The Truth About Mountain Man From Duck Dynasty
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
To put it lightly, "Duck Dynasty" took over pop culture throughout the 2010s, first hitting the airwaves in March of 2012. The A&E original series focused on the family-owned business known as Duck Commander, which sold all varieties of duck hunting paraphernalia in the West Monroe, Louisiana area. Patriarch Phil Robertson served as the company's president, with his sons, Willie and Jase, serving as CEO and COO, respectively. Alongside them came the likes of Uncle Si, Korie, Jep, and several other members of the Robertson clan, truly making "Duck Dynasty" a full-on family affair.
For as expansive as the Robertson family is, it wouldn't have been impossible to keep their show 100% centered on them. However, a handful of non-Robertsons rose to prominence as a result of the show, albeit appearing far less frequently. For instance, Justin Martin and John Godwin — two tenured employees at Duck Commander — get plenty of time to shine despite not being a part of the Robertson family. The same goes for Tim "Mountain Man" Guraedy, whose handful of "Duck Dynasty" moments made him a fan favorite long before the finale in 2017.
Even though he was rarely the focus of the program, there's more to Mountain Man than meets the eye. Here's the truth about the slow-talking radio host.
The mystery of Mountain Man's slowed speech
At first glance, Mountain Man blends in perfectly among most of the main "Duck Dynasty" cast members. He doesn't exactly stand out from the pack with his long beard, shaggy hair, and affinity for camouflage clothing, so what makes him so memorable? His defining characteristic is his slow, drawn-out speech, which has certainly made his now-global radio show a one-of-a-kind listening experience. You're surely wondering, does he talk in such a way on purpose, or is it totally involuntary? Here's what the man himself had to say on the matter.
Back in 2013, Mountain Man made a guest appearance at Clipper Magazine Stadium during a Lancaster Barnstormers game, as reported by PennLive. When asked about his methodical speech during a fan meet-and-greet, he explained that "I tell 'em that um, my daddy said it's 'cause when I was living in Minnesota. I lived there from the time I was 3 until I was 9, and it got down to 50 below, and it froze my vocal cords, and they never thawed out. That's why I talk slow."
It's not hard to tell that Mountain Man is just having a bit of fun with this response, but it sadly means that the mystery of his unique voice will remain unsolved for the foreseeable future.
Mountain Man is a published author
Mountain Man went on to explain to PennLive that "Duck Dynasty" has changed his life and those of his friends at Duck Commander more than they ever imagined. Before becoming a television sensation, he was a well-known air conditioner repairman, but he mentions, "I was looking for something easier to do, and the Lord put this in my lap, and this is what I'm going to do." Thus, his life was changed for the better, even allowing him to become a published author in 2014.
Titled "Mountain Man: Keepin' a Slow Profile," Mountain Man's first and so far only literary effort is jam-packed with interesting material to sift through. Per the Amazon description, the book covers everything from anecdotes from his youth to the importance of choosing your words carefully and using them to help others. Not to mention, it also includes some homespun wisdom about family, the value of hard work, and connecting with your faith. To top it all off, Jase Robertson wrote the foreword.
As of this writing, "Keepin' a Slow Profile" is readily available through most widespread book vendors, just in case you'd like a deeper look into the mind of the Mountain Man.
A successful hunting trip once got Mountain Man fired from his job
To write a full-length book, one would imagine that Mountain Man's knowledge is vast and his numerous stories worth passing on. After all, he has lived a long, eventful life up to this point, but what can you really expect from his written works? For just a taste of Tim Guraedy's exciting life, look no further than a tale he told to Fox News in November of 2014 that came straight from "Keepin' A Slow Profile," detailing the loss of his job after a successful hunting trip.
As he recalls, an otherwise routine hunting adventure went awry when he accidentally caught a thorn to the eye. This left him with no choice but to have his then-9-year-old son drive them home with the deer they killed in tow — stopping by the fast-food joint he worked at to store the carcass in the freezer. He'd apparently done this before, but management wasn't happy this time around. "The health department had just slapped me on the wrist (last time), but this time they decided they were going to get rid of old Mountain Man, so they fired me with that deer."
Thankfully, everything worked out for Mountain Man in the end, although the same likely can't be said for whoever had to clean out the freezer that day.
Mountain Man has ventured into the music world
As we've established, Mountain Man is a beloved radio voice, family man, TV icon, globally recognized author and respected handyman, but his accolades don't stop there. He has also used his soothing voice in a musical capacity, boldly venturing into the country genre whenever the opportunity arose. This eventually led him to release a Christmas album in 2013, "Mountain Man – Slower Than Christmas," featuring 14 total tracks that combine holiday traditions, comedy, and faith. As he told Rockin' God's House, "There is a verse for everything, for every man, woman, and child."
To many, Tim "Mountain Man" Guraedy will always be that bearded, slow-talking A/C repairman from "Duck Dynasty," but that description hardly does the man behind it justice. In reality, he has proven himself as a jack of all trades, finding some measure of success no matter what he puts his mind to.