So he decided to stop wrestling and work as a manager and he managed The Headshrinkers, Andre the Giant and he even appeared as the father figure in Cyndi Lauper's music video, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. So he became a good guy or (as they call in wrestling) a babyface, he ended up breaking his back twice. People started throwing rocks and snowballs at him and he thought, "This is ridiculous, I'm gonna get myself killed." Another problem was that Albano was facing harassment from Mafia members who demanded the Sicilians be dissolved on account of that gig being too much like actual Mafioso. He started working in a tag team called the Sicilians. When his military career was over, he took a job as a nightclub bouncer and was then introduced to professional wrestling. As a teenager, Lou played football in high school and joined the US Army after graduating. His family emigrated to the United States shortly after his birth. EleCyon ( talk) 23:30, (EDT)Īlbano was born in Rome, Italy in 1933. Reason: Part of the writing is kind of awkward, especially when using terms like "so" and "babyface". Super Show!Īlbano retired from wrestling in 1995 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a year later.It has been requested that this section be rewritten. In 1989, he became the voice of Mario on The Super Mario Bros. He guest-starred on 227 and Miami Vice, and appeared in Wiseguys and the wrestling film Body Slam. Watch the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video nowAlbano and Lauper remained close over the years, and the singer wrote the foreword in his 2008 autobiography, Often Imitated, Never Duplicated.As his fame grew, Albano left the WWE in 1986 and segued into acting. I will always look back on the absolutely hilarious times and the magical world of wrestling he introduced me to and shared for that brief time." He graced me with a lot of video performances that I will always treasure," Lauper added. "He was a great, gregarious, hilarious fellow who had this lovable presence. He made all of that promotion we did so much fun. The "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" catapulted wrestling into mainstream pop culture. The two also made WWE appearances together. Albano would go on to guide 15 tag teams to WWE championship glory.Albano achieved new celebrity status and transformed his bad-guy persona in the 1980s when he starred in Lauper's music videos, including "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," in which he played her father. His protégé, Ivan Koloff, accomplished the mission in 1971. He then paired with Tony Altimore to become the tag team "The Sicilians," winning the World Wide Wrestling Federation - the WWE precursor - United States Tag Team Championship in 1967.By the 1970s, Albano became a manager - and a villainous one at that when he made it his goal to end Bruno Sammartino's seven-year reign as WWE champion. The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native made his professional wrestling debut in 1953 after a brief stint in the Army. Earlier Wednesday, the Miami Herald reported that Albano was at home with his family under hospice care and was not suffering from cancer.Known for his animated personality, Hawaiian shirts, untamed beard usually bound by rubber bands and his motto, "Often imitated, never duplicated," Albano was a staple in the ring for nearly half a century. See which celebrities have died in 2009A cause of death has not been disclosed. But wherever you are, I am sure you are causing a hilarious rucuss. Or maybe you're having a good laugh with Freddie Blassie. "I love ya Lou and I can picture you up there somewhere explaining that PEG principle to someone. My heart goes out to his family," Lauper said in a statement. But I know he's at peace now, he had been ill for a while. I am sad for his family and I'm just sad. Lou had passed away at home with his family beside him. "WWE extends its deepest condolences to the Albano family." He was 76.Īlbano was "one of the company's most popular and charismatic legends," read a statement on the WWE website. Captain Lou Albano, the legendary wrestling icon who bridged World Wrestling Entertainment and rock music after starring in Cyndi Lauper's music videos, has died.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |