In Memoriam: Alvin Charles Copeland, 1944-2008

[thatcrazycajun]

The founder of the Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits and Copeland's of New Orleans restaurant chains, Al Copeland, has died in Munich, Germany where he was being treated for a rare form of cancer. At 64, Copeland had become almost as famous for his outsize personality and tastes as for his eateries' signature spicy Cajun-flavored dishes. A true New Orleans original, Copeland loved flashy cars and speedboats, trophy wives and humongous, crowd-pulling Christmas-light displays at his Metairie, LA mansion. He was easily, for us Louisianans, the most entertaining public figure outside politics to come from the Pelican State in recent years.

No less an institution than The New York Times deemed Copeland's passing worthy of an obituary, which is here. As one who has quite often enjoyed the spicy chicken, shrimp and Cajun rice (what we in Lafayette would call "rice dressing" or "dirty rice") for which Popeye's is famed worldwide, as well as the occasional trip to a Copeland's for their excellent gumbo and/or bananas Foster, I personally will mourn his loss. My heart, thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and employees. Thanks, Al, for spreading the food you and I both love to the far corners of the world.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmm, Popeye's. I used to love me some Popeye's... I mean, I grew up on the Colonel, but when I got to Atlanta, I figured out there was more than one way to do fried chicken.... and sometimes you want a little *spice*. "Red beans and rice didn't miss her!"

I hope they give him a proper jazz funeral... and being as Lent is over, they can have a proper wake in the Quarter as well.

*chuckles* There ain't but one proper beverage to toast him in, though. Iced tea, double strong, double sweet, like God intended.

**CRASH**

p.s. omg. Bananas Foster. Yaknow, I've only ever had that homemade... but yeah. it's *good*. Right up there with beignets. (I assume you know about Huey's... )