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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 5, 2019 3:50:10 GMT -5
Also passing away was Christopher Alan Pallies, aka King Kong Bundy. Bundy was one of several large-framed guys to come out of "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe's "Monster Factory," wrestling school (one of the earliest). He started wrestling in 1981, as Chris Canyon and Chris Cannon, before coming to Texas, to wrestle for Fritz Von Erich, as big Daddy Bundy (as a face, or good guy) he soon became the villainous King Kong Bundy, who fought promoter and legend Fritz Von Erich, in his retirement match. That notoriety, combined with his massive size and surprising agility made him a top draw in places like the Mid-South promotion (Oklahoma and Louisiana), the AWA and various NWA promotions, including the influential georgia territory (thanks to World Championship Wrestling, broadcast nationally on Superstation WTBS). Bundy soon emerged in the WWF at the early stages of the Hulk Hogan era and would become his opponent for the second Wrestlemania, in a cage match. Bundy's gimmick was that he was so big and awesome, that he would demand a 5-count from the referee, instead of the normal 3. Bundy continued in the WWF until 1988, then went into semi-retirement, making sporadic appearances in independent promotions. he returned to the WWF in 1994, staying for about a year, before returning to occasional appearances for independent promotions. Bundy also had a modest acting career, appearing as a relative of Peg Bundy, in a couple of episodes of Married With Children, as well as Boy Meets World and weird Science. he also appeared in national ads for vendex Computers. Bundy had been suffering health issues, related to both his size and ring injuries. He was 61.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2019 4:04:35 GMT -5
Met him once at a WWF Event back in 1981 and he was an likeable fellow. We talked for several minutes and his loves of Pizza and looking for a pizza joint in Chicago when I met him.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 7, 2019 18:53:42 GMT -5
RIP to Ricard "Dick" Beyer, aka The Destroyer. Beyer was a standout varsity wrestler and football player, at Syracuse University and played for Syracuse in the 1953 orange Bowl. As a collegiate amateur, he went undefeated, during his senior year; but, did not place in the NCAA tournament. He earned his Master's Degree in Education and taught school, while also assisting with the wrestling program, at Syracuse. He soon moved into pro wrestling, first as a local babyface, or hero. He was a student of the business, focusing heavily on the techniques and matches of Pat O'Connor and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers (Rogers would defeat O'Connor for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, at the Old Comiskey Park, in 1961, in front of 38,000 fans) and would eventually move on to Los Angeles. There, he began wrestling under a mask, as The Destroyer. Beyer told the story of the promoter (Jules Strongbow) wanting him to wrestle under a mask and handed him one to wear. It didn't fit right and obscured his vision. Wrestler Ox Anderson said he could do better and sewed him one, out of a girdle. It became his signature mask, worn throughout his career (followed by others, of course) He became the WWA champion in Los Angeles, feuding with the likes of "Classy" Freddie Blassie. He became one of the top heels, as the masked Destroyer and was featured on national television, as LA was an important wrestling market, whose matches would be broadcast elsewhere. LA was also a focal point for cross promotion with the growing Japanese market. Destroyer had matches with Shohei "Giant" Baba, who would become the top hero; and, later, top promoter of Japanese wrestling. He had bouts with Japanese legend and modern founder of Japan's pro wrestling, Rikidozan, a former sumo wrestler. His rematch with Rikidozan had a national 64.0 rating, the second most watched tv program in Japan, after one day of the Tokyo Olympics. That record stood for decades. Destroyer became a god in Japan and would make frequent tours, which brought him onto Japanese television and as a special guest at many events. In his later years, he brought young American amateur wrestlers to compete against Japanese wrestlers, in a cultural sporting exchange. Beyer was a pop culture icon in Japan and was even featured in the popular manga title Tiger Mask, about an orphan turned pro wrestler, who fights a long battle against the evil organization that trained him. That manga would later spawn 2 cartoon series and a live wrestler, portrayed by Satoru Sayama, whose main opponent was the Dynamite Kid, of the british Bulldogs team. Beyer would also wrestle for the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, promoted by Verne Gagne (also the top star) and would trade their world title, westling as the masked Dr X. The Destroyer retired in 1984, though he would make special appearances, including charities and was involved in several sporting exchanges. He was one of the Board of Directors of the Cauliflower Alley Club, a fraternal organization of current and former pro wrestlers, fans, and historians. After retirement, he returned to teaching and coaching at Akron Central School, in Akron, NY. Every year, he would bring a new crop of young amateurs to Japan for matches. Beyer was one of the top stars of pro wrestling in the 60s and one of the legends of the profession. In later days, he appeared in documentaries, such as The Unreal Story of Pro Wrestling, a documentary done during the late 90s wrestling boom. There, he gave a demonstration of kayfabe, the carny language used by old pro wrestlers to hide behind-the-scenes discussions from outsiders. Beyer would be a standout as just a performer, entertaining millions around the world; but, he used that status to forge cultural bonds and raise money for worthy causes. He truly was The Sensational Intelligent Destroyer! He wrestled his retirement match in 1993, in Japan, and was honored with a ceremony, after the conclusion of the match. The Japanese knew how to treat a legend. The big American, who carries him out on his shoulders, is his son, Kurt. His family joins him in the ring, at the end. Debbie Harry, of Blondie, was a fan and used to wear Dr X t-shirts.
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Post by Mister Spaceman on Mar 7, 2019 21:37:13 GMT -5
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 8, 2019 14:15:45 GMT -5
News apparently just released; actor Jan Michael Vincent passed away, back in February. Vincent was a promising young actor, in the late 60s, when he was cast for the live action serial, Danger Island, which was part of the Banana Splits Show. Through the 70s, the parts became higher profile and the promise became something bigger. he appeared on television, in things like Gunsmoke and Marcus Welby, and at the movies in films like Disney's The World's Greatest Athlete, White Line Fever, The Mechanic, Damnation Alley, Baby Blue Marine; and, one of my favorites, Bite the Bullet. In the 80s, he starred in the action/adventure series Airwolf, as Stringfellow Hawk, a helicopter pilot and former agent of "The Company," a mysterious intelligence agency, run by Archangel. He is tasked to recover a stolen attack helicopter prototype, from Libya, and then keeps the helicopter to blackmail Archangel into helping him locate his brother St John, who was listed as MIA, in Vietnam. Airwolf was a Donald Belisarius production, with exciting plots and a strong cast, that included Ernest Borgnine and Alex Cord. Vincent left after the third season and was replaced by Barry Van Dyke, for broadcast on the USA Network. Vincent also appeared in the mini-series The Winds of War. His career took a nosedive, after Airwolf, after his drug and alcohol abuse got out of control and he became unreliable, working in lower and lower budget films. In the 90s, he was involved in three sever auto accidents, which nearly killed him. One broke vertebrae in the neck and an emergency medical procedure damaged his vocal cords, leaving him with a raspy voice. He had a leg amputated on 2012, after an infection, related to peripheral arterial disease. He was hospitalized in February of this year and died of cardiac arrest, on Feb 10. The once ruggedly handsome actor was greatly deteriorated in his later years. Vincent was an extremely talented actor, whose personal demons destroyed his career and life. However, with the nature of film, he lives on in his performances, when things looked much brighter.
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Post by Rob Allen on Mar 8, 2019 14:59:03 GMT -5
I probably saw Danger Island since I watched the Banana Splits show, but my first real awareness of Vincent was in the TV movie Tribes (also known as The Soldier Who Declared Peace) with Darren McGavin and Earl Holliman.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Mar 8, 2019 16:12:05 GMT -5
Man, that sucks. I didn't know about his later substance abuse and health problems. I always loved The World's Greatest Athlete when I was a kid, and I liked him in a number of movies, especially Hooper and Big Wednesday (although in the latter case, I really don't like the movie as a whole).
By the way, "ruggedly handsome?" I'd describe Vincent's looks back in the day as boyishly handsome.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 9, 2019 0:14:40 GMT -5
Man, that sucks. I didn't know about his later substance abuse and health problems. I always loved The World's Greatest Athlete when I was a kid, and I liked him in a number of movies, especially Hooper and Big Wednesday (although in the latter case, I really don't like the movie as a whole). By the way, "ruggedly handsome?" I'd describe Vincent's looks back in the day as boyishly handsome. Well, the substance stuff, took away some of the boyish look. I recall an entertainment piece, in the mid-90s. he was involved in an autho accident, with bad injuries (and probably DUI) and checked himself out of the hospital to continue filming on some low budget film, while his face was still swollen and wearing his hospital ID bracelet. That sounded pathetic, then, as they noted his decreasing profile in Hollywood and recurring drug and alcohol problems. That just continued. He also was charged with spousal abuse and had a few bar brawls. Sounds like he was a mean drunk, on top of things. Really sad; he really could have been a bigger star, if he could have dealt with the demons at the heart of his substance and violence problems.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 12, 2019 1:17:42 GMT -5
RIP to cyclist and Olympic silver Medalist Kelly Catlin. Catlin was part of the 2016 Women;s Pursuit Cycling team, which captured Silver, in Rio, and won consecutive world championships between 2016 and 2018. She was a student at Stanford, pursuing a graduate degree in computational and mathematical engineering. Sadly, she took her own life, after previously attempting suicide in January. Her parents felt a concussion, suffered in a race in December, may have contributed to her mental state. (Catlin is on the far left) Such a terrible thing, for one so young, with so much promise, in many disciplines, to end their life, when it was only starting.
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Post by Rob Allen on Mar 12, 2019 20:51:19 GMT -5
Hal Blaine, the drummer from The Wrecking Crew, at age 90. He played "over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. His drumming is featured on 40 number 1 hits, and 150 US top 10 ones ..." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Blaine
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 22:17:31 GMT -5
My friends and I were talking about the death of Jay Michael Vincent and we were talking about his show Airwolf and sharing some of the spectacular action scenes and all that. That's was my only exposure of him when he did that show. My dear friends knew him more than I do and we also discussed Danger Zone too.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 13, 2019 8:05:37 GMT -5
My friends and I were talking about the death of Jay Michael Vincent and we were talking about his show Airwolf and sharing some of the spectacular action scenes and all that. That's was my only exposure of him when he did that show. My dear friends knew him more than I do and we also discussed Danger Zone too. Danger Island; which was directed by Richard Donner, back when he was a tv guy (he also did Maverick and the Man From UNCLE, among others). Vincent had a pretty good run, through the 70s (though many would have considered Disney a bit of a road bump, given their 70s profile) and Airwolf was a highpoint; but, it was also when his substance issues really became a problem. He had some run-ins before that; but, it is different when you are the lead, in a tv series. He was really good as that character and gave it some real weight, with a thinly sketched background, right from the start, in the pilot.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2019 20:52:33 GMT -5
My friends and I were talking about the death of Jay Michael Vincent and we were talking about his show Airwolf and sharing some of the spectacular action scenes and all that. That's was my only exposure of him when he did that show. My dear friends knew him more than I do and we also discussed Danger Zone too. Danger Island; which was directed by Richard Donner, back when he was a tv guy (he also did Maverick and the Man From UNCLE, among others). Vincent had a pretty good run, through the 70s (though many would have considered Disney a bit of a road bump, given their 70s profile) and Airwolf was a highpoint; but, it was also when his substance issues really became a problem. He had some run-ins before that; but, it is different when you are the lead, in a tv series. He was really good as that character and gave it some real weight, with a thinly sketched background, right from the start, in the pilot. Thanks from a different perspective and all that ... appreciate it Cody.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,597
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Post by Confessor on Mar 14, 2019 0:35:53 GMT -5
Hal Blaine, the drummer from The Wrecking Crew, at age 90. He played "over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. His drumming is featured on 40 number 1 hits, and 150 US top 10 ones ..." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_BlaineOne of the greats of '60s music, yet hardly known to most people. I bet there's an awful lot of people out there who own multiple records that feature Hal's drumming, and yet have never heard of him.
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Post by Mister Spaceman on Mar 14, 2019 4:41:03 GMT -5
Hal Blaine, the drummer from The Wrecking Crew, at age 90. He played "over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. His drumming is featured on 40 number 1 hits, and 150 US top 10 ones ..." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_BlaineOne of the greats of '60s music, yet hardly known to most people. I bet there's an awful lot of people out there who own multiple records that feature Hal's drumming, and yet have never heard of him. Hal Blaine is all over my record collection. I knew of his session work with major artists such as Simon and Garfunkle and The Ronettes (that epic drum beat in "Be My Baby"!) but did not know that he also drummed on the theme song for the Batman TV show. What a legacy.
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