The American Dream is dead

#3
#3
Christopher Lee, Dusty and Rue McClanahan on the same day.

Bad day.
 
#4
#4
Sorry to hear that Dusty has passed.

He and Wahoo McDaniel were two of my favorite and both are gone.
 
#10
#10
RIP

Can't wait for Nancy Grace to run a special on how he died from steroids along with Owen Hart and Randy Savage.
 
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#13
#13
Sorry about that. Saw more than one posting on Facebook regarding Rue McClanahan. Guess I got trolled.
 
#18
#18
this is long, but great...

"DADDY"

I am honored and I am privileged to tell this gathering today who Dusty was...who he was in his heart

Although his profession claimed so much of his identity, it was such a minuscule portion of the man...

His first priority IN LIFE, was to be the Husband of Michelle Runnels. He was a man with a moral code from a bygone era "golden age", and he RESPECTED my Mother so very much, it almost bordered on fear. A quirky-reciprocated love, I recall one time her being asked "why don't you have any pictures of you with the other wrestlers Michelle?"

My normally reserved Mother grinned and declared "when you're married to Elvis, you don't take pictures with the band"

Not in a disparaging sense to the others, just for her.. it was only him. The love of her life.

That love can be witnessed all throughout their bungalow-home, where an endless amount of love notes scribbled from Dusty sit. On the counters, in the pages of her books

And if you look at those notes and ya' see Dusty's handwriting, this cursive-hybrid...you unearth a large secret about Dusty, he was college educated, he was an intellectual. As a teacher...if you walked into his office at Crockett Promotions, at the CNN Center, at TCW or at the Performance Center and you were the total package, he didn't connect with you.

He may have hired you or saw your value, but he liked to fix things...a propensity for misfit toys...broken people. If you were overweight, or covered in tattoos, or having just been through a divorce...he wnated to take your pain and make it your power. To arm you with weapons for your profession.

A lot of his students from the performance center are in attendance, and I want you to know...he CHERISHED you. And how I know, is because he never talked to ME about you...because he knew I'd be jealous.

Because myself and my siblings were his priority. He made it his job to PROVIDE. In all senses of that word. For a few year period starting when I was in my mid-teens, we lost our fortune...we went broke...but we ate like kings, we danced like stars, and we lived like the monarchy we pretend to be...because he REFUTED the idea of his children going without.

"You only had one more silver-dollar, but you didn't let them catch you no."

My beautiful Sister Teil will tell you all about "angel money". And that beautiful gold Rolex...he told me if I ever won the World Title, that I could have it. Just the other night I inquired about that watch, come to find out he had sold it so that I could drive to Los Angeles to chase a dream.

Last Wednesday night was a dreadful night. I didn't leave, I sat by his bedside throughout the night. I rallied behind the vital numbers displayed, because as his heart-rate would calm down a few beats my heart would flutter...I thought he was getting better. Around 330am the nurse Mena had stepped-out for a few moments and it was just me, the cold air, the white floors, the inudstrial noise of the machines, and my hero laying before me

I said...

"I'll sit here until you wake-up..."

So I hope Dad, that you're not upset with me when you awake...and you don't see my face, but you see Dick Murdoch, you see Eddie Graham, and when little Virgil gets to see big Virgil.

You were a figure of FAITH. You did not preach your religion, you lived your religion.* And to describe my feelings not just about being your son, or your friend, or your partner, Hell if I'd only met you for five minutes...I'll amend the Legendary New York Yankee Lou Gehrig and say; "today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth...for having stood in the company of you Dusty Rhodes"

You were a cowboy of the old-republic, the last bastion of Southern wrestling, A master orator who spit fire, but if the question was ever posed to you...what would you rather have, fame or family??

Family. Always family. Getting over with your family and extended family trumped all. You were a world-class family man.

I encourage those here today to go and watch the 2003 movie "Big Fish". The story of a Father's tall-tales and his Son. It's a nearly autobiographical account of Dusty Rhodes. Not to ruin it, but the tales are either fully true or half-truths...from the amount of teeth the giant had or the derailing of a local train or wrestling a bear. The message is to live life on the edge of a lightning-bolt and to fight for you family.

Friends, family, colleagues, passer-bys; tonight...when you lay your head against the pillow, don't just have a dream.

Have an American Dream
 
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