Interview with John Y. Brown, Jr., February 28, 2013

Project: John Y. Brown, Jr. Oral History Project

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Interview Summary

In this interview John Young Brown, Jr. discusses his career in business. He talks about his early experiences in sales, selling vacuums and encyclopedias in high school and college. He talks about briefly practicing law, and how his law background helped him in his business career. He talks about how he came to know Colonel Sanders, and why he chose to buy Sanders' company, Kentucky Fried Chicken. He speaks in detail about his business deal, the structure of the company and how it changed over time, as well as the operation of the company franchises.

Brown also discusses many of his other business ventures, including Lum's Restaurants, Ollie's Trolly, Chicken by George, Miami Subs, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Logan's Roadhouse, Texas Roadhouse, and Roadhouse Grill, Salad Creations, ZAZA?s Fine Salad and Wood Fired Pizza, and Suzanne's Kitchen. He talks about how he became involved in each business, the structure of each business, and why he decided to sell them. He discusses his ownership of three basketball teams: the Kentucky Colonels, the Buffalo Braves, and the Boston Celtics.

Brown also discusses his philanthropic efforts, including the Pamela Brown Theater in Louisville, Kentucky named for his sister, the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. He also discuses his management of several Democratic Party telethons.

Interview Accession

2013oh047_jybj002

Interviewee Name

John Y. Brown, Jr.

Interviewer Name

Jeffrey Suchanek

Wiliam H. McCann, Jr.

Interview Date

2013-02-28

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.

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Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

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Brown, John Y., Jr. Interview by Jeffrey Suchanek. 28 Feb. 2013. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Brown, J.Y., Jr. (2013, February 28). Interview by J. Suchanek. John Y. Brown, Jr. Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Brown, John Y., Jr., interview by Jeffrey Suchanek. February 28, 2013, John Y. Brown, Jr. Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.





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