Jimmy Hart

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For the baseball player, see Jimmy Hart (baseball). For other people with a similar name, see Jim Hart.

Jimmy Hart
Hart in 2006
Birth nameJames Ray Hart
Born (1944-01-01) January 1, 1944 (age 80)[1]
Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Jimmy Hart[1]
The Strapmaster
The Mouth of the South
The Colonel
The Memphis Chicken
Billed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Billed weight166 Ib (75 kg)
Billed fromMemphis, Tennessee[1]

James Ray Hart[2] (born January 1, 1944) is an American professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician. He is currently signed to WWE in a Legends deal.[1] He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and used the nickname "The Mouth of the South" (one that was also given to Ted Turner).


Regarded by many to be one of the greatest managers in professional wrestling history, Hart has managed the likes of

Nasty Boys, The Giant, and Hulk Hogan
. He was briefly the AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion in 1981.

Before becoming involved with professional wrestling, Hart was a member of rock band

Keep on Dancing".[3]

Professional wrestling career

Memphis Wrestling (1978–1985)

Jimmy Hart was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He was brought into wrestling by

First Family of Wrestling to attack Lawler, which among others included Hulk Hogan, King Kong Bundy, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Ox Baker, Kamala, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, The Iron Sheik and Kevin Sullivan
.

In 1982, Hart earned national headlines doing a program with comedian and television star Andy Kaufman. Hart, Lawler and Kaufman would continue this feud for over a year. Around this time, Hart became known as "The Wimp", a nickname given to him by Lawler and chanted by fans, and was the subject of the song "Wimpbusters," which was sung by Lawler to the tune of "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr.; a music video was also made featuring Lawler, announcer Lance Russell, and wrestlers such as Randy Savage, Jimmy Valiant, Dutch Mantel, Tommy Rich, and Rufus R. Jones, along with footage of Lawler beating Hart and his "First Family". In 1981 through 1984, Hart led Austin Idol, Masao Ito, and Gilbert to NWA/AWA International titles.

World Wrestling Federation (1985–1993)

Hart during his time as manager of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
the Hart Foundation
WrestleMania Axxess

In 1985, Hart's friend Hillbilly Jim recommended him to WWF owner Vince McMahon, who hired him. He was nicknamed "The Mouth of the South" due to his loose-lipped style, often augmented by his trademark megaphone, which he used to instruct and encourage his protégés, to discourage and annoy opponents and announcers (especially Gorilla Monsoon) and also as a weapon. Hart's first acquisition in the WWF was Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, then the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, whom Hart managed at WrestleMania. After Valentine lost the Intercontinental Heavyweight Title to Tito Santana, Hart briefly co-managed the Dream Team (Valentine and Beefcake), until he was phased out and gave full control to "Luscious Johnny" Valiant. At WrestleMania, Hart also managed King Kong Bundy as he defeated S.D. Jones. Hart later traded Bundy's contract to Bobby "The Brain" Heenan for The Missing Link and Adrian Adonis. He helped the latter to establish his "Adorable Adrian" gimmick. Hart also managed Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. 1985 also marked the appearance of the legendary Bret "Hitman" Hart. Jimmy Hart teamed him up with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart to form the Hart Foundation. On January 26, 1987, Hart guided the Hart Foundation to the WWF World Tag Team Title, which they won from the British Bulldogs. Disgraced-referee-turned-wrestler Danny Davis also was managed by Jimmy Hart.

In 1985, Hart took the Funk Family under his wing. The Funks included

Itsuki Yamazaki
).

Hart was named

Frenchy Martin. Then at a push-up contest between the Ultimate Warrior and Bravo, Hart and Bravo invited a large 460-pound man from the audience – later known as Earthquake – into the ring to sit on the contestants' backs. Predictably the large man was planted in the audience by Hart and Bravo and they eventually teamed up against the Warrior. In 1990, Hart groomed Earthquake to be the man to beat Hulk Hogan. Hart continued his war with his former tag team, the Hart Foundation. In 1990, he combined his protégés Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine into the short-lived team of Rhythm and Blues, though they had teamed previously as themselves when facing the Hart Foundation at WrestleMania V. In 1991, he managed The Nasty Boys to defeat the Hart Foundation for the WWF World Tag Team title at WrestleMania VII
, this time using a motorbike helmet as a weapon.

When the Nasty Boys lost the title to the

Big Boss Man over who was the "law and order" in the WWF. Their feud culminated in a match at SummerSlam where the loser (in this case The Mountie) had to spend the night in a New York
jail. Late in 1992, Money Inc. regaining the tag team titles from the Natural Disasters led to the Nasty Boys turning on their manager, as he had repeatedly substituted them for Money Inc. in title matches.

Hart broke with Money Inc. early in 1993 and turned face when the team attacked

real-life parasailing accident three years prior which required extensive re-constructive surgery to Beefcake's face and all but ended his full-time career, felt that his team went too far, and tried to stop them. Hart even went so far as to cover an unconscious Beefcake with his own body to stop them from doing more harm. Beefcake's long time friend Hulk Hogan came out the following week and expressed gratitude to Hart for his uncharacteristically heroic actions. He managed both Beefcake and Hogan who at WrestleMania IX lost to Money Inc by disqualification. Later in the show, Hart for the first time would be the manager of the WWF World Heavyweight Champion when Hogan accepted an impromptu challenge by Mr. Fuji, the manager of the new champion Yokozuna who had just defeated Bret Hart for the belt. Hogan would defeat the 505 lb (229 kg) new champion in a short match. At King of the Ring
, Hart was in Hogan's corner as he lost the WWF World Heavyweight Title back to Yokozuna. This appearance was Hart's last in the WWF, as he, Beefcake and Hogan all departed the company.

World Championship Wrestling (1994–2001)

Following their departure from the WWF, Hogan and Hart briefly toured Mexico. After their return, Hart wrote music and occasionally appeared on Hogan's television show, Thunder in Paradise. Hogan then had Hart manage him when they went to World Championship Wrestling (WCW). At Bash at the Beach in 1994, Hart managed Hogan to win his first WCW World Heavyweight Title by defeating "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

At

Mayhem
. In February 2001, Hart joined WCW's booking committee.

Independent circuit; Wrestlicious (2002–present)

Lance Hoyt

After the sale of WCW to the then rival WWF, Hart and a close consortium of wrestlers and investors decided to create a wrestling organization—the

The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania
.

In May 2006, Hart traveled to The Funking Conservatory, owned by

BiteTV on March 1, 2010.[4] He wrestled at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Kurt RussellReunion II: The Reunioning in a battle royal won by Roddy Piper. On January 12, 2012, he wrestled at PWS WrestleReunion VI in battle royal won by The Godfather
. Hart currently appears at various professional wrestling conventions and autograph signings around the United States. He is a staple at all of the Wrestlereunion shows, and also does various appearances as part of the VOC Nation wrestling radio program in Philadelphia on 1360 WNJC. Hart is a regular guest on the VOC Wrestling Nation radio program on WNJC.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2011)

In October 2003 Hart made his debut for

Impact! Zone.[8]

Return to WWE (2011–present)

Hart, with his signature megaphone, in April 2014

On March 1, 2011, it was reported that Jimmy Hart had left

R-Truth during a backstage segment.[10] On April 10, 2012, Hart made an appearance on SmackDown: Blast from the Past, where he managed the team of Heath Slater and Tyson Kidd, but ended up getting the mandible claw from Mick Foley
.

As of April 30, 2014, Hart was part-owner of "Hogan's Beach", a wrestling-themed tiki-bar in Tampa, Florida. As of April 2014, Hart was a regular cast member on the

Legends' House
. Hart appeared on the August 11 edition of Raw for Hogan's birthday celebration. In April 2017, Hart purchased a beachfront property in Daytona Beach, Florida, and opened “Jimmy Hart’s Hall of Fame Bar and Tiki Deck“, which is a beach bar featuring an abundance of autographed pictures, wrestling paraphernalia, and at times an intercontinental championship belt. On January 4, 2021, he made an appearance on the RAW Legends Night where he was involved in a segment with Hulk Hogan, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus.

On January 23, 2023, Hart appeared on

Monday Night Raw
, accompanying Hulk Hogan to open the show.

Other media

His book, The Mouth of the South, was released on November 18, 2004. Jimmy has also appeared in "Life: for sale", a YouTube series created by Koncrete Inc., which has Benjamin Mallah as its lead.[11][12]

Music

Before wrestling, Hart, as a teenager, was a vocalist in the 60s band

Keep on Dancing". Before becoming The Gentrys, they were known as just "The Gents." Their production manager told them that if they did not change their name, then they would not succeed in the music industry. Later, after the leader of the group Larry Raspberry left, Hart took over and they had a few minor hits, most notably "Why Should I Cry" and a cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl", but were never able to match the success of "Keep on Dancing." Hart and the band were successful in the Memphis area nightclub circuit. The group was under contract to Stax Records
at the time of its bankruptcy, and Stax could not properly promote them.

During his years in the professional wrestling business, Hart composed many theme songs for wrestlers in the WWF and WCW. Some of the wrestlers for whom he composed music were Honky Tonk Man,

Royal Rumble events) and WrestleMania VI (which was later used for the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth events). One of Hart's most notable compositions is Shawn Michaels's entrance theme, "Sexy Boy."[13]

In the late 1980s, Hart released a music album (also available on cassette tape) titled Outrageous Conduct. The release consisted of comical songs done in character, such as "Barbra Streisand's Nose" and "Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield." In 1995,

The Wrestling Boot Band and helped write and sing many of the album's songs.[14]

Television appearances

Hart in 2018

In September 2007, Hart appeared on an episode of

WWE Legends' House. Hart has appeared a few times in Hulk Hogan's TV-show Thunder in Paradise
. He also sang the intro music for the episode "Deadly Lessons, Pt. 1".

Youtube appearances

Jimmy Hart is a constant on Life for Sale[15] with real estate investor Ben Mallah[16][17][18]—the $500,000,000 Real Estate Mogul.

Movie appearances

In 1967, Hart appeared in the film It's a Bikini World as a member of The Gentrys.[19] In 2010, Hart appeared in the Insane Clown Posse's film Big Money Rustlas. In 2011, Hart appeared as himself in the Canadian movie Monster Brawl. Hart played the announcer to a wrestling tournament of eight classic monsters who fight to the death.[20]

Championships and accomplishments

Hart at a signing in Toronto in December 2009

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Jimmy Hart profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Ray Hart on USSearch". USSearch.com. Retrieved April 26, 2008. [permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Keep on Dancing multiple versions, retrieved August 15, 2021
  4. ^ Johnson, Mike (January 19, 2010). "Wrestlicious issues official press release touting TV clearances". PWInsider. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  5. ^ Caldwell, James (February 14, 2010). "CALDWELL'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV REPORT 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Nastys vs. 3D". PWTorch. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  6. ^ Caldwell, James (March 29, 2010). "TNA News: Nasty Boys reportedly released by TNA". PWTorch. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  7. ^ Martin, Adam (March 29, 2010). "Report: The Nasty Boys gone from TNA". WrestleView. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  8. ^ Caldwell, James (January 21, 2011). "Caldwell's TNA Impact report 1/20: Complete review of Impact on Spike – RVD & Anderson vs. Beer Money, The Angle and Jarrett Show, X Title match". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  9. ^ Martin, Adam. "Report: Jimmy Hart headed back to WWE". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011.
  10. ^ "5/27 WWE results in Winnipeg, Canada: Cena vs. Miz vs. Truth main event, Hart hosts, Rey vs. Del Rio". Pro Wrestling Torch.
  11. ^ "Benjamin Mallah (@realbenmallah) • Fotos y videos de Instagram".
  12. ^ "Now that Ben Mallah owns Tampa Bay's most expensive house, he's selling two others".
  13. ^ "Amazing But True.". WWE Magazine (13): 23. July 2007.
  14. ^ a b Hulk Hogan. "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" (p.256)
  15. ^ "The reunion with Jimmy Hart". YouTube.
  16. ^ "Jimmy Hart - Biografía, mejores películas, series, imágenes y noticias". June 12, 2022.
  17. ^ @RealJimmyHart (February 19, 2016). "hey baby - with Carlos Colon and Ben Mallah in PR" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "Ben Mallah — the $500,000,000 Real Estate Mogul". June 21, 2021.
  19. ^ "It's a Bikini World (1967)". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  20. ^ "Monster Brawl (2011)". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  21. ^ "NWA (Mid-America)/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Tennessee)". Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  22. ^ "List of CAC Award Winners | Cauliflower Alley Club". Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  23. ^ "Next Official Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony". Official Memphis Wrestling. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  24. ^ "Wrestling Observer anuncia los nominados para el Hall of Fame 2018". Solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com. December 20, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2021.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jimmy Hart.
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