Ardie Davis facts for kids

Ardie Davis, also known as Remus Powers, is a very famous judge in the world of barbecue competitions. He also started Greasehouse University. Ardie Davis created the American Royal International BBQ Sauce, Rub, & Baste Contest, which is a huge event for barbecue lovers. He has received many awards for his work judging barbecue, including being added to the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2016.

Ardie Davis has written eleven books about grilling and smoking food. He lives with his wife, Gretchen, near Kansas City.

Barbecue Competitions

Ardie Davis started his first barbecue sauce contest, called the Diddy-Wa-Diddy National Barbecue Sauce Contest, in his own backyard in 1984. Just three years later, in 1987, this contest grew into the American Royal International Barbecue Sauce, Rub & Baste Contest. This big event happens every year in Kansas City. The American Royal Barbecue Sauce Contest has been running for 29 years and is the largest sauce contest in the entire world!

Ardie Davis also wrote the special oath that judges say at all barbecue competitions approved by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Awards and Honors

Ardie Davis has won many awards for his amazing knowledge of barbecue judging. He was one of the first members of the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS). He also served on the KCBS Board of Directors three times and is now an honorary board member. He is a certified master judge and was inducted into the KCBS Hall of Flame in 1992.

He is also a certified judge for the Memphis in May barbecue competition. In 2008, he was a special judge at the 20th Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

Some of his other awards include:

• The Smoky Angel Award from the Kansas City Barbecue Forum.
• The Judges’ Choice Award at the 2002 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue.
• The Spirit of Barbecue Award from the National Barbecue News in 2002.

In 2003, the Kansas City Star newspaper called him a Kansas City Barbecue Legend. In 2016, Ardie Davis was added to the Barbecue Hall of Fame. He was chosen as the Celebrity/Humanitarian candidate. As of 2016, only 15 people were in the Hall of Fame. Ardie was nominated 9 times that year, which was more than twice as many as any other person!

Early Life and Education

Ardie Davis, whose full birth name is Ardith Davis, was born in Oklahoma on November 25, 1941. He grew up with two sisters, Barbara and Cathy. Ardie Davis went to Westmar College and graduated in 1964. He studied Sociology and Philosophy there.

The Story of Remus Powers

Ardie Davis is also famously known by his barbecue nickname, Remus Powers. Throughout his life, Ardie Davis has loved the stories of Uncle Remus. These are old folk tales from African-Americans in the southern United States. The stories feature animal characters like Brother Rabbit, Brother Fox, and Brother Bear. Ardie loved these stories so much that he chose "Remus" as his barbecue first name.

The second part of his nickname, "Powers," comes from a different story. When Ardie was young, his father worked as a mechanic. His father worked with a man whose last name was Powers. Ardie learned many things from Mr. Powers as he grew up. To this day, Ardie remembers him and honored him by making "Powers" his barbecue last name.

Books and Articles

Ardie Davis writes a monthly column for the National Barbecue News. He also writes for the Kansas City Bullsheet, which is the official newspaper of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. His articles about barbecue have also appeared on the 'Cue Confessions blog.

Books by Ardie Davis

Ardie Davis has written many books about barbecue:

• 25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking (2009, The Harvard Common Press)
• 25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling (2009, The Harvard Common Press)
• America's Best BBQ Homestyle: What the Champions Cook in Their Own Backyards
• America's Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America's Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants (2009, Andrews McMeel Publishing)
• America's Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America's Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants: The Revised and Updated Edition
• The Great BBQ Sauce Book (1999 Ten Speed Press)
• The Kansas City BBQ Pocket Guide
• Barbecue Lover's Kansas City Style: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions (2015)
• America's Best Ribs (2012)
• The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook
• The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook: 25th Anniversary Edition (2010)