John Y. Brown Jr.

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John Young Brown Jr. (December 28, 1933 – November 22, 2022) was an American politician and entrepreneur from Kentucky. He served as the 55th governor of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983, and built Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) into a multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.

The son of United States Representative John Y. Brown Sr., Brown's talent for business became evident in college, where he made a substantial amount of money selling Encyclopædia Britannica sets. After briefly practicing law with his father, he purchased Kentucky Fried Chicken from founder Harland Sanders in 1964. Brown turned the company into a worldwide success and sold his interest in the company for a huge profit in 1971. He then invested in several other restaurant ventures, but none matched the success of KFC. During the 1970s, he also owned, at various times, three professional basketball teams: the American Basketball Association's Kentucky Colonels, and the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics and Buffalo Braves (currently the Los Angeles Clippers).

Despite having previously shown little inclination toward politics, Brown surprised political observers by declaring his candidacy for governor in the 1979 election. With the state and nation facing difficult economic times, Brown promised to run the state government like a business. A strong media campaign funded by his personal fortune allowed him to win the Democratic primary and go on to defeat former Republican governor Louie B. Nunn in the general election. Because he owed few favors to established political leaders, he appointed many successful businesspeople to state posts instead of making political appointments. Following through on his campaign promise to make more diverse appointments, he named a woman and an African American to his cabinet. During his tenure, Brown exerted less influence over the legislature than previous governors and was frequently absent from the state, leaving Lieutenant Governor Martha Layne Collins as acting governor for more than one-quarter of his term. He briefly competed for the U.S. Senate after his gubernatorial term in the 1984 election but withdrew from the race after only six weeks, citing health issues. He continued to invest in business ventures, the most high profile of which was Kenny Rogers Roasters, a wood-roasted chicken restaurant he founded with country music star Kenny Rogers.

Brown married three times, the second time to former Miss America Phyllis George. Among his children are news anchor Pamela Ashley Brown and former Secretary of State of Kentucky John Young Brown III.

Early life

Brown was born on December 28, 1933, in Lexington, Kentucky.<ref name=nga>"Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown Jr.". National Governors Association.</ref> He was the only son of five children born to John Y. and Dorothy Inman Brown.<ref name=people>Demaret, "Kissin', but Not Cousins, John Y. and Phyllis George Aim to Do Kentucky Up Brown".</ref> His father was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky and a member of the Kentucky General Assembly for nearly three decades, including a term as Speaker of the House. John Sr. was named for, but not related to, the nineteenth century governor of the same name.<ref name=nhok373>Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 373.</ref><ref name=pgy>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A 1979 People magazine article recounts that the elder Brown's nine unsuccessful political races – for either governor or the U.S. Senate – took a toll on his family and left his mother resentful of all the money spent on campaigns.<ref name=people />

Brown attended Lafayette High School in Lexington, where he was a seventeen-time letterman in various sports.<ref name=people /><ref name=berman>Berman, p. B1.</ref> During one summer, his father expressed disappointment that he had decided to spend the summer selling vacuum cleaners instead of working on a road construction crew with the rest of his football teammates.<ref name=people /> Motivated by his father's disapproval, Brown averaged $1,000 in monthly commissions from vacuum cleaner sales.<ref name=people /> After high school, Brown matriculated at the University of Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1957 and a law degree in 1960.<ref name=berman /><ref name=kye130>Harrison in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, p. 130.</ref> As an undergraduate, he was a member of the golf team and Phi Delta Theta fraternity.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> While in law school, he made as much as $25,000 a year selling Encyclopædia Britannica sets and employed a sales crew made up of classmates to increase his profits.<ref name=people />

Brown joined his father's law practice after earning his law degree.<ref name=kye130 /> From 1959 to 1965, he also served in the United States Army Reserve.<ref name=nga /><ref name=kye130 /> He served as legal counsel for Paul Hornung when Hornung was suspended for the 1963 National Football League season for gambling.<ref name=yearns>Golden, "Brown Yearns for Old Kentucky Home".</ref> After only a few years, Brown left his father's law firm and began a career in business.<ref name=kye130 />

Business ventures

In 1960, Brown married Eleanor Bennett Durall and had three children including John Young Brown III, Eleanor Faris, and Sandra Bennett.<ref name=tachau222>Tachau, p. 222.</ref> He got his wife involved in managing a barbecue restaurant; upon seeing its success, he became convinced of the financial potential of the fast food industry.<ref name=kye130 /><ref name=weston>Weston, "Welcome to the Conglomerate".</ref> During a 1963 political breakfast, Brown met Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and the two discussed selling Sanders' chicken in Brown's chain of barbecue restaurants.<ref name=people /> By 1964, Brown persuaded Jack C. Massey<ref name="latimesobitmassey">Template:Cite news</ref> to purchase KFC from Sanders for $2 million (Template:Inflation).<ref name=people /> The investment group changed the restaurant's format from the diner-style restaurant envisioned by Sanders to a fast-food take out model.<ref name=profile>"KFC Corporation". Company Profiles for Students.</ref> Giving all their restaurants a distinct red-and-white striped color pattern, the group opened over 1,500 restaurants, including locations in all 50 U.S. states and several international locations.<ref name=profile /> By 1967, KFC had become the nation's sixth-largest restaurant chain by volume and first offered its stock for public purchase in 1969.<ref name=profile />

For his work with KFC, Brown was named one of the Outstanding Young Men of America by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1966; the following year, the Chamber named him one of the Outstanding Civic Leaders of America.<ref name=ukaa>"John Young Brown Jr. Hall of Distinguished Alumni.</ref> Eventually, he became a member of both the Kentucky and Louisville Chambers of Commerce.<ref name=ukaa /> The Louisville Junior Chamber of Commerce honored him as Louisville's Outstanding Young Man in 1969, and he was inducted into the University of Kentucky Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished Alumni on November 6, 1970.<ref name=ukaa />

In 1971, Brown sold his interest in KFC to Heublein for $284 million (Template:Inflation).<ref name=heublein>Williams, "Business Update – Brown Backs Rogers' New Chicken Chain".</ref> Using some of the profits from the KFC sale, Brown and some associates bought the Miami-based Lum's chain of restaurants from its founders, Stuart and Clifford S. Perlman, for $4 million.<ref name=people /><ref name=jbb /> Of the 340-outlet beer-and-hot-dog chain, Brown said, "They did not have very good food. I figured that upgrading it would be my first task."<ref name=jbb /> Accordingly, he hired a group of young executives to find "the perfect hamburger".<ref name=jbb /> After a three-month courtship, he hired Ollie Gleichenhaus, owner of Ollie's Sandwich Shop, a small diner in Miami Beach, Florida, to train Lum's staff to prepare his "Ollie Burger" hamburgers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=jbb /> He later started a chain of take-out restaurants called Ollie's Trolley, named for Gleichenhaus. Initially successful, Brown said, "That venture [Ollie's Trolley] collapsed".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=book>Book, "You get your learnin' from your burnin'".</ref> Lions Clubs International in Tampa, Florida, honored Brown with its Service to America Award in 1974.<ref name=ukaa /> Brown sold the Lum's chain for $9.5 million to Friedrich Jahn's Wienerwald holding group in 1978.<ref name=people /><ref>"Jahn, Fast-Food King, Buying Lums of Miami". The New York Times.</ref> A few years later, Brown launched John Y's Chicken, a venture which also subsequently failed.<ref name=book /> Kenny Rogers Roasters, another chain founded with country music superstar Kenny Rogers, proved more successful.

Basketball ventures

A man with curly gray hair, wearing a tan jacket and shirt with black pants and shoes, standing with his hands in his pockets
Hubie Brown coached the Kentucky Colonels to the ABA championship in 1975.

Concurrent with his post-KFC business ventures, Brown purchased an ownership stake in several professional basketball teams. He owned three professional basketball teams, one of those being the Boston Celtics.<ref name=":0" /> In 1970, Wendell Cherry assembled a group that included Brown to buy the American Basketball Association's (ABA) Kentucky Colonels.<ref name=pluto330>Pluto, p. 330.</ref> Following the 1972–73 season, Cherry sold his interest in the Colonels to a group from Cincinnati; Brown immediately purchased Cherry's interest from the group, reportedly to keep the team from moving to Cincinnati.<ref name=pluto338>Pluto, p. 338.</ref> He put his wife and a 10-woman board of directors in charge of the team.<ref name=pluto339>Pluto, p. 339.</ref> Colonels general manager Mike Storen felt that this was a sign that Brown was going to run the team "his way" and left the team as a result; two months later, he accepted the job of ABA league commissioner.<ref name=ababall>Carry, "Having a Ball With the ABA".</ref> Head coach Joe Mullaney followed soon after, saying that Brown was going to be too meddlesome in personnel decisions.<ref name=pluto339 /> Babe McCarthy lasted only one season as Mullaney's replacement; in 1975, Brown hired Hubie Brown (no relation) as head coach.<ref>Pluto, pp. 340–341.</ref> The team won the ABA championship the following year.<ref name=pluto344>Pluto, p. 344.</ref>

Although he had been hailed as a hero, first for saving the Colonels from moving to Cincinnati and then for bringing a championship to Louisville, Brown came under intense public criticism following the Colonels' championship season for selling the rights to center Dan Issel to the Baltimore Claws in a cost-saving move.<ref name=pluto345>Pluto, p. 345.</ref> He frequently clashed with coach Hubie Brown during the 1975–76 season, and at the end of the year, he accepted $3 million to fold the team during the 1976 ABA–NBA merger rather than paying $3 million for the team to join the National Basketball Association (NBA).<ref name=pluto346>Pluto, p. 346.</ref>

After folding the Colonels, Brown stated that basketball was not the kind of business he wanted to be involved in.<ref name=pluto347>Pluto, p. 347.</ref> Despite this declaration, he purchased half-ownership in the NBA's Buffalo Braves later in 1976.<ref name=usiak22>Usiak, p. 22.</ref> The Braves had posted a dismal 30–52 record in the 1975–76 season, and Brown immediately set out to make moves that would improve the franchise's fortunes in the next season.<ref name=sisr>Kirkpatrick and Papanek, "Scouting Reports".</ref> He re-signed All Star guard Randy Smith, who had threatened to leave as a free agent, then traded the club's first-round draft pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Swen Nater.<ref name=sisr /> In a single day, he made two significant trades. In the first, he swapped reigning Rookie of the Year Adrian Dantley for the Indiana Pacers' Billy Knight, who was second in the league in scoring the previous season.<ref name=sisr /> Four hours later, he acquired Nate "Tiny" Archibald from the New York Nets for George Johnson and a first-round draft pick in 1979.<ref name=sisr /> In 1977, Brown purchased the remaining share of the team from the owner Paul Snyder.<ref name=usiak22 />

The following year, Brown traded franchises with Boston Celtics owner Irv Levin.<ref name=distel>Distel, p. B5.</ref> The move allowed Levin to move his franchise to his home state of California, while giving Brown ownership of the league's most storied franchise.<ref name=distel /> Two weeks before the swap of franchises was made official, details of a six-player trade between the two were reported.<ref name=harmonize>Reid, "Will Red And Brown Harmonize?"</ref> Boston sent Freeman Williams, Kevin Kunnert, and Kermit Washington to the Braves for "Tiny" Archibald, Billy Knight, and Marvin Barnes.<ref name=harmonize /> The move turned Boston fans against Brown, both because Kunnert and Washington were seen as key pieces of the team's future and because team president and legendary former coach Red Auerbach publicly stated that he was not consulted about the trade.<ref name=harmonize /> The relationship between Brown and Auerbach worsened with Brown's decision to trade three first-round draft picks that Auerbach had planned to use to rebuild the franchise for Bob McAdoo.<ref name=yearns /> Again, Brown made the trade without consulting Auerbach.<ref name=vindicated>May, "Vindicated McAdoo Happily Heading for the Hall".</ref> Auerbach almost left Boston to take a job with the New York Knicks as a result.<ref name=yearns /> Brown eventually sold his interest in the team to co-owner Harry Mangurian in 1979.<ref name=pluto347 /><ref name=badcombo>"Celtics Shuffle Bad Combination". The Prescott Courier.</ref>

File:John and Phyllis Brown, The Cincinnati Enquirer 1981-03-15 page D-7.jpg
John and Phyllis Brown circa 1981

Brown and his first wife divorced in 1977.<ref name=tachau222 /> On March 17, 1979, he married former Miss America and CBS sportscaster Phyllis George.<ref>Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, pp. 416–417.</ref> The ceremony was performed by Norman Vincent Peale.<ref name=people /> Brown and George had two children, Lincoln Tyler George Brown and Pamela Ashley Brown.<ref name=tachau226>Tachau, p. 226.</ref> Pamela would later become a major journalist for CNN after joining the network in 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Political career

Unlike his father, Brown showed only a passing interest in politics prior to 1979. In the 1960 election, he was named vice-chairman of John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in Kentucky.<ref name=colhof>"Law Hall of Fame Announced, Alumni Honored". U.S. Federal News Service.</ref> He was a member of the Young Leadership Council of the Democratic National Committee, and was named honorary chairman of the National Democratic Party in 1972.<ref name=ukaa /> Later that year, he considered running for the U.S. Senate, but decided against it once former governor Louie Nunn entered the race.<ref name=jbb>"Entrepreneurs: John Brown's Buddy". Time.</ref> From 1972 to 1974, he hosted the Democratic National Telethon.<ref name=colhof /> He founded the Governor's Economic Development Commission of Kentucky and served as chair from 1975 to 1977.<ref name=ukaa />

Gubernatorial election of 1979

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} On March 27, 1979, Brown interrupted his honeymoon with Phyllis George to announce his candidacy for governor of Kentucky.<ref name=kye130 /><ref name=nhok417>Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 417.</ref> The announcement surprised most political observers because of his prior political apathy and because Brown had spent considerable time out of the state with his business ventures and lavish lifestyle.<ref name=kye130 /> Funding his campaign with his own personal fortune, Brown launched a massive media campaign promoting his candidacy to help him overcome his late start in the race.<ref name=nhok417 /> He promised to run the state government like a business and to be a salesman for the state as governor.<ref name=kye130 />

Other candidates in the Democratic field included sitting lieutenant governor Thelma Stovall, former state representative Terry McBrayer (the choice of sitting governor Julian Carroll), United States congressman Carroll Hubbard, state auditor George Adkins, and Louisville mayor Harvey I. Sloane.<ref name=nhok416 /> Initially the leading candidate, Stovall was hampered during the campaign by ill health.<ref name=nhok416>Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 416.</ref> During the campaign, Brown was attacked by McBrayer for refusing to release his federal tax returns.<ref name=kne>"McBreyer Hits Brown on Voting, Finances". Kentucky New Era.</ref> McBrayer also claimed that Brown had not voted in a Democratic primary since 1975, a charge validated by public voting records.<ref name=kne /> Nevertheless, Brown won the primary by a margin of 25,000 votes.<ref name=kye130 /> The race was so close that Sloane, Brown's closest competitor, refused to concede for two days.<ref name=kye130 /> Brown defeated former Republican governor Louie Nunn in the 1979 general election by a vote of 588,088 to 381,278.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Renovation of Governor's Mansion

A two-story stone mansion with a sprawling flower garden in front
The Kentucky Governor's Mansion underwent a significant renovation during Brown's term

Within a month of moving into the Governor's Mansion, Brown noticed significant deterioration in the wiring and ordered a full inspection.<ref name=clark191>Clark, p. 191.</ref> The Department of Buildings and Construction's preliminary report stated, "If this was a privately operated structure, this office would have no alternative other than to give the operator 30 to 60 days to rewire the structure."<ref name=clark192>Clark, p. 192.</ref> The report went on to say that the mansion was a virtual firetrap.<ref name=clark192 /> Upon receiving the report, Brown immediately moved his family out of the mansion and back to Cave Hill, his estate in Lexington.<ref name=clark192 /> The Department of Buildings and Construction forbade use of the mansion for overnight purposes or group meetings until repairs could be made.<ref name=clark192 /> Brown's Cave Hill estate was officially designated the temporary executive mansion, and the state agreed to furnish Brown's groceries, reimburse him for entertaining official guests, and pay for telephone calls made in his capacity as governor.<ref name=clark193>Clark, p. 193.</ref> He was also given a travel allowance.<ref name=clark193 />

In March 1980, the General Assembly created a committee to study whether it would be more feasible to construct a new governor's mansion or repair the old one.<ref name=clark194>Clark, p. 194.</ref> Ultimately, they decided to renovate the existing mansion, and Brown's wife Phyllis was given liberal input into the decision making.<ref name=clark194 /> The state had expected to cover the cost of the repairs using federal revenue sharing funds, but President Jimmy Carter ordered a halt to the funds in May 1980.<ref name=clark194 /> First lady Phyllis Brown organized a group called "Save the Mansion" to raise private funds to offset the repair costs.<ref name=clark194 /> Independently wealthy, Governor Brown donated his first year's salary to the project.<ref name=tachau224 /> He waived his salary for the remainder of his term.<ref name=tachau224 /> The renovation and repairs were completed in March 1983, and the Brown family returned to the mansion in April.<ref name=clark212>Clark, p. 212.</ref>

Governorship

File:Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Whitney and Governor and Mrs. John Y. Brown 001.jpg
Governor and Mrs. John Y. Brown, with C.V. Whitney and Marylou Whitney.

Because Brown owed few favors to the state's established politicians, many of his top appointees were businesspeople.<ref name=kye130 /> Keeping a campaign promise to appoint a woman and an African American to his cabinet, Brown named William E. McAnulty Jr., and Jacqueline Swigart to his cabinet.<ref name=tachau223>Tachau, p. 223.</ref> McAnulty resigned his post as secretary of the state's Justice Cabinet within one month, saying the position would keep him from spending enough time with his family.<ref name=mcanulty>Hewlett, "1st African American Ky. High-Court Justice – William E. McAnulty 1947–2007".</ref> Brown re-appointed McAnulty to his former position as a judge with the Jefferson County District Court and replaced him with another African American, George W. Wilson.<ref name=mcanulty /> He also appointed Viola Davis Brown as Executive Director of the Office of Public Health Nursing in 1980. She was the first African American nurse to lead a state office of public health nursing in the United States. His most controversial appointment was Frank Metts, his secretary of transportation.<ref name=tachau224>Tachau, p. 224.</ref> Metts broke with political tradition in Kentucky, announcing that contracts would be awarded on the basis of competitive bids and performance rather than political patronage.<ref name=tachau224 /> Despite cutting personnel from the department, Metts doubled the miles of road that were resurfaced.<ref name=tachau224 />

Difficult economic times marked Brown's term in office. During his tenure, the state's unemployment rate climbed from 5.6 percent to 11.7 percent.<ref name=nhok417 /> Brown stuck to his campaign promise not to raise taxes.<ref name=tachau224 /> When state income fell short of expectations, he reduced the state budget by 22 percent and cut the number of state employees from 37,241 to 30,783, mostly through transfer and attrition.<ref name=nga /><ref name=tachau224 /> At the same time, his merit pay policies increased salaries for the remaining employees by an average of 34 percent.<ref name=tachau224 /> He cut the executive office staff from ninety-seven to thirty and sold seven of the state's eight government airplanes.<ref name=tachau224 />

Brown appointed a group of insurance experts to study the state's policies and put them out for bid, ultimately saving $2 million.<ref>Tachau, pp. 224–225.</ref> He also required competitive bids from banks where state funds were deposited; the extra interest generated by this process generated an additional $50 million in revenue to the general fund.<ref name=tachau225>Tachau, p. 225.</ref> He opened communications and contacts with Japan, setting the stage for future economic relations between that country and Kentucky.<ref name=tachau225 /> Among his other accomplishments as governor were the implementation of competitive bidding for government contracts and passage of a weight-distance tax on trucks.<ref name=nhok417 />

A black-and-white photo of a woman in her fifties making a speech behind a podium and microphone
Lt. Gov. Martha Layne Collins acted as governor for more than 500 days of Brown's term.

Brown was less involved with the legislative process than previous governors.<ref name=kye130 /> For example, he did not attempt to influence the choice of legislative leadership, while most previous governors had practically hand-selected the presiding officers in each house.<ref name=kye130 /> During one of the two legislative sessions of his term, he went on vacation.<ref name=nhok417 /> Consequently, many of his legislative recommendations were not enacted.<ref name=kye130 /> Among his failed proposals were a multi-county banking law, a flat rate income tax, professional negotiations for teachers, and a constitutional amendment to allow a governor to be elected to successive terms.<ref name=kye130 /> In all, Brown was out of the state – leaving Lieutenant Governor Martha Layne Collins as acting governor – for more than five hundred days during his four-year term.<ref name=nhok417 /> As noted by Kentucky historian Lowell H. Harrison, Brown's hands-off approach allowed the legislature to gain power relative to the governor for the first time in Kentucky history, a trend which continued into the terms of his successors.<ref name=nhok417 />

During his term, Brown served as co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission and chair of the Southern States' Energy Board.<ref name=nga /> In May 1981, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Kentucky, and in May 1982, he was the recipient of the Father of the Year award.<ref name=ukaa /> In September 1983, the national Democratic Party named him Democrat of the Year, and he was later made the party's lifetime Honorary Treasurer.<ref name=nga />

In 1982, Brown was briefly hospitalized for hypertension, and near the end of his term, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery.<ref name=tachau226 /> While recovering from the surgery, Brown suffered a rare pulmonary disease, keeping him hospitalized for weeks, during part of which time he was comatose.<ref name=tachau227>Tachau, p. 227.</ref> He had no pulse for a period of time, and one of his lungs partially collapsed.<ref name=nhok418>Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 418.</ref> Brown's office tried to conceal the seriousness of his condition, drawing fire from the press.<ref name=nhok417 /> Following his recovery, he gave up smoking and took up jogging.<ref name=tachau227 />

In Kentucky's Governors, Brown biographer Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau said of his administration: "There were no scandals. Neither he nor any of his people were accused of corruption."<ref name=tachau227 /> Scandal did touch Brown personally, however, as well as some of his close associates. In 1981, he was investigated for withdrawing $1.3 million in personal cash from the All American Bank of Miami.<ref name=rugeley>Rugeley, "Friendship of Brown, Lambert Focus of Ads".</ref> The bank failed to report the transaction to the Internal Revenue Service as required by law.<ref name=rugeley /> When the Federal Bureau of Investigation probed the matter in 1983, Brown claimed he withdrew the money to cover gambling debts he ran up during "one bad night gambling" in Las Vegas.<ref name=rugeley /> Brown, who was not the focus of the FBI's investigation, later recanted that statement.<ref name=rugeley />

Some of Brown's associates were involved with a Lexington cocaine and gun-smuggling ring called "The Company".<ref name=urch>Urch, "Scandals Beset Ky. Governors".</ref> James P. Lambert, an associate of Brown's since they attended the University of Kentucky together, was indicted on more than 60 drug charges.<ref name=nyt>"Former Governor Enters Kentucky Senate Race". The New York Times.</ref> Phone records also showed calls from the governor's mansion to several individuals eventually convicted of drug charges in connection with the investigation.<ref>Rugeley, "Nunn Says Brown Unfit, Revives Old Charges".</ref>

Later political career

On March 15, 1984, Brown filed to run as a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Walter Dee Huddleston just hours before the filing deadline.<ref name=tachau227 /> Six weeks later, on April 27, he withdrew his candidacy, citing the effects of his serious illness and surgery from the previous year.<ref name=tachau227 />

In 1987, Brown again ran for governor, entering a crowded Democratic primary that included Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear, former governor Julian Carroll, Grady Stumbo, and political newcomer Wallace Wilkinson.<ref name=nhok420>Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, p. 420.</ref> He entered the race late – filing his candidacy papers in late February before the primary election in late May.<ref name=rebound>Schwartz, "A Kentucky Rebound".</ref> When Brown approached the state capitol to file his papers, Beshear met him outside the filing office and challenged him to an impromptu debate, but Brown declined.<ref name=rebound /> As Brown quickly became the frontrunner, Beshear attacked his lavish lifestyle in a series of campaign ads, one of which was based on the popular television show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.<ref name=lifestyle>Peterson, "In Kentucky, Life Style Is Now a Political Issue".</ref> Other ads by Beshear played up Brown's ties to James P. Lambert, while still others claimed that Brown would raise taxes.<ref name=lifestyle /><ref name=dionne>Dionne, "Brown Upset in Kentucky Primary".</ref> Brown refuted Beshear's claims in ads of his own, and the battle between Beshear and Brown opened an opportunity for Wilkinson – who distinguished himself from the field by advocating for a state lottery – to make a late surge.<ref name=nhok420 /><ref name=dionne /> He defeated Brown, his closest competitor, by a margin of 58,000 votes.<ref name=nhok420 />

Later life

Following his unsuccessful run for the governorship in 1987, Brown resumed his career in the restaurant industry. He started the Chicken Grill restaurant in Louisville and helped his wife, Phyllis, launch Chicken By George, a line of boneless, skinless chicken breast products designed for sale in supermarkets and preparation at home.<ref name=bygeorge>Darby, "One success after another, by George".</ref> In 1988, Hormel made Chicken By George one of its subsidiaries.<ref name=bygeorge /> Brown expanded several other restaurants including Miami Subs, Texas Roadhouse, and Roadhouse Grill.<ref name=tachau227 /> None of these ventures matched the success he experienced early in his career.<ref name=kye130 />

A man with a gray mustache, beard, and hair, wearing a red jacket and singing into a microphone
Singer Kenny Rogers collaborated with Brown to launch Kenny Rogers Roasters in 1991.

In 1991, Brown formed a partnership with recording artist Kenny Rogers, co-founding and serving as CEO of Kenny Rogers Roasters, an international chain of wood-roasted chicken restaurants.<ref name=book /> The founding of Kenny Rogers Roasters was part of a larger movement in the restaurant industry toward healthier, take-home offerings.<ref name=stakes>Stouffer, "A High Stakes Game of Chicken".</ref> Roasters immediately found itself in competition with Boston Chicken (later known as Boston Market) and several smaller roasted chicken chains.<ref name=stakes /> Kentucky Fried Chicken also introduced a roasted chicken line of products called Rotisserie Gold to compete with Roasters and Boston Chicken.<ref name=stakes /> In December 1992, Clucker's, a smaller player in the roasted chicken market, sued Kenny Rogers Roasters, claiming the chain had copied its recipes and menus.<ref name=cluckers>Seline, "Clucker's is First Casualty in Chicken Wars".</ref> The lawsuit continued until Roasters purchased a majority stake in Cluckers in August 1994.<ref name=cluckers /> Brown then took Roasters public and grew it to a chain of more than 1,000 restaurants before selling his interest in the franchise to the Malaysia-based Berjaya Group in 1996.<ref name=bankrupt>Hutt, "Kenny Rogers Wants to Take Name with Him from Bankrupt Roaster Chain".</ref>

Brown and his wife Phyllis separated in August 1995.<ref name=fleischman>Fleischman, p. 1B.</ref> Phyllis filed for divorce in Kentucky in 1996, but withdrew the petition amid settlement talks with her husband.<ref name=fleischman /> After Brown reportedly cut off much of his wife's financial support, she filed a second divorce petition in 1997, this time in Broward County, Florida where her husband was living at the time.<ref name=fleischman /> After a brief legal fight over whether the proceedings should take place in Kentucky or Florida, the divorce became final in 1998.<ref name=fleischman /><ref name=divorce>"Former Ky. governor files for third divorce". Cincinnati Enquirer.</ref> Later that year, he married former Mrs. Kentucky Jill Louise Roach, 27 years his junior, but they divorced in 2003 for reasons not released. When asked why they divorced he stated "I do have great love for Jill, but something which cannot be overlooked has come up in our marriage. I will always love her and her children, but it seems a divorce is our only option now."<ref name=divorce />

In 1997, Brown agreed to serve as co-chairman of Governor Paul E. Patton's Council on Domestic Violence along with Patton's wife, Judi.<ref name=brammer>Brammer, p. C1.</ref> Brown said he had always been interested in curbing domestic violence, but his interest became personal after he discovered that his sister, Betty "Boo" McCann, had been a victim.<ref name=brammer /> In 2003, Patton renamed Kentucky Route 9 as the "John Y. Brown Jr. AA Highway".<ref name=leightty>Leightty, K1.</ref> The "AA" designation comes from the fact that the highway originally connected the cities of Alexandria and Ashland.<ref name=leightty />

File:John Y. Brown, Jr..jpg
Brown Jr. in 2011

In late 2006, Brown partnered with actress Suzanne Somers to open a do-it-yourself meal preparation store called Suzanne's Kitchen. The flagship store opened in Tates Creek Centre in Lexington, and a second store was opened in New Jersey. Brown intended to build the business into a chain, but five months after the Lexington location opened, both stores closed. Brown said he wanted to "revamp the whole format to get something even more convenient" and promised to re-open both stores at some unspecified future date.<ref name=fortune>Fortune, p. B1.</ref> Investor John Shannon Bouchillon sued Brown and Somers, claiming they had deceived him both before and after his investment of $400,000.<ref name=somers>"US Lawsuit Against Actress Somers Dismissed". AP Worldstream.</ref> The case against Brown was dropped before it went to trial. In 2011, a Fayette County, Kentucky judge dismissed the suit against Somers for lack of evidence.<ref name=somers />

Brown refused to serve on the inaugural committee of his old political foe, Steve Beshear, when Beshear was elected governor in 2007. All of Kentucky's living former Democratic governors were invited to participate, and each accepted the invitation with the exception of Brown. Of his refusal, Brown stated "I don't respect him. I don't want to be part of it. I'm not really interested in being politically correct." Referring to the 1987 Democratic gubernatorial primary campaign, Brown continued, "He said things that were not true, like we had raised taxes. I just never respected him after that."<ref name=refuse>Brammer, "Former Governor Declines Offer; Brown Doesn't Want to Be Part of Inauguration".</ref> However, when Beshear was reelected in 2011, Brown did serve as inauguration co-chair with the other former governors.<ref name=2011inaug>Governor's Inauguration to be Frugal, Family-Friendly Celebration". U.S. Federal News Service.</ref>

In 2008, Brown was named to the University of Kentucky College of Law Alumni Association's Hall of Fame.<ref name=colhof /> In a press release, the association cited Brown's success at Kentucky Fried Chicken, his political career, and his help in establishing the university's Sanders–Brown Center on Aging as reasons for his induction.<ref name=colhof /> The center is named in honor of Harland Sanders and Brown's father.<ref name=colhof /> Brown divided his time between homes in Lexington, Kentucky, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.<ref name=tachau227 />

Death

Brown died at a hospital in Lexington on November 22, 2022, 36 days short of his 89th birthday.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His casket lay in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol for two days starting on November 29, 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His funeral was held at the Kentucky State Capitol on November 30.<ref name=statefuneral>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Brown was buried in the Lexington Cemetery.<ref name=statefuneral />

References

Citations

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Further reading

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