In my opinion, one of the best heels in the business... not just his generation but of all time. Him and Flair were one an two in my opinion, not necessarily in that order.
We had a night of drinking to send him off in proper style, since I was just at a wrestling costume party AS Rowdy Roddy I attended the memorial night in a kilt and hot rod t-shirt.
For me the tragedy is this, these guys lives are cut short too short for a reason and I think behind it all is steroids, pain killers, and various uppers/downers they had to take to make it and then keep "it" while on the road over such a grueling schedule in the WWF.
Your heart only gets so many beats, man.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VGD01VrjI4&feature=player_detailpage[/youtube]
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, WWE Hall-of-Famer, movie star, and podcast host has died, the Associated Press reports. He was 61. According to the TMZ, he died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his Hollywood home on Thursday night.
Born Roderick Toombs in Canada, Piper used his Scottish heritage to create his wrestling person. During his professional wrestling debut when he was 15, Piper walked to the ring playing the bagpipes during his professional wrestling debut, and the ring-announcer introduced him as "Roddy the Piper." He earned the nickname “Rowdy” with displays of his soon-to-be-legendary ‘Scottish’ rage. Though his larger-than-life persona quickly turned him into a crowd favorite, he often played the villain role in his matches and famously sparred with wrestling legend Hulk Hogan for years. Piper headlined some of the biggest wrestling matches of the 1980's, including the first WrestleMania in Madison Square Garden, where he and Paul Orndorff were defeated by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T on March 31, 1985.
Piper soon moved to film and television roles. He starred in the 1988 John Carpenter cult classic, "They Live," and the 1988 "Hell Comes to Frogtown." He also appeared in numerous documentaries and television shows. He was a regular cast member on the WWE Network original reality show "Legends' House." He also started a podcast, "Piper's Pit with Roddy Piper."
After his last match in 2008, Piper remained active in the pro-wrestling world through appearances in special events. According to the TMZ, he was admitted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and was one of the top 50 villains in the history of the WWE.
“Roddy Piper was one of the most entertaining, controversial and bombastic performers ever in WWE, beloved by millions of fans around the world,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon in an online statement. “I extend my deepest condolences to his family.”
According to the TMZ, Piper is survived by his wife Kitty their three daughters, and son Colton, who is pursuing a career in professional wrestling.
http://www.legacy.com/ns/roddy-piper-obituary/175411081
