MORGAN COUNTY, Tenn. — John Caddell has been called JohnBoy pretty much his whole life. But recently, the Morgan County native has made a name for himself with "JohnBoy's BBQ," his roadside business serving meals in Morgan County. His skill as a pitmaster also landed him on the Netflix show, "BBQ Showdown."
From his stand in Morgan County, John "JohnBoy" Caddell and his father battle heat while they stoke the fire.
"I got into barbecue because of my cousin, Earl," he said of his late cousin.
Earl died due to brain cancer. However, his talent with grills and smokers rubbed off. Today, JohnBoy is one of the top pitmasters in the nation. His trademark beard and talent for barbecue landed him on numerous television shows, a movie and even a commercial.
"The first show I was on was 'Finding Bigfoot.' I was on 'Moonshiners,' I was on a Walmart commercial, music videos with Afroman and Lowdown Revival," JohnBoy said.
JohnBoy's most recent time on television is on the second season of Netflix's "BBQ Showdown," which was filmed in Georiga.
"The filming was so nice," JohnBoy said. "It was a like a Hollywood production. I enjoyed getting to know different people from different places. You learn a whole lot."
While he enjoys stoking the fires of his smoker, named "Smokezilla," JohnBoy was playing with fire in a much more serious way before he got into barbecue.
"Several years ago, I had a problem with alcohol," JohnBoy said. "I knew I had to do something and I decided then and there that I was going to change my life, so I knew I'd take it to the next level."
He went from battling addiction to appearing on TV screens across the U.S. He credits his family for supporting him as he developed his business and improved his skills.
"I couldn't do this without them," JohnBoy said. "My mom, dad, my sister and kids. They chip in when I fall short. We started cooking underneath the tent, then got a barbecue shack and grew the business. It just keeps growing and we're nationally known for our barbecue now."
Since most pitmasters work overnight, JohnBoy credits his family with taking the business on the road.
"My sister and her husband take the food truck while I sleep," JohnBoy said.
In addition to the barbecue, they also serve up sides and desserts. Some sauces even have his picture on the container.
"I make about 50 different sauces," JohnBoy said. "A lot of our stuff is seasonal. We do farm-to-table, so when apples come in, we do a vinegar sauce and some of our favorites are moonshine sauces."
JohnBoy even has a beard product called "GBO."
While the variety of products helps him grow his audience and find new customers, JohnBoy remains humbled by his new career.
"I'm getting used to that. Someone stops by and wants a picture or autograph, it's humbling," he said.
He also gave suggestions for people looking to improve their barbecue. He said brisket is one of the hardest meats to cook, but it's also his favorite. So, he suggested anyone looking to serve brisket for dinner to cook it over a lower temperature and to cook it slowly.
He also said pitmasters need to make sure they use high-quality rubs. Both he and his father said that if pitmasters use a good enough rub, they won't need sauces.
He also said chicken is the easiest meat to barbecue, and serving chicken can help pitmasters develop their skills before they start handling other kinds of meat.