I was sad to learn about the passing of a good friend in wrestler Jerry Brown. Jerry was already famous as part of the original Hollywood Blondes, who made a name for themselves in Montreal, particularly in 1973 with Red, aka Sir Oliver Humperdink, in the Vachon’s Grand Prix promotion, which was one of my favorites. Especially with the territory war going on in that beautiful city against the Rougeau’s “Lutte International” territory. After his passing last weeks, these are my reflections of Jerry Brown as we’re remembering the heavenly Hollywood Blonde.
For me, a “Blonde highlight” was their dropping the Grand Prix straps to “the dream team” of Bruno Sammartino and Ed Carpentier on the first big Jarry Park outdoor spectacular card. This was under a star-studded card with the top matches as Killer Kowalski vs Mad Dog Vachon for the Grand Prix singles in a heel/heel affair, and The Sheik was taking on the incredible Don Leon Jonathon.
Of course, Jerry was paired with Dale/Buddy Roberts in the Blondes. After their rise in Montreal, they spent a long time in Florida teaming for Eddie Graham as a three-person unit with Red/Hump. They had one match in St Louis for Kiel. Then debuted for us in Los Angles in the Mike Lebell territory on Halloween night in 1974. The Blondes came in from Montreal for our new French-Canadian/American booker in journeyman Louie Tillet who wrestled and worked in…drumroll(Eddie Graham’s office for a while). Louie took over the book months before and appeared to bring in a blend of Detroit talent combined with Montreal stars, including; Dino Bravo and the great Ed Carpentier.
Jerry Brown | Remembering The Heavenly Hollywood Blonde
The Blondes immediately became our top team defeating Dino Bravo and Victor Rivera for our America’s Tag straps. They’d defend against Carp and Bravo, Carp and Rivera, Bravo and Porkchop Cash, Rivera and Porkchop, any of our faces with Dennis Stamp and more. The writing seemed on the wall for them after a very long stint on top as the top overall act in Los Angeles. They got zero offense in during a “Dream Last Time Tag Match” pitting newly turned back face John Tolos with his long-time main event nemesis in Freddie Blassie in 1975. Blassie was simply on his way to New Japan to manage Nicolai Volkoff there and did the one-shot.
The Blondes would eventually leave to return to Florida for Eddie Graham. At the same time, Hump stayed to feud with Tillet, who was putting himself over as lead face Hump in L.A. and managed Greg Valentine and Choi Sun before leaving and eventually ending up in Florida himself as MidAtlantic for the Crocketts. Dale/Buddy would break up the team and go to work for Fritz in Dallas as Dale Valentine, Johnny’s brother, who Johnny in a wheelchair managed after his plane accident. Jerry returned to work as a single for Leroy McGuirk’s circuit. He’d feud a bit with Scandor Akbar and then was paired with guys like Seigfried Stanke before jobbing out in what became Bill Watts’ territory there. Jerry retired a few years later.
The Healthier Path
Back in the early ’70s, Jerry was a bit of a health food freak, eating granola and yogurt, which was ahead of his time while Red smoked and ate whatever he wanted. Buddy just seemed to smoke after costing him his voicebox about 14 years ago. So Jerry, the oldest of the lot, was the last to go. We mourn the passing of the previous member of the original Hollywood Blondes.
He was often a serious guy away from the matches. On car rides, in contrast to his way out there Blondes character persona. He was the most responsible one of the three back then. In Los Angeles, which he said he “never thought I’d ever get to see, let alone wrestle in”. Jerry eventually did become “Hollywood” thru and thru, wanting to hit all the tourist trap places when he first arrived. And we drove him there too many of them.
