Mixon's father, Jack Mixon, taught him how to make barbecue, and he originally took up competitive BBQ to promote the BBQ sauce that Jack and Myron's mother, Gaye Mixon, created. Mixon later named his BBQ company, Jack's Old South, after his father. At his first barbecue competition in
Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, Over the course of his competitive career, Mixon has won over 180 BBQ grand championships and 1,700 BBQ trophies. Mixon has not won the Jack Daniel's BBQ World Invitational, which he described as the most prestigious competition on the BBQ circuit. He was runner up in 2004, missing first place by 0.1 points, and he has placed first in the whole hog category on three occasions. In 2010 Mixon signed a cookbook deal with
Ballantine Books. In May 2012 Mixon appeared on
NBC's
The Today Show in a BBQ cookoff against Pat Martin of
Tennessee restaurant Martin's Bar-B-Que. Mixon made
brisket, and Martin made "red neck
tacos." Mixon was elected mayor of his hometown of
Unadilla, Georgia, and was sworn in for a four-year term in January 2016. ==Published works==