Ardie Davis facts for kids

Ardie Davis, also known as Remus Powers, is a famous judge in the world of barbecue. He started Greasehouse University, a place where people can learn about barbecue. Ardie Davis also created the American Royal International BBQ Sauce, Rub, & Baste Contest. He has received many awards for being a barbecue judge, including being added to the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2016.

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

Barbecue Competitions

Ardie Davis started the Diddy-Wa-Diddy National Barbecue Sauce Contest in his backyard in 1984. Three years later, in 1987, this contest became the American Royal International Barbecue Sauce, Rub & Baste Contest. This big event happens every year in Kansas City. The American Royal Barbecue Sauce Contest is now one of the largest sauce contests in the world.

He also wrote the official oath that judges say at all competitions approved by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Awards and Honors

Ardie Davis has won many awards for his amazing skills as a barbecue judge. 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 added to 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.

His awards include the Smoky Angel Award from the Kansas City Barbecue Forum. He also won the Judges’ Choice Award at the 2002 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue. In 2002, he received the Spirit of Barbecue Award from the National Barbecue News. In 2003, the Kansas City Star newspaper called him a Kansas City Barbecue Legend.

In 2016, Ardie Davis was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame. He was chosen as the Celebrity/Humanitarian candidate. As of 2016, the Hall of Fame had only 15 members. Ardie Davis was nominated 9 times for the Barbecue Hall of Fame that year, which was more than twice as many as any other person.

Early Life and Education

Ardie Davis, whose birth name was Ardith Davis, was born in Oklahoma on November 25, 1941. He had two sisters, Barbara and Cathy. Ardie Davis graduated from Westmar College in 1964. He studied Sociology and Philosophy there.

The Story of Remus Powers

Ardie Davis is also known by his barbecue name, 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 main characters in these stories are Brother Rabbit, Brother Fox, and Brother Bear. From these stories, Davis chose "Remus" as his barbecue first name.

The second part of his name, "Powers," comes from a less known story. When Davis was young, his father was a mechanic and worked with a man named Mr. Powers. As Davis grew up, he learned many things from Mr. Powers. To this day, he remembers him and honored him by making "Powers" his barbecue last name.

Books and Articles

Ardie Davis writes a monthly column in 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)