“ I didn’ t finish my college degree, I needed to find a business that could support my family and not move around. I loved East Texas and I was like,‘ What else am I going to do that I can have a pretty well guaranteed, at-least decent, living?’”
Turner said he lived around the corner from a Bodacious Bar-B-Q and thought to himself,“ Barbecue seems like an honest way to make a living.” He said that is when he started talking to the corporation.
He kept working in construction and saving his money until he was able to move back to Longview through a job and that’ s when he stopped building and started barbecuing.
Turner said he trained for two years in Longview with Roland Lindsey, the founder of Bodacious.
“ Roland was a pit master before they started throwing around that term,” he said.“ I didn’ t know the first thing about barbecue. I learned everything I know from him and I wouldn’ t dare think I
could try and do anything better because he really knew what he was doing.”
Turner said the Bodacious Bar- B-Q company chose the location in Rusk for him to open his own franchise of the business.
“ Rusk is a lot like Dayton, where I grew up,” Turner said.“ So I was like,‘ This is a good place to raise kids.’ So, I was happy.”
In Turner’ s office at All-Star, he is surrounded by photos of his family. He shared that he and his wife have two daughters and a son.
“ My wife and I talk about our blessings all the time,” he said.“ Our kids never gave us any trouble here. They were great. It’ s been a great ride here.”
Turner said at this time none of his children are in line to take over whenever he decides to retire. He and his wife made sure their children got their college degrees and went out to explore the world for themselves.
“ We taught our kids more than this, but two of the things we pounded into their heads was, one – you don’ t go to school for 12 years, you go 16. You’ re going to get your college degree,” he said.“ And the second thing was, when you get that college degree you’ re not going to live here. You’ re going to go off, you’ re going to go somewhere and find yourself. You’ re going to find out who you are. If you want to come back after that, fine, but we want you to go out.”
After Turner’ s contract with Bodacious ended, he asked if he changed the name of his business, could he still purchase their products. He said the franchise agreed
16 Jacksonville Progress | Spring 2025