'Millionaire' groom bringing comedy routine to Tampa area

By ERIC DEGGANS

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 7, 2000

He may or may not have a net worth of about $2-million, but that hasn't stopped comic Rick Rockwell -- the star of Fox-TV's infamous Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire? special -- from capitalizing on his dubious fame.

Rockwell, who has developed a stand-up comedy routine about his TV marriage and the embarrassing revelations that followed, is scheduled to visit the Tampa Bay area June 27-28 for shows at Side Splitters comedy club in Tampa.

The shows are sponsored by country station WQYK-FM 99.5, which is selling area businesses the extra perk of an appearance by Rockwell -- driving up in one of the station's customized "Three Amigos" Isuzu Amigo vehicles.

Already, the Gold & Diamond Source jewelry stores have agreed to a stop by Rockwell, according to Dave McKay, an on-air personality at WQYK.

"He's willing to get behind the counter at Burger King, pump gas . . . whatever," added McKay, who set up Rockwell's visit. "In other markets, he's filled up people's (gas) tanks and handed out T-shirts saying, "I was pumped by Rick Rockwell.' "

Rockwell gained national fame in February, when more than 22-million TV viewers watched him pick Darva Conger as his wife from a field of 50 women during the two-hour Multimillionaire special.

But the show's rebroadcast was canceled when news surfaced that a former fiancee had once filed a restraining order against the comic/motivational speaker/real estate broker.

Friends also expressed doubts he was worth $2-million. Meanwhile, it turned out that although Conger said she was a Gulf War veteran, she never actually served in the Persian Gulf.

Amid a deluge of public criticism, Conger obtained an annulment from a Las Vegas judge. Fired from her job as a nurse, she recently agreed to pose nude for Playboy magazine.

Rockwell is taking his show on the road -- bringing his Annulment Tour to Side Splitters for two 8:30 p.m. shows, with tickets priced at $15 and $17.

And why does a multimillionaire need to pump gas at personal appearances, anyway?

"That is something we're going to ask him," added McKay, who says he will, of course, interview Rockwell on WQYK to publicize the appearances. "He still wants to get his name out there."