Conrad Thompson recently posted his tribute to Jim Crockett, Jr. on Instagram. I thought it was beautiful, and hope he won't object to me posting a somewhat edited version here for historical purposes on the Gateway.
From Conrad:
Of all the things I’ve been lucky enough to do with regards to wrestling, interviewing Jim Crockett, Jr. this past December tops the list.
When we met with him in South Carolina he would only allow us to call him “Jimmy.” He was shocked that anyone even remembered him much less cared to talked to him. He told us he only remembered being recognized one time in the last 20 years, at a toll booth in Texas of all places. We were quick to remind him that while he may have left wresting behind thirty years ago, the impression he made upon us fans was both everlasting and undeniable.I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that beyond Vince, he was the most important promoter of our lifetimes. Had the cards fell a different way, who knows? But what an honor it was to spend the day with him, pick his brain, hear his stories, and enjoy lunch together. When we wrapped our shoot, we catered lunch and he acknowledged he didn’t really eat lunch but chicken parm was his favorite.
He couldn’t wait to talk about his family, how happy he was with the relationship he had with his siblings, how proud he was of his children and grandchildren, and how much he loved his wife. His wife Myra was his rock. He told us she was not only taking care of him but her father as well. He truly felt blessed to have her in his life.
The way he ended our interview was poignant: cherish those around you. Jimmy did that. I hope he knows how much we cherished him and his contributions to what we all love so much.
When we got the news Jimmy passed, we were just hours away from Tully Blanchard and J.J. Dillon appearing on a Turner station with the old JCP title belts in tow. (Thanks Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler!) How special is it that it happened the very day Jimmy passed away?
He leaves behind an incredible legacy that we could never honor adequately.
- Conrad Thompson
Conrad's entire post, including an amazing tribute video produced by Kris MacDonald, featuring a song handpicked by Conrad, Dave Silva, and Mike Dockins, is here, below the jump...
Follow Conrad on Instagram at @heyheyitsconradthompson and twitter at @heyheyitsconrad.
CONVERSATIONS WITH CONRAD: JIM CROCKET JR.
Both
PART ONE and PART TWO of this interview were excellent, but I'll admit
that the second piece seemed much more poignant watching it only a
couple of weeks after Mr. Crockett's passing.
Here are the appropriate links to both audio and video versions of the interview. (A Patreon subscription to Ad Free Shows is required.)
Video Version: Part 1 | Part 2
Audio Version: Part 1 | Part 2