Duck Dynasty's Uncle Si, Willie Robertson Surprise Founder of Born Again Pews on ABC's 'Good Morning America'
An Oklahoma family's decision to give away a customized, handmade pew to Duck Dynasty's Robertson family ultimately landed them a spot on ABC's "Good Morning America" last month.
Rex Blisard, the founder and owner of Born Again Pews and a devoted fan of the A&E reality television show, said that his wife suggested that the family donate a bench to the Robertson's after she realized that Blisard would be traveling to Lousiana for business later in the year.
"Courtney said 'wouldn't it be cool to build them a camouflage pew and take it to them,'" Blisard told Tulsa World. "We built it, and we had everybody at the shop sign it."
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But when Blisard and his son-in-law, Nick Howard, dropped off the bench to the Robertson's house, unbeknownst to them, "Good Morning America" cameras were also rolling that day.
Soon after they spontaneously arrived on site, an ABC representative informed Blisard and Howard that Willie Robertson had just cleaned a part of the house for camera crews and remarked that the spot needed a bench.
The ABC representative asked if she could film the two pew makers, who were given the opportunity to meet Willie and Silas "Uncle Si" Robertson. Their interviews from April of last year ultimately resulted in footage that was shelved for close to eight months until A&E suspended Phil Robertson for his comments in GQ Magazine on homosexuality last month.
After the Dec. 18 suspension, Blisard was featured on ABC's "World News with Diane Sawyer" as part of the show's coverage of the incident. In the clip, the Born Again Pews founder explained just how popular "Duck Dynasty" was in his community by saying that everyone he knew set up their DVRs and watched it when they returned home from church.
"It was pretty cool. Everybody at our church thought that was really neat," Blisard said, adding that he was glad there was video proof of his encounter with the camera crews.
"I was glad that they showed something, because I was beginning to think people didn't believe that we got interviewed by 'Good Morning America,'" he added.
Just over a year ago, Blisard's business took a significant hit after a fire destroyed his equipment, records and office. Born Again Pews, which was started after Blisard became a Christian eight years ago, employs 10 people and sells 1,500 to 2,000 pews annually across the United States, and countries as diverse as the Cayman Islands, Greece and Japan.
The fifth season of "Duck Dynasty" will premiere on A&E on Wednesday. Close to 12 million people tuned in for the show's season four premiere.
