Don McLemore
Don McLemore (1941-2026) was a grandson of Bob Gibson, who founded Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, in 1925. After Gibson's death in 1972, McLemore and the other grandchildren took over the business. Under his lead the restaurant built a larger building on Sixth Avenue in 1987 and opened a second Decatur location on Danville Road in 1992, the same year his son-in-law Chris Lilly joined the business. McLemore took a particular interest in originating and refining the restaurant's barbecue sauces, which are now sold in stores and online. He received the Pioneer of Barbecue Award in 2015. He died on April 17, 2026, at age 84.
Technique
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q builds its fires with seasoned hickory and smokes whole pork shoulders for about 17 hours. Bob Gibson seasoned his pork only with salt; today's pitmasters use a blended dry rub.