(Wall Street Journal) — Back in the 1980s, when I was a business writer at The Miami Herald, part of my job was to interview colorful South Florida entrepreneurs and help readers learn from their mistakes and successes. One of my most memorable interviews was with Chuck Curcio, the self-proclaimed Tire King, a shameless self-promoter who built his business on rock-bottom prices and late night TV commercials featuring himself prancing around in a pharaoh costume, spoofing the Beatles and belting out country, reggae and doo wop tunes. While the King’s musical performances didn’t always get rave reviews in the local press, they rang up sales — and that’s what helped the King expand his realm and sell his company to Michelin for a tidy sum in 1989. (You can check out some of Curcio’s greatest hits here.)
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