I had the privilege of speaking at an uncle’s funeral two weeks ago. His name was Albert Burr “A. B.” McCall. Known to thousands of Middle Tennesseans as the silver-haired spokesman for D.T. McCall and Sons on WSMV’s Ralph Emory Show, he was a driving force in turning a small-town furniture store into a multi-million- dollar business.
Born the fourth child (third son) to David Thomas (D.T.) McCall and Amy Manning McCall, he seemed destined for a career in business. His father was an accomplished salesman, beginning his career driving a mule wagon as he sold his wares throughout Middle Tennessee. He began by selling (and trading) chickens and eggs. That led him to represent the Corn King and Morman companies as he delivered animal feed supplement products to farms for miles around.
In the earliest days of my career in livestock marketing, I was asked by countless farmers of his generation, “Are you any kin to D.T. McCall? He’s been on my farm!” As a salesman, D.T. McCall took his products to his customer’s farms. As a marketer, A.B. McCall came into their livingrooms.
In the beginning of his longstanding relationship with WSMV Television and The Ralph Emory Show, it was a reach, and somewhat of a risk, for a business in a small town to pay $200 for 30 seconds of airtime. But that $1000 dollars per week made “D.T. McCall and Sons” a household name. For many years, Middle Tennessee woke up to the live music and antics on the Ralph Emory Show at 5:00AM. A. B. McCall was right in the middle of it all. Whether he was promoting an outhouse race, bedroom furniture made of “real tree wood,” or a microwave oven that would “brown a biscuit,” he was laughing, smiling, and saying, “Heyyyyy!”
The entire WSM (later WSMV), Channel 4 viewing area opened up to D.T McCall and Sons - from Harriman to Hohenwald, from southern Kentucky to northern Alabama - all became McCall’s marketing domain.
But A. B. McCall was more than a marketing wizard. His marketing savvy was complimented by his buying prowess. He knew how, and when, to buy. He bought right and he bought “big.” In its day, he purchased Ashley Wood Heaters by the boxcar load. He purchased entire inventories of air conditioners from bankrupt hotel projects. He was a master at taking advantage of year-end closeouts. Come late December, manufacturers knew who to call if they needed to move inventory. A. B. McCall would buy in volume, and he would pay “cash.”
He liked to tell about a “buy” from time to time. One day he told me of this one. “Pigman,” he said. (He called all the sons of his older brother, Frank, “Pigman.”) “I had a company call yesterday trying to sell me 200 dishwashers… in almond (color.) The price was right, so I bought ALL of ‘em.” Then, he laughed, and said, “It may take me two years to move ‘em, but I will sell ‘em for less than the competition can buy ‘em!”
I said at his funeral; in a small-town sense, A. B. McCall was liken to a Harvey Firestone, or a Goodyear, or a Rockefeller, or a J.P. Morgan. He simply found himself in a smaller pond.
He was personal friends of, and adviser to governors. He was as comfortable talking on the phone with George H.W. Bush as he was making small talk with dirt farmers and sharecroppers.
Toward the end of his working days, he was offered a chance to teach a business course at Cumberland University. He told me all about it. It pleased him immensely.
“They asked me if I needed a book for the course,” he said.
“I told them I wrote the book!”
A. B. McCall, dead at age 94.
He was one-of-a-kind.
Copyright 2023 by Jack McCall
