmash of all kinds of people, from rednecks to the Andrews Institute, to the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition," Bechtol says.

As Garrison Keillor made famous the fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon, Mark Twain told stories about life on the Mississippi River and Dolly Parton sang of her experiences in the Smoky Mountains, Bubba is doing on a national scale for Pensacola Beach.

T. Bubba Bechtol is celebrating the nationwide release of his first book, "Who's Your Bubba" Saturday on Pensacola Beach.

He selected Gulf Breeze publishing company Maximum Press, owned by Jim Hoskins, to produce the first book and the fourth of his comedy CDs, mainly because Bechtol wanted to be involved in the process.

The book will be launced nationwide for sale in bookstores and promoted through XM Radio. Bubba has considerable contacts in the entertainment industry from his many years as a traveling performer, who are also helping to get exposure for the book.

And although Bubba is making it big, he's also making big changes in his life, having gastric bypass surgery to help him reduce his size and beat Type II Diabetes.

"There was nothing to it," Bechtol said of the surgery, which resulted in four little bandaids on his abdomen.

And although Bubba got a late start in his comedy career, beginning in his late 40s after raising two sons as a single dad, he's still on the upswing in his popularity. More events are planned and can be accessed at tbubbafun.com.