Johnny Trigg facts for kids

Johnny Trigg, born in 1938, is a famous American chef from Alvarado, Texas. He is well-known for competing in barbecue cooking contests. Johnny has won the big Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational twice. You might also know him from the TV show BBQ Pitmasters on TLC.

Johnny Trigg's Journey to BBQ Fame

Johnny Trigg finished high school at Cisco High School in Cisco, Texas. After that, he went to the University of North Texas. For many years, Johnny worked as an insurance executive in San Francisco. He retired from this job in December 1996.

How Johnny Started Barbecuing

Johnny first became interested in barbecue while working at the insurance company. He was very impressed by how good a coworker's brisket was. This led him to buy his first barbecue trailer in 1984.

In 1989, he went to a competitive barbecue event. He decided to try it himself and entered his first contest in 1990 in Denton, Texas. Johnny often jokes that barbecue became his "golf game."

Competing Across the Country

At first, Johnny competed in contests only in his home state of Texas. In 1999, he started joining events held by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. He did this because the prize money was better.

Johnny is very dedicated to barbecue. Each year, he enters about 45 contests. This means he spends around 225 to 230 days traveling for competitions.

Achievements and Nicknames

Johnny Trigg's barbecue team is called "Smoking Triggers." Because of his skill and success, he has earned some cool nicknames. People call him the "Godfather of BBQ." He has also been compared to "the New England Patriots of barbecuing," which means he's like a top-tier sports team.

Winning Big Competitions

Johnny has won the Jack Daniel's World Championship BBQ Invitational twice. This big competition takes place in Lynchburg, Tennessee. He won it in 2000 and again in 2003. He was the first person ever to win this championship more than once. Many people consider this event to be the most important championship in competitive barbecue.

Television Appearances and Hall of Fame

Johnny Trigg appeared in the first two seasons of the TLC reality TV show BBQ Pitmasters. He was also one of four chefs who traveled to Kuwait. There, they cooked for US troops, making over a hundred briskets at each cooking station.

In 2012, Johnny was honored by being added to the Barbecue Hall of Fame. This is a special recognition given by the American Royal Association. Johnny returned to BBQ Pitmasters for season 3. He won first place in both the turkey and pork belly competitions. He then made it to the finale and became the overall Grand Champion, earning the title of BBQ Pitmaster.