The Late-Night Talk Show Appearance That Boosted Stubb's BBQ Sauce Into The Big Leagues

Everywhere you go, there's a cook out there who's just looking for their big break. Those opportunities come in many forms: angel investors, a viral TikTok cucumber salad suddenly making their recipe in-demand, and even the occasional accident. In the case of Christopher B. "Stubb" Stubblefield, creator of Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q Sauce (which, by the way, doesn't include the barbecue sauce ingredient you should avoid), it came in the form of an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

After getting his hands on a bottle of Stubb's sauce, Letterman invited the pitmaster to do a cooking segment on his show in 1991. Stubblefield was already a legend in his own right in Lubbock, Texas — his restaurant was a focal point of the city's vibrant music scene, where guests came as much for the concerts as they did for the excellent barbecue. His reputation, however, didn't reach too far beyond Texas until he appeared on "The Late Show."

Stubblefield, who stood at 6 feet, 6 inches, wowed the audience with his physical size and charmed them with his even bigger personality. When Letterman asked him what ingredients went into his barbecue, he responded by saying, "It's the wood, the meat, the sauce, love and happiness, and good taste" (via the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal). A year later, Stubb's Legendary BBQ Sauce started popping up in grocery stores, and the brand eventually got sold to McCormick in 2015. It now reaches homes nationwide, and it's even among the most popular BBQ sauces on Amazon.

David Letterman only learned of Christopher B. Stubblefield's legendary barbecue sauce because country musician Joe Ely brought a bottle with him when he was a musical guest on Letterman's show. Ely was a dear friend of Stubblefield, who had given the singer an early boost in his career. The original Lubbock location of the Stubb's Bar-B-Q restaurant built a reputation as a venue for live music, and Ely was among the first to grace its stage. The two were so close that Ely asked Stubblefield to be his daughter's godfather.

In the mid to late '80s, it was Ely and his wife, Sharon, who convinced Stubblefield to start bottling his sauce. The very first batches were made in the couple's kitchen, with Ely designing the label featuring a portrait of Stubblefield by another of their friends, Lubbock-based artist Paul Milosevich. Each bottle was corked with a jalapeño and sold to friends and fellow barbecue lovers.

Had it not been for the friendship between Ely and Stubblefield, Stubb's BBQ sauce might not have become a household name in the South. The main reason they started bottling it in the first place was that Stubblefield had already experienced the closure of two businesses — his original Stubb's restaurant in Lubbock and its second location in Austin — and needed to make some money while he got himself back on his feet. If it hadn't been bottled, it may have never made its way to Letterman's show, and, consequently, would have never reached our homes.