Eat beef!
Posted on 04/01/2005 6:35:58 AM PST by billorites
SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - Frank Perdue, who built a backyard egg business into one of the nation's largest poultry processors using the folksy slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," has died, the company said Friday.
He died after a brief illness at the age of 84.
At the time of his death, Perdue was chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors of Perdue Farms Inc., headquartered in Salisbury.
Perdue turned over the day-to-day responsibilities of running the company over to his son, Jim Perdue, in 1991.
In 1971, Perdue became his company's television pitchman, and the first to advertise chickens by brand. His tough, folksy TV persona helped boost sales from $56 million in 1970 to more than $1.2 billion by 1991.
RIP Mr. Perdue.
I met him in the St. Maarten airport, years ago. He was a class act. I asked him for an autograph- He laughed and said, "Are you sure you want a chicken farmer's autograph???"
RIP
I still remember old Frank being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. She asked him if it bothered him that people said he looked like a chicken. He responded by asking her if it bothered her that people said she looked like a fat pig!
Frank Perdue was quite a character.
Eat beef!
RIP, Frank.
I have heard variants of that story including Oprah asking him if he minded being described as looking like a chicken and his asking if she minded being described as looking like a monkey.
I think it is an urban myth.
Nevertheless, the whole world is clucking at the demise of Frank. I loved his chickens.
Class act is a good way to put it. Years ago I used to run into him on a fairly regular basis - usually around happy hour.
I don't think you have the story quite right. IIRC, it was not fat pig, but a monkey.
You may be correct about Frank's response, but the exchange during an interview did happen. It was during Oprah's time on local TV in Baltimore, which she does not seem to want to talk about for some reason.
I checked snopes for this, but did not find it there. I'm a lifelong Baltimorean, and this happened when Oprah was guest host on that show with Richard Sher, People are Talking.
What I remember most about that show, was who had the bigger Afro (Sher who was a white man, or Oprah in the 70's)
I love Perdue chickens also...............except at 5 am when the trucks are idling across the road from me emptying 150,000 of the little buggers into the chicken house - or loading them on the truck to take to the plant :)
I was just reminded and I think you are right.
More coffee, darn it!
Perdue's innovations in the raising of chickens for market were absolutely extraordinary. He cut both the cost and the time in half, which has benefited the world in making a major food product more available at less cost.
He was also a great benefactor of Salisbury University, which was Salisbury State Teachers College when I attended the elementary school on the campus.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "The Fatal Attraction of the Inside Straight"
"He now sleeps with the chickens".
Either way, it was a pretty good line. And funny.
RIP, Frank.
Are you serious? Did he really say that? If so, I promise to buy ONLY Perdue chicken from now on...
"Parts is parts".
I think it was Frank Perdue's efforts advertising his company that got Foster Farms to do the same thing here on the US West Coast.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.