I believe our faith is what sets us apart. It’s not about our beards, our success, or our hunting skills. It’s the Lord. He keeps us in line. That’s why we don’t fight and bicker much, like a lot of families do. And when we do, we forgive one another because the Lord forgave us. That’s why we don’t let our own selfish desires pull us apart. We not only read the Bible and study it, but we actually live by it. We believe that what’s in the Bible is the truth. We live our lives trusting that God’s promises are real.
When Phil came to the Lord and began to live differently, we witnessed it happen. We saw how Phil turned his life over to God and how it changed him and our family for good. We had a crazy life growing up, but I wouldn’t change any of it. My parents may not have been the best parents in the world all the time by parenting experts’ standards, but they did the absolute best they could in the circumstances they were in. And despite the obstacles, they set the bar high for us. I am so proud of them and all they’ve accomplished. I am proud of each of my brothers, and I have a super relationship with each of them. I really love getting to see them every day at work. I realize that so many people will never know what that’s like.
WE HAD A CRAZY LIFE GROWING UP, BUT I WOULDN’T CHANGE ANY OF IT.
I am the most proud of my children and my wife, Korie. Without her, none of this would have ever happened. She took a chance on a cute boy with dimples in whom she saw potential. Our life together has never been boring. We endured hard times with hopes and dreams of doing the inconceivable. We were content when we had very little and when we had a lot. Our kids are strong, spiritual, and well disciplined. They will have their hopes and dreams as they grow, and I will be right there beside them cheering them on.
Sure, the Robertson family has its flaws, but we’re pretty good at quite a few things—like duck hunting, frog catching, fishing, and selling worms. But most important, we’re really good at being a family. Like I say in one way or another at the end of each episode of Duck Dynasty, at the end of the day, we’re a family first, and everything else is just not worth getting that worked up over.
We’ve enjoyed showing our family to the world through the TV screen. Best of all, it’s actually fun for us to watch the show, because the Robertsons always find a way to laugh at themselves. We’re the ones laughing the hardest when one of us does something stupid, which, as you can see, happens quite often!
My advice is: Don’t take yourself too seriously, laugh a lot, enjoy your time with family, and appreciate the unique talents of others. Trust in God, love your neighbor, say you’re sorry, forgive, and work hard. Sit down to a good meal, turn off your cell phone, respect your elders, and, of course, get out in the woods and enjoy some good ol’ frog legs. That’s the Robertson way!
DUCK AND DRESSING RECIPE
A classic at the Robertson household, this is our Thanksgiving meal at Phil and Kay’s house. Ducks are as fresh as daylight that same morning. It is a hard one to perfect. We only eat this a few times a year, and not because we don’t love it; we just do it for special occasions. If you don’t have any ducks, try this dressing with turkey next Thanksgiving. I promise it’ll be the best you’ve ever eaten.
5 or 6 ducks
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
8 hot dog buns
2 bundles green onions
1 bell pepper
2 celery stalks
1 stick butter
a 9-by-12-inch pan of cornbread
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
2 eggs, whipped
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon sage
Phil Robertson’s Cajun Style Seasoning Original
1. Place cleaned ducks into a large pot. Then add salt, black pepper, and bay leaf, and fill pot with water. Boil for 21/2 hours.
2. Bake hot dog buns for 2 hours at 225 degrees.
3. Dice green onions, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté your vegetables in half of the butter on medium-low heat.
4. After your hot dog buns are done, take a very large roast pot and dump your buns, cornbread, and saltine crackers into the pot. With your hands, crumble the bread mixture into a fine consistency.
5. When your ducks are done boiling, remove them from the pot and pour a third of the broth into crumbled bread mix.
6. Stir until it reaches a paste consistency. Add vegetables.
7. Add broth until you get a thick but pourable consistency.
8. Add eggs and evaporated milk to your dressing mix and stir.
9. Add sage.
10. Place ducks lightly on top of dressing. Sprinkle Phil Robertson’s Seasoning on top of ducks. Lightly coat ducks with rest of butter.
11. Bake duck and dressing at 375 degrees for 25–30 minutes.
12. Enjoy!
Acknowledgments
We feel blessed beyond measure to have been able to put our life into a book. Really, how many people get to do that? It doesn’t just happen, though. Our sincerest thanks to John Howard, not only a great father and father-in-law, but also an excellent book agent who knew we could do it and helped us work through this process with lightning speed. We want to thank our editor and friend, Philis Boultinghouse, who sweetly encouraged us along the way. Also Amanda Demastus, who kindly kept us on schedule, not always an easy task. Thanks to Mark Schlabauch, who helped with the writing process. A special thanks to our assistant, Angila Summitt, who, along with the other things she does for us daily, helped us gather and choose the pictures to include in the book. Narrowing your entire life to just forty pictures is tough! Thank you to A&E for believing in us and allowing us to show our crazy family to the world. Thanks to our children for being patient while we added one more thing to our already busy lives. Thanks to our big family: our brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins with whom we are blessed to be able to work hard and play hard. And last but certainly not least, thanks to our parents who gave us this story with a life well lived and who continue to be an integral part of our story and our lives. We couldn’t do it without you.
Days before Willie came into this world. Alan, Jase, Kay, and Phil, 1972.
Willie’s baby picture, 1972. Check out that hair!
Korie’s baby picture, 1973.
Willie with his granny, 1975.
Korie with her brother and Papaw Howard, who taught her how to fish and skin a squirrel (and push a wheelbarrow). Alton, Korie, and Ryan Howard.
Robertson family photo taken for the church directory, 1988. Clockwise from top: Phil, Alan, Jase, Kay, and Willie. (Photograph © Olan Mills Photography)
Uncle Si hanging out on the steps with Willie and Jase, 1974.
Korie’s family’s annual ski trip, Colorado, 1990. Left to right: John, Chrys, Ashley, Korie, and Ryan Howard.
The Robertson men BTB (before the beards) playing golf on the family beach vacation in 2001. Willie, Jase, Alan, and Jep.
Willie and Korie. Young love! Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, 1991.
Willie and Korie on their wedding day, January 11, 1992. So happy! (Photograph © Lamar Photography)
Korie and Willie on their honeymoon trip to Hawaii, 1992.
Korie’s 1995 college graduation from Harding University, with proud grandparents Luther and Jo Shackelford.
Willie at his 1996 graduation from Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe). He is holding John Luke.
December 15, 2001, the first time Willie and Korie held Little Will. They were in awe of this sweet little boy!
Willie with Sadie and John Luke on the steps of the house at Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, 1998.
Willie before the beard, rocking blond tips. Left to right, Sadie, Korie, Willie, and John Luke at Gulf Shores, Alabama, in 2000.
John Luke and Sadie in 2002 at their school’s Grandparents’ Day, getting hugs from their two grandmas, Kay Robertson and Chrys Howard.
Korie with the kids, 2003: (clockwise) John Luke, Sadie, Bella, and Will.
The first year Rebe
cca was with Korie and Willie for their annual beach vacation at Gulf Shores, Alabama, 2006. First row: Rebecca, Korie, Bella, Will, and Willie. Back row: Sadie and John Luke.
Family beach trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, 2012. Front row: Rebecca, Bella, Korie, and Sadie. Back row: Will, Willie, and John Luke.
Sadie and Will in 2012. So proud of how the kids love each other.
Sadie and John Luke celebrating the Fourth of July, 2012.
Papaw Phil in 2012 teaching Bella about building duck blinds.
Papaw Phil with the grandkids, 2005. Back row: John Luke and Reed (Jase’s son). Front row: Bella, Will, Phil, Sadie, and Cole (Jase’s son).
Family trip to California, 2012. Left to right: Rebecca, John Luke, Bella, Sadie, and Will.
All the grandkids and great-grandkids with their awesome Mamaw Kay. Back row: Cole, John Luke, Reed, Kay, Sadie, Bailey, and Will. Front row: Bella, Lily, Merritt, River, Carly, Priscilla, and Mia.
Willie and Phil in 2006, posing for the label for our seasoning bottles.
Phil and Willie in the “Boss Hog mobile” for a Benelli commercial, 2010.
The women of Duck Dynasty, 2012. Left to right: Missy, Korie, Jessica, and Kay.
Si with his now-famous glass of tea at Willie and Korie’s house, July 4, 2012.
Korie’s first deer! Willie was proud. Olla, Louisiana, 2010.
The Duckmen had a good day in the blind on Robertson land, 2011. Jase, Phil, and Willie.
Willie doing a photo shoot for Buck Commander Weaver Scopes.
(Photograph © Lee Kjos Photography 2011)
John Luke and Willie in 2011, getting ready to pick the ducks.
Willie singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at an Atlanta Braves game in 2010. He is on top of the dugout during the seventh-inning stretch.
Willie and Korie in 2012 accepting the Golden Moose Award for Duck Commander.
Willie and Phil’s first late-night appearance. (Photograph © Conan O’Brien, 2012)
Phil, Korie, and Willie in 2012 on Sunset Boulevard with the Duck Dynasty billboard.
The Duck Dynasty photo shoot. It was freezing that day! Kay, Phil, Willie, Korie, Si, and Jase.
Phil and Si taking Sadie out to run the nets and teach her a few life lessons.
(Photograph © A&E, 2011)
First time on the red carpet for A&E’s Upfront, 2012. Willie, Korie, Phil, Kay, and Si.
Korie in 2012 with two women who are great examples of godly wives and mothers—Korie’s mother and grandmother, Chrys Howard and Jo Shackelford.
Phil and Kay with all their boys at the 2012 Duck Commander 40th Anniversary Party. Jep, Alan, Phil, Kay, Jase, and Willie.
Willie Robertson is the CEO of Duck Commander, a family-operated business that creates products for duck hunters, including duck calls, clothes, and videos. Willie, along with his wife and business partner Korie Robertson, also owns and operates Buck Commander, where they create products for deer hunters. Willie took the family duck-call-making company from a living room operation to a multimillion-dollar business. Korie helped her husband grow the company into an ever-expanding enterprise and serves as the Duck Commander office manager. Willie and Korie live together with their children, John Luke, Sadie, Will, Bella, and Rebecca in West Monroe, Louisiana.
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Copyright © 2012 by Willie Robertson and Korie Robertson
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Howard Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Howard Books hardcover edition October 2012
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Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Designed by Stephanie Walker
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Robertson, Willie, 1972–
The Duck Commander family : how faith, family, and ducks built a dynasty / Willie and Korie Robertson.
p. cm.
1. Robertson, Willie, 1972– 2. Robertson, Willie, 1972—Family. 3. Television personalities—United States—Biography. 4. Businessmen—United States—Biography. 5. Duck dynasty (Television program). I. Robertson, Korie, 1973– II. Title.
PN1992.4.R54A3 2012
791.4502’8092—dc23
2012030712
[B]
ISBN 978-1-4767-0354-1
ISBN 978-1-4767-0362-6 (ebook)
The Duck Commander Family Page 20
