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Flamboyant restaurant millionaire dies at 64
Published Sunday, March 23, 2008
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Al Copeland, who became rich selling spicy fried chicken and notorious for his flamboyant lifestyle, extravagant weddings, bitter divorces and lawsuits over Christmas decorations, died Sunday at a clinic near Munich, Germany.
Copeland, who was 64, had been diagnosed shortly before Thanksgiving with a malignant salivary gland tumor. His death was announced by his spokeswoman, Kit Wohl.
After growing up in New Orleans, Copeland sold his car at age 18 for enough money to open his own one-man doughnut shop. He quickly turned the shop into a moneymaker and went on to spend 10 modestly successful years in the doughnut business.
The opening of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in New Orleans in 1966, however, caught Copeland’s eye, especially when he found it offered a shorter workday and about four times as much money per week as his doughnut shop.
Comments
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on March 24, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I love Popeyes chicken. A friend of mine says it's too greasy. She demonstrated by squeezing out a chicken thigh. I'll never forget watching the grease drain like water off a kitchen towel. I still eat it but only about 3 times a year. I ain't signing up for a heart attack before I hit my best years!!!!! But that stuff is so good.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on March 24, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting that this man, famous for his spicy foods, died from a malignant salivary gland tumor. Rest in peace Al.
Is Al Copeland the creator of Popeyes Chicken? It's the mashed potatoes and gravy at Popeyes that I love; KFC's is blah, but they do have a good buffet. I don't care for spicy fried chicken; however, so I get the mild. But lately, after getting past the crust, chicken meat isn't as tasty as it once was. My cholesterol level and GERD has forced me to give up fried foods period, on a regular basis.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on March 24, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hate to hear about your cholesterol level with you living down here in the south. It's gotta be hard having to completely eliminate fried foods from your diet when a lot of our food is deep-fried. But I will say that chicken "fried" in the oven is soooo good. I guess when you get used to eating without animal fat, you won't miss it so bad. I've heard that before long, you start realizing that healthy actually tastes good.
Posted by dmackZuluking (anonymous) on March 24, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Once called the fried chicken king of the south. Al Copeland started a small business called Popeyes because that is what the spicy food would do, pop your eyes out of your head. He added other New Orleans recipes to the menu that gave his chicken a different taste appeal. Speading over 50 states and countless countries. He sold the rights to Popeyes Inc. the family still own the secret recipe. AC was one of many who came to be known for New Orleans forklord and greatness. I'm sure he will have a flamboyant jazz/second line funeral to celebrate his life, as they do in New Orleans.
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on March 24, 2008 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They have some good biscuits and mashed potatoes/gravy. I just take the biscuit and eat my potatoes with eat instead of a fork. I know: nasty. But it is some kind of good. lol
Posted by seeemeeego (anonymous) on March 24, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Zuluking, Copeland didn't sell the rights to Popeyes - he lost the chain in bankruptcy. He went bankrupt after he bought the Church's chain having borrowed millions to take it over. He did however retain the spice division. Copeland's oldest son Al Jr. runs that company now, Diversified Foods & Seasonings in Metairie and Madisonville.
Too bad The Democrat didn't run the entire obituary as he was really an amazing person. Al Copeland came from nothing, living part of his childhood in one of New Orleans' public housing projects. He didn't finish high school, much less go to college. His sheer drive and determination made him a millionaire.
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on March 25, 2008 at 10:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I love Popeye's Chicken -- it's my favorite! Having a lot of family in New Orleans, I was introduced to Popeye's Chicken over 30 years ago, I guess. (To me, the Popeye's restaurants in New Orleans have the best tasting chicken vs. their restaurants in other cities -- don't know if it's all in my head or if they throw in a few extra spices!!!!)
((Peace007)) when I read that he had died from a malignant salivary gland tumor, I immediately thought about the spicy food and seasonings, too; and wondered if there is any connection. I don't believe I have ever heard of this type of cancer before. Kind of scary!!!
((seeemeeego)), thanks for the info. I did not know that Al Copeland had bought the Church's Chicken chain. I guess that's why they recently introduced a "spicy" chicken. However, I never eat Church's Chicken -- the chicken looks like it's been pumped up with steroids (drumsticks look like turkey legs) -- too much fertilizers!!!!
Anyway, Al Copeland was a very interesting man with a very inspirational life story. It would have been nice to have read a little more about his life in this article. May he RIP.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He was a good looking feller http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/busine...
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ij just do the google, lol...lots of information there about Al Copeland...and you're right, he was certainly an interesting fellow.
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