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        Gabriel  Iglesias, one of the biggest stars (No pun Intended) of Comedy Central, is coming to Knoxville for one show only on Sunday, September  9, at 8 p.m.  Iglesias is currently on tour playing venues across the United States, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

   Unlike most comedians on the circuit, Iglesias’s stage show is no small production. Iglesias’s show involves a tractor-trailer filled with equipment that includes lighting equipment, large video screens and more.

  “My goal is to entertain,” Iglesias said in a telephone interview. “To say I am going to give them more bang for the buck is an understatement.”

  Iglesias is the heavy-set comedian who describes himself as “Fluffy” and describes his show as “The WWE meets the Food Network.”

  Iglesias  has appeared on the “The Family Guy”, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “The David Letterman Show”, and currently has a TV show on Comedy Central. He is currently finishing his latest Comedy Central special “Aloha, Fluffy in Hawaii.” Recently, he appeared in “Magic Mike” as a DJ.

  “That was my first movie,” Iglesias said. “I worked with Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum and Steven Soderbergh on my first movie. I couldn’t believe it.”  

   “I have played in Knoxville before and I like performing there,” Iglesias said. “My show usually lasts two to three hours. I don’t use any obscene language. My act is clean. I want people to have a good time and when they leave the show I want them to hug each other and have a bite to eat together. Not necessarily in that order.”

  Drawing from his earlier influences, Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy, Iglesias began performing stand-up and eventually won accolades for his routines that are inspired by his family, friends and “anything that is bothering  me at the time,” he said.

  While Iglesias’s girth has been a source of comedy, it has also made him an inspiration to others who are heavy or obese.

  “I have had kids come up to me and tell me they are being bullied at school because of their weight,” Iglesias said. “I have had people tell me I made them feel okay to be fat. It’s okay to be comfortable in your own skin and to always be self-confident. When health problems occur, then you have to do something about it.”     

  Tickets may be purchased at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium-Coliseum Box Office, or through Knoxville Tickets: Charge by Phone (865) 656-4444 or toll free (877) 995-9961.