SAY HELLO TO TOM CARVEL:

Frank Perdue Dies at 84 After Illness (AP, 4/01/05)

Frank Perdue, who built a backyard egg business into one of the nation's largest poultry processors using the folksy slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," has died, the company said Friday.

He died after a brief illness at the age of 84. [...]

In 1971, Perdue became his company's television pitchman, and the first to advertise chickens by brand. His tough, folksy TV persona helped boost sales from $56 million in 1970 to more than $1.2 billion by 1991.