Phil Robertson, the beloved patriarch of the hit reality television show “Duck Dynasty,” passed away on May 25 at the age of 79. His family announced his death via social media, although they did not disclose further details surrounding his passing. During a December episode of the podcast “Unashamed with the Robertson family,” Robertson’s son Jase revealed that his father had been diagnosed with a blood disease, along with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Born on April 24, 1946, Phil Robertson was raised in northern Louisiana within a large family of seven children, living modestly without much financial means. He attended what is now known as Louisiana Tech University on a football scholarship and later transitioned into teaching and coaching. However, in pursuit of his entrepreneurial spirit, he decided to create a business focused on making and selling duck calls for hunters, successfully patenting his first duck call in 1972.
Over the following decades, Robertson's company, Duck Commander, flourished into a significant family-run business, selling hundreds of thousands of duck calls worldwide. The home he shared with his wife, Kay, and their children in West Monroe, Louisiana, was transformed into the factory for Duck Commander, where the family not only assembled but also manufactured and shipped their products globally. His son Willie later took on the role of chief executive, steering the family business into the entertainment realm, starting with a show on the Outdoor Channel.
In 2012, the first episode of “Duck Dynasty” aired on A&E Television, showcasing the family’s everyday life in northern Louisiana. The series became a cultural phenomenon, propelling Phil Robertson and his brand of rural masculinity into the national spotlight. Attracting millions of viewers, the show also garnered support from conservative political figures, including Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz. In 2013, the premiere of the show’s fourth season drew nearly 12 million viewers, making it the most-watched cable show in history at that time, according to Rolling Stone.
Despite his popularity, Phil Robertson often sparked controversy with his remarks on social issues. In the same year, he was briefly suspended from the show after making comments about homosexuality, characterizing it as a sin and controversially comparing bisexuality and promiscuity to “bestiality.” He also downplayed the era of racial segregation, claiming he had never witnessed any mistreatment of Black individuals during his upbringing. In defense of her father, the Robertson family stated that despite Phil's “coarse” language, he was merely expressing the teachings of his faith.
Palin came to Robertson’s defense, claiming that the backlash he faced was an attack on free speech. “Those ‘intolerants’ hatin’ and taking on the Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing his personal opinion are taking on all of us,” she stated in a social media post. In the days following the controversy, old footage resurfaced of Robertson advising young girls to marry at the age of 15 or 16. While some die-hard fans remained loyal, the show's ratings steadily declined, culminating in its final episode airing in 2017. Recently, A&E announced plans to revive the show in June, focusing on the next generation of Robertsons.
In addition to his television career, Phil Robertson also found success as a speaker on the Christian circuit, amassing a significant following among conservative evangelicals. In a speech in 2014, he urged the Republican Party to “get godly,” lamenting how far America had strayed from the founders’ vision concerning the role of religion in government. In a 2019 interview with Fox News, Robertson emphasized the importance of religion in his life, reflecting on his spiritual awakening at the age of 28.
His wife described this religious conversion as a transformative moment for their marriage, bringing an end to a tumultuous period marked by alcohol abuse. Robertson authored several books, including the memoir “Happy, Happy, Happy” and “UnPHILtered,” where he detailed his philosophy on life and liberty. He also hosted the popular podcast “Unashamed,” featuring discussions with his sons Jase and Al.
In 2016, Phil Robertson publicly endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, releasing a lighthearted video where he humorously questioned which of the candidates could make a good duck gumbo. “He’s the man for the job, and he will go duck hunting,” Robertson stated in the spot, which featured him and Cruz hunting ducks together. Reflecting on his incredible journey in a 2019 interview, Robertson remarked, “What are the odds? We’re down on the river bank. I’m fishing the river, and I made a duck call that sounded like a duck.” He credited his success to divine intervention, stating, “We look up, and here’s a bus from New York City, A&E, and they pitched a thing about a TV show. I would think there’s a God somewhere.”
