Thomas Jack Black

Thomas Jack Black, Sr., age 92, passed away after a heroic battle with Alzheimer's on October 13, 2024. A true southern gentleman and loving patriarch, Jack is mourned by his wife of 25 years, Phyllis Radford Black; three living children, Thomas Jack Black. Jr, Lisa Dawn Black, and Tiffany Jaye Black-Wilson; grandchildren, Laura Holcomb Johnson, Matthew John Holcomb, Heather Black Arthur, Anna Black Johnson, Thomas Jacob Black, Cade Collins Wilson, and Tallulah Ophelia Wilson; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Jack was predeceased by two children, Todd Black and Glenda Black Holcomb, a son-in law Charles ‘Buddy’ Holcomb, and one grandchild, Charles Thomas Holcomb.

Jack was an Atlanta business entrepreneur whose family ran the Old Hickory House barbecue chain known by its tagline, “Put Some South in Your Mouth.” He was named after his grandfather, who created the original recipes for the barbecue sauce, ribs, and Brunswick stew that became family staples and Jack’s livelihood. After World War II, Jack’s father and mother, William and Frances Black, opened their first barbecue and burger joint with their savings in Birmingham, Ala. Jack grew up working at the restaurant. In 1950, at the age of 17 he married Ann Irene Cantrell, started a family, and continued to work in the family’s restaurant. Jack often joked that he was serving beer before he could even drink a beer. In 1953, along with his wife and children, Jack moved to Atlanta. His father helped him open the first Old Hickory House restaurant on Northside Drive. It was the first of many.

Jack married Glenda Collins Black in 1967, added to his family, and continued to work building up his restaurant business, eventually owning more than 16 Old Hickory House restaurants all over the Southeast by the late 1980s. His ribs were literally world renowned: a U.S. Ambassador to France would import them from Atlanta to Paris, Eastern Air Lines offered them as an in-flight meal, and former President Jimmy Carter served them at his inauguration and other White House events. In 1977, the movie “Smokey & The Bandit” had a scene at the Forrest Park location of Old Hickory House with Jackie Gleason and Burt Reynolds, when Gleason’s character orders a Diablo sandwich and a Dr Pepper.

During the painful time of segregation, Jack refused to have separate areas in his restaurants for black and white customers, declaring, “I’m gonna feed whoever wants my barbecue.” Jack was proud that his son Todd continued his legacy in the restaurant business.

Jack had a friendship and contract with Alex Cooley, who was known unofficially as the “mayor of Atlanta music.” He catered for Alex Cooley’s Capri Ballroom, his Electric Ballroom, the “green room” at Chastain Park events, and Alex Cooley’s Champagne Jam. They collaborated on the very successful Atlanta Pop Festival at Atlanta International Raceway.

Turning out world famous barbecue wasn’t Jack’s only business success. In 1958, he was one of five partners who developed the 1.5-mile, $1.8 million track called Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway). It was an immediate triumph, with 25,000 people attending the first race in 1960, the Dixie 300. As a young man, Jack drove in both stock-car racing and drag racing. He did runs at Daytona two different years and qualified at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in the late 1960s. He developed both a business and personal friendship with the Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr., the founders of NASCAR. Jack held a pass to every speedway in the nation and attended the Daytona 500 for 56 years. At the Speedway, Jack got to know a peanut farmer and race fan by the name of Jimmy Carter. They became good friends, and even built a concrete-block barbecue pit on the back lawn of the White House during Carter’s presidency so Jack could cater State events.

Jack met his wife Phyllis in 1996, married her in 1999, and soon after retired to Longboat Key, where they spent their first year on their boat sailing around the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. He worked in the Dock Master’s office at Marina Jack “just to keep busy.” The couple bought TowBoatUS franchise in 2006 and turned their love of boating into a business. His ribs were always in high demand by the Longboat Key Garden Club, Tangerine Bay residents, and at the Blacks’ annual Fourth of July celebration.

Jack was a member of Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta Athletic Yacht Club on Lake Lanier, The Sarasota Yacht Club, and The Cherokee Town and Country Club. His philanthropy was well known; law enforcement, firefighters, power line workers, and service men and women always ate free at his restaurants, and he donated food during emergency situations. He was a dependable supporter of Georgia Tech and his children’s schools (Lovett and Woodward).

Jack will be remembered as a man of many passions. Besides barbecuing and racing, he was an avid pilot, hunter, car and firearms collector, maker of delicious cocktails, and world traveling casino patron (Black-Jack was his game). Jack’s intelligence, wit, southern grace, great voice for speaking and singing, and big heart are missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.

A memorial service for family and friends was held in Atlanta, Sunday, October 27th at 3:00 p.m. at HM Patterson and Son-Arlington Chapel. In memory of Jack, the family requests that you pay for the meal of the next community worker or service member in uniform you see dining, give generously to the relief organization of your choice, or go have a great meal and fine cocktails with the people you love.