Dealer takes Ronnie Lamarque high note in dispute with rival

When longtime Ford dealer Ronnie Lamarque thought a fast-growing rival was encroaching on his territory, he treated the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission to a song.

"I was born by the river, in a town called Arabi," he crooned to the melody of the Sam Cooke civil rights anthem "A Change is Gonna Come." "It's been a long, long time coming, but I know that Ford ain't gonna bully me."

The special performance for state officials, lawyers and Ford Motor Co. representatives was all entirely in character for Lamarque, 75, who has been singing since he was a child. He's well known to New Orleanians from decades of memorable local TV commercials, and he appeared on the NBC show "America's Got Talent" in 2018.

"I thought the song was a tremendous hit," Lamarque later told nola.com.

But his competitor, Matt Bowers, who eventually abandoned the relocation plan Lamarque was fighting, apparently wasn't entertained.

"It was (expletive) insane," said Bowers, who has built the company he started in 2016 into a $1 billion business with 10 rooftops.