He was born September 9, 1890. At
12, he went to work and had many jobs. Finally he operated a gas
station in Corbin, Kentucky. At forty, he began cooking at the
station. His dishes became so popular that he finally had to open a
restaurant. It was there that he developed his famous 11 herbs and
spices chicken recipe.
In 1935, he was made a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon for
his contributions to Kentucky cuisine. In 1955 an an interstate
highway bypassed Corbin, Kentucky, so he took his chicken recipe on
the road to sell it across the country. His deal was to get a nickel
for every chicken sold using his recipe. Years later, he sold his
interest for two million dollars and stayed on as spokesman until he
passed away in 1980.
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's, was offered a chance to turn around
a failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. He helped save the
restaurant, and revolutionized the fast food industry by simplifying
its menu from nearly one hundred items to just basic fried chicken
and salads.