• Home
  • About
  • Listen Now
  • Community
  • Links
  • Buy Our Books!

Remembering Rowdy Roddy Piper

8/3/2015

 
Picture
by Matman


People who know me understand my sadness about the loss of Rowdy Roddy Piper; the wrestling legend that passed away Friday at an age much too young. 

As a teenager I was mesmerized by his charisma and fascinated by his nasty personality so much that even when I stopped watching wrestling.. I kept a keen eye on the 'Hot Rod', especially when he turned to acting. From Pipers Pit to THEY LIVE just seemed natural. But it was what he did later on that made me really love the guy!

Sure he smacked Superfly Jimmy Snuka with a couple of coconuts and yes... he slapped Cyndi Lauper and yes he got Brian and I in headlocks and almost popped our heads off... but what I got to see and experience countless times was an incredibly kind human being who loved his fans more than anything. 

Over the past few years I noticed that Hot Rod didn't quite look as well as he used too. When I saw him and got to chat with him at Rock And Shock last year in Worcester he seemed a bit slower and sadly, kinda frail. But when fans lined up to meet him, especially a young girl with Down Syndrome, he not only made her feel like the most important person in all the world, but he made everyone in line waiting to met him feel special too. And that was Piper's thing... no cameras, no media to see him do this... it was just him!     

Roderick 'Roddy' George Toombs was a class act! Despite his polarizing wrestling persona, Piper was a professional who lived up to the expectations I had before he got me in a choke hold.

When my mother (a nurse) met him in the mid 1990's she said to him. "I can't believe how amazing you are with my patients. You make them feel so special and important. When my son was younger he would watch you act like a jerk then buy your shirts, pictures, and figures." His reply... "Well darlin'. If I wasn't a jerk he never would have bought the stuff now would he."

I got to tell him that story and I will never forget his reaction... he smiled and teared up a bit.

You will be missed, Mr. Piper! 




Picture

Comments are closed.

    Sponsored by:

    Picture
    Picture

    What's New?

    Here's where we post news, reviews and show notes, and you get to comment on them!

    Archives

    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Comics
    Games
    Movies
    Music
    Secret Identity
    Toys
    Tv

    Get Social With Us

    Picture
    Picture

    Subscribe To Our RSS Feed

    RSS Feed

    Looking For The Old SI Website? 

    Look no further! You can visit the old site and read through the article archives by clicking here!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.