Long before Paris Hilton uttered the infamous words, “That’s Hot!” Don Moore sealed up the sizzling sayings. If you are from Owensboro or anywhere close to Owensboro, and it is hotter than a mug outside; and you feel the beads of sweat slowly dripping down your forehead, past your nose, down your neck, into your shirt and finally past the land of no return…there are only three little words that can begin to convey the extreme temperature of not only the outside climate, but also our own bodily heat. “IT’S HOT, DON!”
We all know Don Moore from the antics of his car dealership commercials; from horseback riding to baby pools and basketball, Don Moore is almost as much of an Owensboro staple as BBQ.
N4U: How long have you been “Don Moore?”
DM: First thing, I am so fortunate. My great grandfather and his two brothers were entrepreneurs. In 1919, they started an automobile business – a Chevrolet dealership in 1920. It is the oldest ongoing family-owned Chevy dealership in Kentucky. My dad was a dealer in the late 1970s. In the early 80s, the business dropped by about 20% and my dad, who had an Ag degree and wanted to farm his 100+ acres full-time, considered selling the business. I knew I wanted to take over the dealership, but had two years of school left. My father told me I had to quit school and come home, but being the “negotiator” that I am, I got one more year. I finished college in my junior year by taking 20+ hours each semester. I took over “Don Moore” 24 days before my 21st birthday. On a Friday, my dad said, “I have one more issue to deal with.” I said, “I’ll see you Monday, Dad.” He said, “No, you won’t!” From that day on, I ran it.
Was that intimidating?
At that time, I had just graduated college in three years. I was the smartest, most self-confident guy in the world. But I soon figured out, I couldn’t just rely on what the book told me to do. I hired some real good friends to be good partners. They say, never hire your friends. Mine have worked out real well.
What’s been the craziest commercial?
My dad started doing commercials in the 1970s. The Lucielle Ball show was the most popular show at that time, and one night he bought a spot. So, we watched at 8:10 for his 10-second spot. He came out wearing a fireman’s suit and burning a sign. The slogan
was, “Burning deals! Come down and cool us off!”
Okay, so how did “It’s Hot, Don” come about?
In 1984, we went on TV again, H. Jackson Brown, Jr., author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, was hired to help us with the commercial. Now, we were doing 30-second spots. They were the “Sizzling Summer Savings Days” and we got done filming the spot and took it to the studio. It was only 25 seconds! So, we put my flowered shirt on Don Aldridge (it was a little too small), shined an orange light on him and asked him to tell me how hot it was. One of the particularly sad looking takes, he said, “It’s Hot, Don…” Well, that only took up a second or two so I filled in, “You can say that again!” So, it was originally a filler. Man, I’ve heard it everywhere! I’ve been in Florida on the beach and heard a girl passing by say to her friend, “It’s hot, Don.” She didn’t even know I was there. I went to a SEC basketball game and was screaming at the ref. I get real excited about basketball. Some guy behind me said, “Is it hot, Don?” My favorite though, was an intern at the Bob and Tom Show, from Owensboro, was walking around saying it, and Bob and Tom said, “Who the hell is Don?”
Who is your favorite OW icon?
Waitman Taylor. Mr. Public Relations, Waitman is my “Forever Mayor.” He is the symbol of what Owensboro is all about. It’s also cool to have Darrell Waltrip. He used to sell cars for me and his father-in-law called and asked if Darrell would be able to support his daughter selling cars when this race car thing fell through.
Who would Don Moore be if he weren’t “Don Moore?”
This may sound funny and I hate to admit it, but I’m not a gear head at all. I love cars but my passion is business. I’d have some sort of business. Another thing I had to admit, and you’ll never believe is the only D I ever got in college was…Marketing! What’s so funny is that the Toma Study found that Don Moore is the highest “top of the mind awareness” in any market. That’s pretty good for a guy who got a D in Marketing!
What is your all-time favorite car?
I’ve driven more Tahoes than anything. I have a Sequoia now because the frame is built in Owensboro but I’d have to say, the hallmark of American automobile making would be the Corvette. That Chevy bowtie symbolizes American muscle. 1961 red Corvette.
What do you do for fun?
I compete in racing and triathlons, but right now, because of an injury, I’ve been biking. I have been recording my miles since 1986. It’s my guilty pleasure… (As he turns around to show me the countless spreadsheets he keeps up with of the dates, times, and people he has ran with.)
Tell me about your family.
I have been married for almost 26 years to Marla. I’m fortunate because she is really my best friend. We run together and looking back, her encouragement and ability to run a great household has helped me so much to find my peace. Don Penn and Ashley, my kids, both attended SMU in Dallas. Don graduated last December and Ashley will this December. I don’t know if the 5th generation will come back and run things; my daughter has expressed interest in it. She struggles in Marketing too! Our family is a family of brothers. I have two that own part of the dealership as well. David Moore runs the Hartford Branch, and John is my significant sounding board. He’s not a “yes” man. He has innovative decisions about the business. My sister, Cynthia, is also a silent partner. She lives up in Louisville. My family and I spend every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Sunday together and we have so much fun. We get in our fights too, but it’s a party all the time.
What are your plans for the future?
We have caught a lot of flack for moving from being solely a Chevrolet dealer to carrying many major brands, but in order for us to have survived and been able to give back to the community, we’ve had to expand. We have a passion for community growth, and we support so many local charities and organizations, but in order to do that we’ve had to sustain and continue to grow.
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