MORE ON GARY HART
- 03/17/2008 (12:38:41 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
……
This past Friday night, the crew here at Kayfabe Commentaries had the pleasure of spending the evening with Gary Hart. We intended to leave with a new edition of Guest Booker, which we did. But we also left with something more.
The impression left by Gary transcends that of the wrestling business. Of course, the time we spent shooting accomplished his solidification of being one of the greatest bookers ever. But the time we spent socially painted him as a kind man; a smart man; a man with a genuine interest in people. On the wrestling front, he was old school to the core. He was Chicago-tough, always traveling with his straight-edge razor to wrestling venues.
We are greatly saddened by this loss. We are bittersweetly happy to have chronicled his amazing booking mind forever. But the world's loss of such a man is always tragic, superceding any chronicle we might have created. Our thoughts extend to those that knew him far more intimately than us. And ultimately to his family, of whom he spoke so fondly, during our short time together.
Sean Oliver
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R.I.P. GARY HART
I don't know even where to begin as I sit here in total shock. I just heard the news that "Playboy" Gary Hart had passed away on Sunday afternoon. This hits very close to home with Ken and I as we spent Friday and Saturday with him. Gary was in great mood and seemed to be feeling well on this trip as he spent time with old friends of his Bill Irwin and Skandor Akbar. I'm not going to go over Gary's career here because I'm sure everyone knows how much he did in this business. What I will do is tell you all about Gary's last weekend on the road and as he put it "the good old days traveling down the road with good friends".
The weekend started Friday afternoon as we picked of Gary, Bill and Skandor at Philadelphia Airport and headed for Allentown P.A. This was like a true lovefest between these three old friend as they couldn't stop talking about the good times they spent together. They talked about storylines, talent, friends, foes and whatever you can think of. It was a great time for us as we just sat back and listened to all the old stories which was so much fun. When we got to Allentown, Gary was to be meeting Kayfabe Commentaries to do a guest booker piece but I had to call Sean and tell him that it would have to wait because these three buddies wanted to have dinner together first. The fun continued for us all as we headed for a steakhouse and enjoyed some more old days talk. Gary talked about how proud of his two sons he was and enjoyed the time he spends with them. I wouldn't ev! en know where to start to tell you about all the stories they told as there were so many. After a long fun filled dinner we dropped Gary off to do his guest booker piece and told him we would talk later. Later Friday night Gary called us and said all went well with the piece and he would see us in the morning.
Saturday morning started as we went to pick Gary up at his hotel and sat down for a quick breakfast with him. The first thing he asked me was did I drink and handed me a bottle of Crown Royal which he told me to enjoy. He said it was given to him by Sean last night at the guest booker piece but he had a couple of drinks but couldn't bring it on the plane and didn't want to waste such a generous gift. That is just the kind of guy that Gary was always thinking about everyone. Gary and I had a convesation about how he couldn't understand why the fans would want to hear about booking. I told him it's a side that most people have no idea about and it was a huge interest to the fans. I also told Gary it had a lot to do with the way he just mesmerized people when he spoke. We then headed to Carson's Pro Wrestling World for a Meet & Greet and World Class Ringside Reunion Q&A Session.&nb! sp; The meet and greet went great as Gary, Bill , Skandor and the fans had a wonderful time. It was now time for the World Class Ringside Reunion Q&A which went over well beyond anything we could have imagined. The session rolled along great and all questions were answered and old storied were told to the fans. Gary again showed the person he was as he broke down when a question about Gino Hernandez was asked. I spoke to Gary about that and he told me talking about Gino is very tough do to with Gino being like a son to him. The Q&A taping ended with a standing ovation from all in attendance. We headed back to Philadelphia Airport but not before a trip through the drive up at MacDonalds for a quarter pounder with cheese meal for the "Playboy". The ride was once again great as old stories were covered the whole way back. At the airport the three old friends hugged goodbye and Gary told us that he would be it touch soon t! o work with us again another project. As Ken and I headed home a ll we could do is talk about what a great guy and true genius that Gary was. We also talked about how much Gary did to promote this show for us as he truly wanted us to do well.
As I sit here typing this I get a call from Ken and he tells me he just spoke with Jim (Skandor) about Gary's passing. Jim was in total shock as Gary appeared to be in fine health to him also. Jim told Ken that they had a great time on the plane ride home and continued talking about old times. Jim also said that Gary's two boys were at the airport to pick him up which makes me so very happy. Jim said that he and Gary both thanked us for putting this reunion together as it was very special to them both. I think I have covered it all and I hope that everyone can get a small picture of Gary's last days traveling down the road with old friends.
To the Williams (Hart) family: you will all be in our pray's and heart's at this sad time.
R.I.P. "Playboy" Gary Hart
Steve
K&S Wrestlefest
I don't know even where to begin as I sit here in total shock. I just heard the news that "Playboy" Gary Hart had passed away on Sunday afternoon. This hits very close to home with Ken and I as we spent Friday and Saturday with him. Gary was in great mood and seemed to be feeling well on this trip as he spent time with old friends of his Bill Irwin and Skandor Akbar. I'm not going to go over Gary's career here because I'm sure everyone knows how much he did in this business. What I will do is tell you all about Gary's last weekend on the road and as he put it "the good old days traveling down the road with good friends".
The weekend started Friday afternoon as we picked of Gary, Bill and Skandor at Philadelphia Airport and headed for Allentown P.A. This was like a true lovefest between these three old friend as they couldn't stop talking about the good times they spent together. They talked about storylines, talent, friends, foes and whatever you can think of. It was a great time for us as we just sat back and listened to all the old stories which was so much fun. When we got to Allentown, Gary was to be meeting Kayfabe Commentaries to do a guest booker piece but I had to call Sean and tell him that it would have to wait because these three buddies wanted to have dinner together first. The fun continued for us all as we headed for a steakhouse and enjoyed some more old days talk. Gary talked about how proud of his two sons he was and enjoyed the time he spends with them. I wouldn't ev! en know where to start to tell you about all the stories they told as there were so many. After a long fun filled dinner we dropped Gary off to do his guest booker piece and told him we would talk later. Later Friday night Gary called us and said all went well with the piece and he would see us in the morning.
Saturday morning started as we went to pick Gary up at his hotel and sat down for a quick breakfast with him. The first thing he asked me was did I drink and handed me a bottle of Crown Royal which he told me to enjoy. He said it was given to him by Sean last night at the guest booker piece but he had a couple of drinks but couldn't bring it on the plane and didn't want to waste such a generous gift. That is just the kind of guy that Gary was always thinking about everyone. Gary and I had a convesation about how he couldn't understand why the fans would want to hear about booking. I told him it's a side that most people have no idea about and it was a huge interest to the fans. I also told Gary it had a lot to do with the way he just mesmerized people when he spoke. We then headed to Carson's Pro Wrestling World for a Meet & Greet and World Class Ringside Reunion Q&A Session.&nb! sp; The meet and greet went great as Gary, Bill , Skandor and the fans had a wonderful time. It was now time for the World Class Ringside Reunion Q&A which went over well beyond anything we could have imagined. The session rolled along great and all questions were answered and old storied were told to the fans. Gary again showed the person he was as he broke down when a question about Gino Hernandez was asked. I spoke to Gary about that and he told me talking about Gino is very tough do to with Gino being like a son to him. The Q&A taping ended with a standing ovation from all in attendance. We headed back to Philadelphia Airport but not before a trip through the drive up at MacDonalds for a quarter pounder with cheese meal for the "Playboy". The ride was once again great as old stories were covered the whole way back. At the airport the three old friends hugged goodbye and Gary told us that he would be it touch soon t! o work with us again another project. As Ken and I headed home a ll we could do is talk about what a great guy and true genius that Gary was. We also talked about how much Gary did to promote this show for us as he truly wanted us to do well.
As I sit here typing this I get a call from Ken and he tells me he just spoke with Jim (Skandor) about Gary's passing. Jim was in total shock as Gary appeared to be in fine health to him also. Jim told Ken that they had a great time on the plane ride home and continued talking about old times. Jim also said that Gary's two boys were at the airport to pick him up which makes me so very happy. Jim said that he and Gary both thanked us for putting this reunion together as it was very special to them both. I think I have covered it all and I hope that everyone can get a small picture of Gary's last days traveling down the road with old friends.
To the Williams (Hart) family: you will all be in our pray's and heart's at this sad time.
R.I.P. "Playboy" Gary Hart
Steve
K&S Wrestlefest
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Career
Gary Hart (born Gary Williams) started out as a wrestler in 1963 in the Illinois and Wisconsin territories. In the late 1960's, he became a manager called "Playboy" Gary Hart. Gary Hart became the booker for World Class Championship Wrestling in 1979, a position he would hold until 1987. Gary Hart is largely credited (alongside Bill Mercer, Fritz and David Von Erich) with the success of WCCW, as 1982-1985 are largely considered to be the "Golden Years" of the promotion. Hart created the classic feud between the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds, as well as introducing memorable characters like the Great Kabuki, Great Muta, King Kong Bundy, the One Man Gang and the Samoan Swat Team. Hart additionally discovered talent such as Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams. Along with booking, he also managed Nord the Barbarian, Abdullah The Butcher, Al Perez and Jeep Swenson under the stable "New Age Management", and always feuded with the top faces of the promotion. In 1984, Hart managed Gentleman Chris Adams, who turned heel and engaged in a major feud with Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. As a result, Adams was propeled to the top of the wrestling world and eventually won the NWA American title in 1985.
Shortly after the folding of WCCW, Hart continued to manage Al Perez in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions in 1987, along with Larry Zbyszko. In 1989, he managed the stable J-Tex Corporation, which included Terry Funk, Dick Slater, Buzz Sawyer, The Dragonmaster, and The Great Muta. They feuded primarily with Ric Flair and Sting, but Ole and Arn Anderson later teamed up with Flair and Sting to even the sides up (and thus bringing back The Four Horseman briefly). J-Tex disbanded in early 1990.
During the 1990s, following the demise of the Global Wrestling Federation, Hart and Chris Adams were involved in many Texas-based wrestling promotions, including an ill-fated attempt to revive World Class (billed as World Class II: The Next Generation) at the Dallas Sportatorium. Hart retired in 1999, but made a surprise return in Major League Wrestling, during the promotion's Reloaded Tour on January 9-10, 2004. He appeared following the main event (on January 9th) pitting Low-Ki against Homicide, where the three laid out several wrestlers from the locker room, as well as MLW president (and nephew of Hart's) Court Bauer. Also during the tour, Hart's son Chad (who was trained by Chris Adams, Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart) debuted and wrestled on both events. On January 10, Hart attacked Terry Funk immediately after his barbed-wire "I Quit" match with Steve Corino. It would prove to be MLW's final show, as the promotion folded in February of the same year.
R.I.P. Gary Hart
Gary Hart (born Gary Williams) started out as a wrestler in 1963 in the Illinois and Wisconsin territories. In the late 1960's, he became a manager called "Playboy" Gary Hart. Gary Hart became the booker for World Class Championship Wrestling in 1979, a position he would hold until 1987. Gary Hart is largely credited (alongside Bill Mercer, Fritz and David Von Erich) with the success of WCCW, as 1982-1985 are largely considered to be the "Golden Years" of the promotion. Hart created the classic feud between the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds, as well as introducing memorable characters like the Great Kabuki, Great Muta, King Kong Bundy, the One Man Gang and the Samoan Swat Team. Hart additionally discovered talent such as Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams. Along with booking, he also managed Nord the Barbarian, Abdullah The Butcher, Al Perez and Jeep Swenson under the stable "New Age Management", and always feuded with the top faces of the promotion. In 1984, Hart managed Gentleman Chris Adams, who turned heel and engaged in a major feud with Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. As a result, Adams was propeled to the top of the wrestling world and eventually won the NWA American title in 1985.
Shortly after the folding of WCCW, Hart continued to manage Al Perez in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions in 1987, along with Larry Zbyszko. In 1989, he managed the stable J-Tex Corporation, which included Terry Funk, Dick Slater, Buzz Sawyer, The Dragonmaster, and The Great Muta. They feuded primarily with Ric Flair and Sting, but Ole and Arn Anderson later teamed up with Flair and Sting to even the sides up (and thus bringing back The Four Horseman briefly). J-Tex disbanded in early 1990.
During the 1990s, following the demise of the Global Wrestling Federation, Hart and Chris Adams were involved in many Texas-based wrestling promotions, including an ill-fated attempt to revive World Class (billed as World Class II: The Next Generation) at the Dallas Sportatorium. Hart retired in 1999, but made a surprise return in Major League Wrestling, during the promotion's Reloaded Tour on January 9-10, 2004. He appeared following the main event (on January 9th) pitting Low-Ki against Homicide, where the three laid out several wrestlers from the locker room, as well as MLW president (and nephew of Hart's) Court Bauer. Also during the tour, Hart's son Chad (who was trained by Chris Adams, Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart) debuted and wrestled on both events. On January 10, Hart attacked Terry Funk immediately after his barbed-wire "I Quit" match with Steve Corino. It would prove to be MLW's final show, as the promotion folded in February of the same year.
R.I.P. Gary Hart
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