RIP Captain Lou Albano
Farewell To The Captain
Captain Lou Albano
RIP 1933-2009
LordsofPain.com just reported that WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano (Louis Vincent Albano) has passed away. He was 76 years old.
Captain Lou enjoyed a 40+ year career in the pro wrestling business as a wrestler and manager. He was a one-on-a-kind personality and a longtime favorite of wrestling fans.
The “manager of champions” guided 15 different tag teams and 4 singles competitors to championship gold. Fans may remember that his association with Cyndi Lauper helped usher in The Rock & Wrestling Connection, which helped mainstream pro wrestling and helped lead to the first Wrestlemania.
I’d like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Captain Lou Albano. He shall be missed.
Also of interest:
Will he be buried with the rubber bands in his beard?
Seriously, though, he was a great performer, certainly the best of the three managers (Albano, Blassie, and Grand Wizard) during the (W)WWF’s pre-expansion heyday. He was not a good worker based on the little footage I’ve seen of him in the ring, but the Captain was awesome at drawing heat. Perhaps the downside was drew more heat on himself than on whomever he was managing. But he was over as a heel, which meant his wrestlers got over as heels.
I was at the Garden in Dec. 1984 when Roddy Piper broke one of Cyndi Lauper’s gold records over Albano’s head. Great moment.
Here’s to The Captain! It occurs to me that the WWWF’s classic ‘Three Wise Men of the East’ – Albano, Blassie, & The Grand Wizard Ernie Roth are reunited in the great beyond, no doubt raising heck! God bless them all for the wonderful memories!
There’ll never be another. One of the greatest heels of all time! In memory, here’s a few lyrics from NRBQ’s loving tribute song:
Some say the man’s not wrapped too tight,
Captain Lou, Captain Lou, Captain Lou
But when he’s on the scene, everything’s alright,
Captain Lou, Captain Lou Albano.
With a man of a thousand faces,
I know we’ll be goin’ places
I’m gonna stick with “The Guiding Light,”
Captain Lou, Captain Lou Albano.
Rest in Peace, Captain Lou!
The Captain shall live forever in the hearts of his fans! He’s my guiding light!
Rest in Peace Lou, there is ONE (aside from family and closet friends of course) that I know who will remember you always and miss you heaps!
Here’s to you, Captain Lou!