Captain Lou Albano has passed away at the age of 76

Captain Lou Albano And Cindy Lauper

Captain Lou Albano, one of the wrestling world’s most colorful characters, has passed away in Florida at the age of 76. Albano was best known for his trademark rubber bands and being featured in the Cyndi Lauper music video “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

Albano was a loud fixture on the wrestling circuit for many years working with many of the top wrestling stars such as Hulk Hogan.

Recently, Albano was admitted to a Florida hospice care after suffering a major heart attack years ago.  Before his death, Captain Lou had authored two books – “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Professional Wrestling” with Bert Sugar and a book on his life named “Often Imitated, Never Duplicated.”

I had a chance to work on an animated series called ”HulK Hogan’s Rock and Wrestling” , and I got the opportunity to draw and animate the Captain Lou Albano character. It was a short lived job for me, and the most memorable part of the job, was bumping in to Captain Lou when he visited the studio where we were working on Ventura Blvd. I was a freelancer, and my roommate, the late Raymond ” Supreme” Johnson was on staff, and he let me hang out and work at his office, while I was on the series.

Captain Lou was a very nice man, and a pioneer in the management of professional wrestlers, and his life was significant as well as memorable.

Captain Lou made the 80’s happen, along with Cindy Lauper and the whole World Wrestling phenomenon.

He will be missed.

Here is more information on the life of Captain Lou Albano…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Albano

Here is more coverage on this sad passing from the media…

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/10/14/captain-lou-albano-dies/

R.I.P. Captain Lou Albano