Chappell: I guess at this
point, I’d like to take you from
the time of your health issues up
to the present.
Landrum: Sure…after I got
out of the business I went into
business for myself. And I was
working on a promotion to open an
amphitheater music park, somewhere
in the Richmond area. Worked on
that for about a year, and then
was approached by the people that
were then running Water County
USA…they wanted us to do it in
concert with them down there. I
wasn’t real anxious to do it at
the time, but later we did and
then sold it out to them.
After that, I went to Kentucky for
about five years…
Chappell: What prompted you
to go out there?
Landrum: I went out there,
and was working for a company that
was in the hearth business. That’s
how I got interested in it…
Chappell: Oh…okay.
Landrum: I kind of liked
the area out there, but the air
pollution was killing me.
Chappell: What part of
Kentucky?
Landrum: Right in the
tri-states area of Summit,
Kentucky…the tri-state area of
Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio.
The air pollution was terrible out
there…I had no idea!
Anyway, my present wife and I had
known each other for 30
years…dated on and off. We got
hooked back up, got married, and
came back. And started the hearth
business for True Value Hardware.
And it’s progressed since then
into me having my own business.
Chappell: And this is based
in Colonial Heights, right?
Landrum: Yes.
Chappell: How long have you
been in the hearth business?
Landrum: Let’s see, I did
it for True Value for about eight
years. The owner retired, and I
took it and opened my own
business. He basically gave it all
to me. He said, ‘You started it
for us, you made us a LOT of
money…it’s yours.’
Chappell: Do any of your
customers still associate you with
World Wide Wrestling?
Landrum: (laughs) Oh, I
still get it…I got it the other
day.
Chappell: It must be nice
to be remembered in that
capacity…that’s been over 20 years
ago.
Landrum: It makes me feel
good to a degree. It’s nice. I
don’t want it to be overwhelming
to the business of what I do now.
I’ll stand there and talk as long
as I can about wrestling…but I
have a business to run too!
I had a City employee on the phone
the other day, I was trying to get
something done for my Church, and
at the end of the conversation he
said, ‘I gotta ask you this. Are
you the Rich Landrum that used to
do Mid-Atlantic Wrestling?’ I
went, ‘Yeah…that’s me.’ And he
showed up at the store a couple of
days later!
Chappell: Hey, sounds like
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling is good for
business!
Landrum: (laughs)
Chappell: As I’m sure
you’re aware, Rich, there are
rumors and reports out there that
you ran afoul of the law after
your time in Jim Crockett
Promotions. A criminal case
involving your ex-wife in the late
1980s, that you served time for.
Do you care to address those legal
issues or anything that surrounded
them?
Landrum: Well, I had a
run-in with a wiretapping
charge…that goes back to my
private investigator days.
Chappell: But there’s some
stuff floating around out there
involving an incident with your
ex-wife…
Landrum: I know…I know. My
issues with my ex-wife…I just
couldn’t get along with the guy
she dated. Or guys, I guess I
should say. That’s my only issue.
That’s what happens when you’re
out of town a lot.
Chappell: Did that issue
you speak of lead to legal
problems, and consequences, for
you?
Landrum: Well, I’d say that
Jack Mulligan and I wound up in
about the same boat there for a
while…and just leave it at that.
Jack doesn’t talk much about his,
and I don’t talk much about mine.
It was a learning experience for
both of us. And ironically, it was
about at the same time.
Chappell: Fair enough,
Rich.
I think you and Blackjack are
great examples for all of us, as
to how one can rise above any of
the hurdles that life throws up,
and come through it better than
ever.
You talked earlier about being
‘born again.’ Does that have its
roots with the incident involving
your ex-wife?
Landrum: No, actually, it
happened prior to that…but that
helped me a whole lot get through
the whole thing.
It was quite an experience. It’s
kind of like guys I’ve talked to
who have been in the service…and
been through combat. I wouldn’t
take a million dollars for the
experience, but I’d never do it
again. And I think Jack would tell
you the same thing.
Chappell: As we’re talking
about Blackjack Mulligan, tell us
the story about the Cadillac you
sold him!
Landrum: I can’t remember
what year it was, but I bought a
Cadillac for my wife. It was a
white Cadillac, four door…it
wasn’t an El Dorado, it was a Coup
Deville. It was used when I bought
it, but it was in good shape.
I don’t know why I bought it…I
guess I just wanted to own a
Cadillac!
Chappell: Nothing wrong
with that!
Landrum: At that point in
time, we were doing very well
financially. I had never had a
Cadillac before, and I guess I
just wanted one!
So, I gave it to her to drive. She
drove it for a couple of weeks,
but she said, ‘I can’t park this
thing…it’s too big.’
So, I started driving it for a
while…and eventually I fell out of
fun with it. It just wasn’t
something I wanted to keep. I got
to thinking, ‘These boys like
Cadillac’s.’ So one Wednesday, I
said, ‘Jack…I got a car for you.’
Rich
Landrum interviews Blackjack
Mulligan
Chappell: Was Blackjack
interested at the outset?
Landrum: He said, ‘I don’t
need any car.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you
gotta have this one. It’s a big
white Cadillac…it’ll be perfect
for you.’
He said, ‘Talk to Flair.’
Chappell: (laughing)
Landrum: I said, ‘No, no
man…this is yours. I’ll make you a
deal.’
So, we hammered around with it for
a while. I kept after him! I said,
‘Jack, I need the money…buy the
Cadillac!’
He said, ‘Alright, alright…I’ll
buy it.’
Chappell: Your hounding of
Blackjack finally paid off!
Landrum: (laughs) I had put
baking soda in the ashtray of the
car to kill the smell of
cigarettes. I didn’t say anything
to Jack about it; I didn’t even
think about it.
So, we get the title switched over
and everything, and we do all
that, and get the deal done.
Next week, he comes to me kinda
agitated and said, ‘Did you put
cocaine in that Cadillac?’
Chappell: (laughing)
Landrum: I said, ‘WHAT?’ He
said, ‘In the ashtray…there’s all
this white powder in there.’ I
said, ‘Jack, that’s BAKING SODA.’
(laughing)
Jack said, ‘Oh, thank
goodness…that had me scared to
death! I opened that thing, and
just knew a cop was gonna stop me;
what am I gonna do with it. I
dumped it out.’ I said, ‘Jack, I
just put baking soda in there to
kill the cigarette smell!’
(laughing)
Chappell: (laughing) That’s
too funny…whew!
Landrum: He kept it for a
couple of weeks, and for some
reason I’m thinking he sold it to
Don Kernodle. And he got in the
used car business after
that…buying little things and then
turning around and selling them!
He may have found a market there!
(laughing)
Chappell: Well, we now know
the story of the famed white
Cadillac!
Rich, as we wrap up, please tell
us about your family and the
wrestling show you are working on
for this fall.
Landrum: Well, I’ve been
married to my wife Pam for
fourteen years…we’ve known each
other for thirty years. She’s my
third marriage. She’s put up with
a lot! (laughs)
I have a grown son, who is a
professional fire fighter in
Petersburg. I have a wonderful
grandson…
Chappell: Did your grandson
see you on the video of the 1978
World Wide highlight show?
Landrum: He saw it, and I
asked him, ‘Do you know who that
announcer is?’ He said, ‘That’s
you!’
Chappell: See Rich, you
haven’t changed a bit!
Landrum: He wanted to sit
and watch all the tapes! My son
Corey loved the tapes too, in
fact, he traveled some with me
when I was doing World Wide and
ring announcing…when he was
probably eleven or twelve years
old. This would be in the summer
when he was with me for two weeks.
So, he got to know the boys.
Chappell: Did Corey ever
show an interest in getting in the
business?
Landrum: I had really hoped
that he might get interested in
it, because Corey grew up as a big
kid…he ended up being six foot
four and lanky like Barry Windham
was back then.
Chappell: Sounds like he
had the size.
Landrum: He had the size.
And it got to a point when he was
a teenager, going to the show
itself wasn’t a big deal…he’d
rather sit in the dressing room.
He always wanted to go if Flair
was on the show.
Chappell: And you have two
stepchildren, correct?
Landrum: Yes, Pam’s
children. I tell you, Pam’s a
great wife. She’s put up with a
lot, and has gone through a lot
for both of us. She is a breast
cancer survivor. I’m amazed at how
well she’s done, but it was her
faith that got here through it.
I have a stepson and a
stepdaughter. The daughter Carrie
is the oldest…she just started her
junior year at Christopher Newport
University. And Benjamin is 19,
and I haven’t a clue where he’s
going!
Chappell: Hey, that’s part
of being 19!
Landrum: (laughs)
Chappell: Well, we’ve gone
from the State Fairgrounds in the
early 1970s to the present, and lo
and behold, you’re doing some
wrestling announcing again!
Landrum: (laughs) Yeah, I
did the Colonial Heights show this
past August, and then Marvin Ward
asked me to come up and do that
show in Waynesboro. And before I
did that one, I got a call from
another Church that wanted to do a
show, and I’m going, ‘I didn’t
really plan on getting back into
the business!’
Chappell: (laughs)
Landrum: But it became fun,
despite all the headaches of the
one in Colonial Heights…
Chappell: And that was
really a great night with Nikita
Koloff’s group. But you had all
kinds of things come up that made
putting that on challenging. You
lost your original venue, then had
to go outside and ‘Mother Nature’
wasn’t too kind! In spite of that,
it was a terrific show!
Landrum: My wife helped me
immensely with that show. She made
the comment, ‘All the times I used
to watch you on TV and saw the
shows in Richmond, I never knew
there were so many nuts and bolts
of putting one together!’ I said,
‘Ohhh yeah!’
I think the decision for us to run
the show that night, despite the
weather, was that when it finally
started to clear, we were watching
the sunset in the west and then
turned toward the football field,
and there was a double rainbow
over the football field. You
remember that?
Chappell: I sure do.
Landrum: Pam said, ‘You
wanted a sign, I think you got
it.’ Nikita said, ‘You better take
it!’
We started an hour late, but we
ran the show.
Chappell: And if you
remember at the very end of the
show, right as Nikita was ending
his testimony, the rain started
again…lightly. It didn’t rain
during the show. Some pretty
powerful symbolism there!
Landrum: It was…it was.
So, after that, I said I’d try to
do a couple of shows a year. But,
David, the stuff I used to do for
TV and the live shows, shoot, that
was easy compared to putting a
show together. It took me six
months to put that show together
in Colonial Heights. It can be
laborious work.
Chappell: Tell us about the
show you are looking to run in
Richmond this fall.
Landrum: Well, we hope to
get this one put together. This
will be on October 28th
I believe…a Friday night.
Chappell: Wrestling again
in Richmond on a Friday
night…sounds good to me!
Landrum: We originally
wanted to do it at the Richmond
Raceway, known as the old State
Fairgrounds, in the original
building. We thought, if it was
going to be called the
Mid-Atlantic Reunion…that’s where
it’s got to be!
Chappell: Wow!
Landrum: We could still do
it there, but they have no
dressing room or shower facilities
any longer…
Chappell: Ouch…
Landrum: Yeah, so that
would mean having to bring in
something to make that work.
We’re looking at the Arthur Ashe
Center…it will hold more people.
Chappell: And the Ashe
Center is very close to the old
Richmond Arena…so there are some
Mid-Atlantic tie-ins there!
Landrum: Yes, very close to
the old Arena…
Chappell: And very close to
the old Howard Johnson’s…now,
there was a LOT of Mid-Atlantic
history made there!! But this is a
family website! (laughs)
Landrum: (laughing) Very
symbolic indeed! Now it’s a
Holiday Inn…so maybe it’s better!
Chappell: But on a more
serious note, I understand that
the October show will benefit a
very worthy cause.
Landrum: It will be for the
benefit of the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation.
My wife kind of talked me into
doing it. She said, ‘Look, if
you’re back doing this…this is a
good one to do it for.’ Of course,
it’s near and dear to her heart.
Chappell: And October is
National Breast Cancer Awareness
Month, so the timing is very good.
Landrum: Yes, so it all
adds up well. And if we can work
it out, we’ll do it Friday night
in Richmond, and then do it
Saturday night in Waynesboro.
Chappell: That’s great…what
a weekend!
Landrum: We’ll be able to
use some of the same talent. We’re
looking at some great names…maybe
even Roddy Piper.
Chappell: Piper would be a
great addition. A lot of great
Mid-Atlantic memories with him!
Landrum: He was good…he was
good in the Mid-Atlantic. He was
hot.
Chappell: Please keep us up
to date on this. I will be great
to have a show like this coming to
Richmond.
Landrum: I will…I will.
Chappell: Well, Rich, it’s
been great talking with you.
Anything I’ve forgotten, that
you’d like to get out to your
Mid-Atlantic fans?
Landrum: David, not that I
can think of. Despite the rumor,
I’m alive and well and doing
great! (laughing)
I have no regrets about the
business…I loved it when I was
doing it. I’m not angry about any
of it. I wish I could have stayed
longer in it, but everything
happens for a reason.
Chappell: Finally, when you
look back to your announcing days,
whom do you consider the best
wrestling announcer of that era.
And certainly include yourself in
that list!
Landrum: (pauses) As I said
before, all of us were different;
we all had different styles.
Chappell: Again, like
comparing apples and oranges…
Landrum: Yeah…exactly. Was
I better than David Crockett?
Yeah. Was I better than Schiavone?
Yeah. Schivaone…without Bobby
Heenan he wouldn’t have survived.
I would have loved to have worked
with Heenan. He would have been so
much fun to play off of.
I loved my time with Johnny, doing
the show. It worked, and it worked
whenever we were in a live show
somewhere. People always put us
together…
Chappell: Considered you
all as a team.
Landrum: Yes…and it was
Weaver and Becker when I first
started.
Chappell: Full circle!
Landrum: That’s right.
Chappell: I think I speak
for a lot of Mid-Atlantic
fans…that we appreciate your
interaction with us on the
wrestling message boards.
It is a unique way to get
information from someone that was
intricately involved in Jim
Crockett Promotions, and a big
part of Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling.
Landrum: It’s fun. I was
sorry that somebody hacked into
the Kayfabe Memories message board
because that was always fun to go
on and share stuff with the guys,
and I’m sure there are some girls
out there too…the fans. Now, Greg
Price has put a message board up
there too, and that’s doing pretty
good. But hopefully Kayfabe
Memories will be back up soon.
Some things that are asked…I can
answer their questions. There are
some things I just don’t want to
touch! I don’t think it’s
necessary…
Chappell: Certainly
understandable!
Landrum: But the message
boards are fun. I like being able
to set the record straight
sometimes!
Chappell: Hey, you were
right in the middle of a lot of
things!
Landrum: But some things I
go, ‘I don’t remember that match!’
Chappell: (laughs) Did they
wrestle?
Landrum: (laughs) Yeah,
‘Who was that?’
But it’s fun, and it’s really
gratifying to hear people comment
about the different announcers.
And ones who think I was the
greatest announcer!
It doesn’t hurt my feelings if
they like me or dislike me…
Chappell: What’s important,
I’d imagine, is that they remember
you.
Landrum: That’s the thing.
(laughs) The comment I get most
is, ‘You kept me up at night.’
Chappell: (laughs) That was
definitely true for me…that late
Saturday night start for World
Wide on Channel 6 made for some
groggy Sunday mornings for me!
No VCR for me then, so I couldn’t
wimp out and set the timer and
tape you!
Landrum: I get that a lot,
‘Boy, I stayed up late to watch
your show.’
It’s gratifying to hear things
like that. In a few cases, I’ve
had people come up to me and tell
me something I said or did during
a show or live show stuck with
them…or they just remember me
taking time to speak with them or
their kids or sign an
autograph---that made all the
difference in the world to them.
You don’t think about those things
at the time you’re doing them…
Chappell: You touched a lot
of people…and probably didn’t
realize it at the time.
Landrum: I really have
discovered that.
Chappell: And now through
the Internet, you’re hearing from
a lot of those same people…that
you probably would have never had
anymore contact with.
Landrum: It’s great…knowing
that you touched them in some way.
Hopefully, it was in a positive
way! Even the one guy I hit that
night!
Chappell: (laughing) And he
even apologized!
Landrum: He even
apologized, and said he deserved
it!
David Chappell with Rich Landrum,
Jan. 16, 2005
in
David's wrestling room.
Chappell: Well, Rich, I
appreciate your taking so much
time with the Gateway today. I’ve
really enjoyed it…and I know our
readers will as well.
Landrum: Well, you guys got
a good thing going on. I’ve
thoroughly enjoyed it.
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