On Saturday, August 1, 2015 I woke to the very sad news that “Rowdy” Roddy Piper died in his sleep of a heart attack at the age of 61. While I was never a huge fan of Wrestlemania, its presence made itself well known in my generation. John Carpenter was greatly impressed by “Rowdy’s” performances and sought him out as the leading man for They Live. The film was not a weekend blockbuster. But it did survive its immediate negative reviews to go on to be an American Science-Fiction standard. Its iconic sunglasses came to represent a populace discovering the truth of its oligarchy. And its fight scene has become one of the great movie fight scenes receiving homage in both television and film. “Rowdy” would continue his acting career in a playful manner. Shameless as the lead in Hell goes to Frogtown, or as himself in Man on the Moon, he enjoyed himself in any role. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper embodied life, which makes his untimely death a true loss to the entertainment industry and a hard blow for his now-grieving fans. R.I.P. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, thanks for the show.
