[2] He had a long feud with The Mean Street Posse (Pete Gas, Rodney and Joey Abs) over the title. While his siblings formed a tiling business upon graduating from high school, Holly spent his spare time rehearsing country songs he heard on the radio. He gained popularity in Smokey Mountain Wrestling, having one reign as the Heavyweight Champion, and in ECW, being one third of the infamous "Triple Threat" stable with Shane Douglas and Bam Bam Bigelow. The van fell into a creek. [26] He then feuded with Cruiserweight Champion Jamie Noble. It took time and a new manager named Randy Hughes but Cline began to make a name for herself. Aerosmith is playing 40 dates beginning in September. Do check the Promotions tab if you cannot find it in the Primary Inbox. [18] The next night on Raw is War, they defeated the Rock 'n' Sock Connection for the WWF Tag Team Championship. The bus often broken down, stranding them on the side of the road to endure Midwest winter temperatures until help arrived. By 1989, he was involved in wrestling, competing under a variety of aliases. The NTSB never fully closes a case, but any petition to re-examine a crash needs to show that there is new information suggesting the original probable cause is incorrect, NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said. Michael Lockwood was best known in the WWE as the younger cousin, Crash Holly, to Hardcore Holly. He formed a tag team with Molly Holly and Hardcore Holly, who were his kayfabe cousin. Taking off into wintry conditions just before 1 a.m., the plane crashed roughly 6 miles northwest of the airport. The rockstar, born Charles Hardin Holley, died alongside his fellow band Lockwood signed a contract with NWA Total Nonstop Action in July 2003 and debuted as "Mad Mikey" on July 23,[32] accepting an open challenge from Elix Skipper and losing the match. He also had one ECW Tag Team Title reign with Lance Storm during his involvement with the stable (although Lance Storm was not an official member). The stage name Patsy Cline came from her first marriage to a man named Gerald Cline and her middle name, Patterson. Then, learn about the death of Elvis Presley. The Day The Music Died: Inside The Tragic Story Of Buddy Hollys Death. American professional wrestler. In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, a small aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. RIP LENNY: Man dies on Las Vegas street after hes apparently shot, Grading the Raiders 9 picks in the NFL draft, Athletics owner doesnt deserve public funding from Las Vegas, Harry Styles has one direction: The MSG Sphere, Dates for first 2 games of Golden Knights-Oilers series set, Family suing law enforcement over fatal Nye County crash, Man, 88, dies after east Las Vegas valley crash, Teen gets prison in DUI crash that killed mother of 3, Brett Howden scores key goal in Golden Knights Game 4 victory, Motorcyclist killed in southwest Las Vegas crash. Accompanying Cline and Hughes were two other country singers, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas. In 1996, he joined All Pro Wrestling (APW), where he became known as "'The Leprechaun' Erin O'Grady"[4] and had several matches with Vic Grimes. He wrestled briefly for TNA following his eventual release from WWE and, in 2003, died of an overdose. At Summerslam of the same year, he defeated "Mr. The next day, Cline boarded Hughess plane at the Kansas City Municipal Airport. On February 3, 1959, rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (aka J.P. Richardson) and pilot Roger Peterson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake after. [37] At ECW One Night Stand in 2005, Lockwood was one of the deceased former ECW wrestlers honored in a video package.[38]. Somehow I blamed myself. Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson were famously killed in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959, which Don McLean dubbed "The Day the Music Died" in the 1971 classic "American Pie" The Buddy Holly crash site memorial near Clear Lake, Iowa. But when he died, the WWE made no mention whatsoever on either of its platforms. He was. Their pilot, 21-year-old Roger Peterson, also died when their chartered 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashed just minutes after taking . The WWE had known Benoit, his wife, and child were all pronounced dead, but didn't have the details of how or why - then they came out. Holly's bassist, Waylon Jennings, would be haunted by that night for decades, as he had casually given up his seat for a flu-ridden Richardson moments earlier. The autopsy revealed that Lockwood ingested 90 pills of Carisoprodol. He was subsequently fired from TNA a year later for the same problem. Harrowing Buddy Holly plane crash images show devastation of tragic The best he got was a two-sentence press release on the WWE website. He passed away from heart disease in 2004, but no official mention was made during WWE programming. He was found motionless by a neighbor in 2009, just four days before his 34th birthday. Known as the "Yellow Rose of Texas," David Von Erich was one of the most popular members of the legendary Von Erich family, and arguably was on the path to become the most successful. . U2s Las Vegas shows were supposed to be affordable, but you need to dig deep to attend. American professional wrestler (19712003), "Mike Lockwood" redirects here. The weekend before his death, he teamed with his then-16 year old son Harry Smith. This disease had also taken his father's life. The musicians had traveled in subfreezing temperatures in unheated buses, and people were getting sick. Patsy Cline rose to fame with songs like "Walkin' After Midnight" and "Crazy." After two near-death experiences, the country music star died in a plane crash at 30 years old with fellow country . The Crash Shortly after midnight on Feb. 3, 1959, Holly, Valens and Richardson arrived at the airport, gathered their belongings and hurried along through the falling snow to Peterson's plane. There, Cline closed the show with some of her hits including Shes Got You, Sweet Dreams, Crazy, and I Fall to Pieces.. Part of the famed Anoa'i family, Umaga debuted on-screen in the WWE as Jamal, part of Eric Bischoff's 3-Minute Warning, which were brought out to put an end to matches Bischoff deemed boring. He was only 33. Patsy Cline's Death And The Tragic Plane Crash That Killed Her At the time, Cline was just 28 years old, but she seemed to have an eerie sense of what was to come. One of the stars, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is billing the new dates on the Las Vegas Strip as a new show. In 1992, Yokozuna debuted in the WWE, and attained a meteoric rise due to his combination of size and agility. [35] He had recently received divorce papers from his wife. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Born Virginia Patterson Hensley on Sept. 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, Cline had suffered an unhappy and abusive childhood. By 1958, it was clear that Holly and The Crickets needed to part ways. Buddy Hollys death became known as the day the music died., the satanic legend of blues musician Robert Johnson. Sadly, on November 13, 2005, he was found dead in his hotel room.The cause of death was ruled to be heart failure. He squaredoff against wrestler Vic Grimes. [10] He wrestled in Monterrey for three months, under a mask, as "The Green Ghost" (a play on the word "gringo"). 15 Wrestler Deaths WWE Doesn't Acknowledge - TheSportster match, on September 5, he defeated The Hurricane. Copyright 2019 Las Vegas Review-Journal, Inc. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service. He has, however, been brought up on occasion by JBL and CM Punk. Crash Hollys family laid him to rest in China Grove in West Central, North Carolina. Ive had two bad [accidents], she said to a fellow singer. Lockwood debuted in 1989, as "Johnny Pearson" in Bay Area Wrestling, where he wrestled until 1994. Jennings later said that, after Holly joked with him that he hoped the bus crashed, he told Holly, I hope your ol plane crashes.. He won nearly every major title in the company, including the Intercontinental, US, European, and Tag Team titles. They took off around 2 pm, stopping in Dyersburg, Tennessee to refuel. He was released by the company in 2004 and faced numerous personal obstacles, including various arrests for violent altercations. The pint-sized bleach blonde grappler was a fan favourite thanks to his . Get the occasional email with the latest wrestling tributes and memorials, Search by ring name, real name, cause of death, organization, time period (2000s, etc) or specific year, WWE Hall of Famer Ravishing Rick Rude was an amazing individual in and out of the ring. Pillman will always be remembered for playing a high-flying and striking cruiserweight with excellent technical skills. He was the only headliner not on the plane and the only headliner who didnt die that night. Perfect" Curt Hennig to become the Intercontinental Champion. The marriage was reportedly loveless, however, and ended shortly after Cline found real fame. They were the henchmen of Eric Bischoff, and quickly gained success as a dominant tag team. Then, browse these 44 fabulous pictures of Dolly Parton. From Elton John and Bruce Springsteen to Mick Jagger and The Clash, Buddy Holly inspired a litany of incoming icons, an Oscar-winning film, and one of the greatest American rock and roll songs of all time. The still-unsolved murder is believed to be over a deal that angered the mafia, but whatever it was, it was incredibly personal given the 17 shots. In 1993, going deeper into depression due to a number of factors, he committed suicide at the age of 33. [28] After the match, DeMott turned on Holly and attacked him. [30] He soon joined Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore in the Mattitude Followers (abbreviated "MF'er") stable. Wrestlers like Murdoch and Shawn Michaels, who trained Cade throughout his career, spoke about the deceased young man, but nothing officially came from the WWE, despite his one-time rising star status. By the time Patsy Cline died in 1963, she had made a name for herself as a country music staple. After reading about how Patsy Cline died in a plane crash, check out these photos of when a B-25 Bomber made a wrong turn into the Empire State Building. On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. He pushed the idea in the media that the WWE fired him because he was gay, but eventually conceded that it was all a publicity stunt. What to know about Buddy Holly's plane crash, 'the day the music died' All four died upon impact at 12:55 a.m. on Feb. 3, 1959. He was only 25 years old. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. [1] In 2002, he opened "Crash Holly's School of Professional Wrestling" in Salisbury, North Carolina, where Wheeler grew up.[2][34]. TwitterA newspaper headline shortly before the site of Patsy Clines plane crash was discovered. [36] His death, caused by choking on his own vomit, was officially ruled a suicide. We take a look at five WWF/WWE wrestlers who died before they turned 35. But what do I do for 63? Tragically, one spontaneous decision to brave dangerous weather conditions ended with Buddy Hollys plane crash when he was just 22. Holly, who also wrestled under the aliases of Mad Mikey (NWA/TNA) and Erin O'Grady in the APW before . Buddy Holly and his tourmates Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson had just left the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa to the rapturous applause of 1,000 fans. In 2009, he along with his brothers David, Kevin, Mike, and Chris, and his father Fritz, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. After supposedly "patching things up," Owen became frustrated at the 1994 Royal Rumble, and officially turned on Bret, never to look back. After the turn, Pillman really began to hone his craft as a wrestler, and gain a distinctive personality. He defended it on two episodes of Heat, against Funaki and Grandmaster Sexay, before dropping it to the debuting Jerry Lynn on the April 29 episode. Buddy Hollys death became known as the day the music died., While it would take another 12 years for Don McLean to record American Pie, the melancholy epic chronicled the tragedy for generations and officially inscribed Feb. 3, 1959, as the day the music died. McLean would describe it as a morality song documenting that things are heading in the wrong direction.. From the long-tenured career of Chris Candido, many were surprised to know how old he was when he died. Clines songs Walkin After Midnight and I Fall To Pieces were chart-toppers. His toxicology report was positive for marijuana and amphetamines. A LOOK BACK: Plane crash that killed Buddy Holly in Clear Lake, Feb. 3 Two years later, he was shot 17 times while - of course - watching a hockey game. Their greatest success in the WWE was capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship in a tournament finals match against the Godwinns. There have been many wrestlers who died young like Ravishing Rick Rude (40) and Eddie Guerrero (38). In August 2005, Nora Greenwald, who performed alongside Lockwood as Molly Holly, released an autobiographical DVD titled "Nora Greenwald: Shootin' the Shi Crap", and a portion of the profits from the sale . You have gotten our attention, the NTSB wrote in February, saying it would examine the information he provided, Coons email said. She also managed Sandman in the ECW before returning to WCW where she struck an on- and off-screen relationship with Chris Benoit. But WWF made him wear scarves, dresses, eye shadow, and pink dress to portray womanish "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. He was fired for drug-related problems in 1993, but the Doink gimmick transferred over to Ray Apollo, who played him as more of a happy-go-lucky face prankster. Before Patsy Clines death, she wondered how she could possibly top her successes of 1962, when she had been named Top Country Female Singer by the music vendors of America and Music Reporter dubbed her Star of the Year., Its wonderful, Cline wrote to a friend. [35] Empty bottles of the prescription drug carisoprodol and a partially consumed bottle of alcohol were found nearby. WWE released a statement in response to his death, wishing his family and friends well, but made sure to distance themselves from the troubled star. This article pays tribute to wrestlers that died under 40. [21] His most common tactic was to sneak a pin, often after the champion had been beaten down by someone else, and quickly run backstage, away from possible challengers. Meanwhile, bassist Waylon Jennings was gracious enough to give his spot to Richardson, who was suffering from the flu. Chris Candido was an American wrestler born on March 21, 1972. Instead, Hughes became disoriented in the clouds just thirteen minutes after takeoff. Don't miss the big stories. The Tragic Story Of Christa McAuliffe, The Teacher Killed In The Challenger Disaster, A Couple In New Jersey Unearthed Depression-Era Cash While Landscaping Their Yard, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Adonis was with fellow wrestlers in a minivan when the driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid hitting a moose. He was 36. We'll get the obvious ones out of the way early, even if Benoit's inclusion here isn't exactly 100 percent accurate. In 1999, Crash Holly debuted as Hardcore Holly's onscreen "cousin." In October of 2000, Yokozuna died at the age of 34 due to fluid blockage in his lungs. In 1990, he debuted in the WWE, and his nickname went from the "Modern Day Warrior" as he was known in WCCW, to the "Texas Tornado." He gained popularity in a quick span of time, so he returned back to the USA and signed up with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 2003. I hadnt contributed anything to the world at that time compared to Buddy. With his parents ardently supporting their musical household, Holly learned how to play the fiddle and piano, as well. [24] He jumped ship to SmackDown! He was found partially clothed with a pool of vomit around his face. When Brian Pillman died of a heart attack fueled by drug use in his hotel room in 1997, Vince McMahon conducted a somewhat tasteless, awkward, and bizarre interview with his widow Melanie Pillman the following night. Hollys bassist, Waylon Jennings, would be haunted by that night for decades, as he had casually given up his seat for a flu-ridden Richardson moments earlier. Crash Holly. What was the cause of Buddy Holly's death? Crash Holly spent 10 years as indie-wrestler before he joined WWF in 1999. Mildred KeithA Kansas City resident named Mildred Keith snapped what is believed to be one of the last photographs of the country music star. Adrian Adonis joined WWF in 1980 as a no-nonsense and rough wrestler. Born in 1981, Lance Cade started his wrestling career in Japan. A coroner's inquest found that Holly had been thrown out of the aircraft on impact and died almost instantly of a severe brain injury. Now, the National Transportation Safety Board, the successor to the aeronautics board, may be taking another look. On the night of his death, Crash Holly was staying at the home of his dear friend, professional wrestler Stevie Richards. Other times, WWE has acknowledged deaths but did so in quite poor taste that perhaps the company adopted the less is more strategy; or better yet, nothing is more. He became famous in the 1980s with some great performances in 'Stampede Wrestling'. The pilot and three passengers were killed and the aircraft was demolished. He was managed by his real-life girlfriend at the time, Tammy Lynn Sytch, and the two were known as Sunny and Skip. Patsy Cline died at 6:20 pm, as marked on this watch which broke at the exact moment her plane collided with the earth. Cause of death : However, years of brutality took a toll and he was discovered by his wife in their Texas home, unresponsive with nosebleed. He didn't do much following his wrestling career, other than fighting briefly in the UFC, entering Finland's Parliament in 2007 and calling the country's president a lesbian. Call in and/or participate in the live chat. He was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 1999 to 2003 under the ring names Crash Holly or simply Crash.[2][5]. He was found dead, lying among empty bottles of pills and an empty bottle of alcohol in a pool of vomit. She left home at 15 in hopes of becoming a professional singer. It was determined that the Crash Holly death was caused by suicide with a deliberate overdose of more than one bottle of the muscle relaxant Carisoprodol and alcohol. on the September 2, 2002, episode of Raw during a match with Jeff Hardy. Trevor Murdoch and Cade formed a tag team where they posed a threat to D-Generation X. Country legend Waylon Jennings, then Hollys bass player, gave up his seat to a sick Richardson. The fans hated him due to his actions and looks, but he played his part with absolute honesty. In 1959, Holly, Valens and Richardson were part of the Winter Dance Party, a tour that had started in Milwaukee and traveled to small cities in Minnesota and Iowa. Aerosmiths Peace Out tour leaves open Vegas residency, Demand for U2s Sphere production rocks Ticketmaster, As demand at The Sphere skyrockets, U2 adds more dates, Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas this week, Sick New World, EDC, Lovers & Friends: Your guide to Vegas music festival season, U2 unveils new dates for Las Vegas concert series, Harry Belafonte on the Las Vegas Strip PHOTOS, Harry Belafonte singer, actor, civil rights activist dies at 96, Extended stay: Two stars announce new Vegas residency dates, U2 announces start date, ticket prices for MSG Sphere. [2] [5] Owen became WWE Tag Team Champions with Yokozuna in 1995, British Bulldog in 1996, and Jeff Jarrett in 1999, as well as winning the Intercontinental Championship twice in 1997. Crash Holly wrestled under the name Mad Mikey and made brief appearances in NWA Total Non-Stop Action (now known simply as TNA) and the Heartland Wrestling Association. when a B-25 Bomber made a wrong turn into the Empire State Building. image image of grave. At Wrestlemania IX in Caesar's Palace, he defeated Bret Hart to become the WWE Champion for the first time. It's a strategy that makes sense if you're trying to maintain a squeaky-clean image in response to numerous tragedies, but at the same time, it's a slap in the face to the wrestlers and their families - at least in most cases. Candido was a crafty, and an all-rounder performer. They were supposed to make an easy hop home to Nashville, Tennessee. Chris Kanyon was a mediocre wrestler in WCW when the WWE bought his contract along with the purchase of WCW. He has also wrestled as Mad Mikey and The Green Ghost. Known since as "the day the music died," Buddy Holly's plane crash remains one of the most tragic moments in rock and roll history. Mysteries Of Flight: The Day The Music Died - Plane & Pilot Magazine This run was short lived, as Hulk Hogan won the title minutes later. Frankie Valens, who was just 17 years old, was thrown 40 feet from the plane, while Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardsons bodies were recovered 20 feet from the wreck. [21] He decreed that he must defend the championship twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, which later became known as the "24/7 Rule". stature. A newspaper headline shortly before the site of Patsy Clines plane crash was discovered. Deservedly, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006. Every hardcore match involving him kept your eyes glued and your stomach aching from laughter. He also captured a tag team title with Owen Hart as a member of Camp Cornette. At first it was thought that this was the cause of death, but subsequent examinations classified the death as suicide , without however ruling out a possible accidental death from suffocation. The crash has inspired generations of artists. Less than two years later, he died from an drug overdose after a failed WWE comeback attempt. brands, Holly was assigned to the Raw roster, where he had little success. Holly, 32, was pronounced dead at 2:37 p.m. on Thursday and is survived by his wife and daughter. The Rise Of A Country Music Legend By the time Patsy Cline died in 1963, she had made a name for herself as a country music staple. All three were killed in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, as they were traveling to Moorhead, Minnesota. Kerry Von Erich was arguably the most popular wrestler that ever competed in WCCW. After not mentioning his death on Raw, WWE gave him a short video tribute the following week, but that was the extent of their efforts to remember the man. Let's not include any reference to Fox. In the early hours on June 18, 2013, Hastings died in a single-vehicle automobile crash in his Mercedes C250 Coup.