Before a single note plays, thealbum coversets the tone. The cover art is the first thing a fan sees. It’s not unheard of for an actor to makea guest appearance in an artist’s music video, though an album cover cameo is much harder to come by. Even so,while actors are no strangers to music industry cameos, stuntpeople, for the most part, definitely are.
One stuntman, however, is just as familiar with music industry cameos as many actors are, and that’s Ronnie Rondell Jr. Of all his stunt credits, which includedLethal WeaponandCharlie’s Angels,none were as big as his stunt as the man on fire on one of the most legendary album covers of all time,Pink Floyd’sWish You Were Here.
Rondell Jr. may not have been a household name, but ever since 1975,he has been an integral part of a genre-defining rock album, in a photo recognizable by anyone who deems themselves a fan of music.The legendary stuntman passed away last week at the age of 88 with over 200 stunt credits to show for his showstopping career.
Rondell Jr.’s Role As The Man On Fire Stuck Out in a Catalog of 200 Credits
Ronnie Rondell Jr. started his career as a stuntman as early as he possibly could, at age 18 in 1955. He continued doing stunts well into his 60s, not retiring until 2003, after a notable credit inThe Matrix Reloaded.In those five decades of stunts, Rondell Jr. amassed over 200 credits in some of cinema’s greatest action films.
With stunts in theLethal Weaponfranchise,The Karate Kid, and cult classicGrosse Pointe Blankunder his belt,it’s hard to conceive of the fact that none of those were his claim to fame.Of his 200-plus film credits, none compare to his role as the man on fire on one of the most famous album covers of all time.
The Stunt Legend Went All Out For the Pink Floyd Album Cover
According toRolling Stone, during the photo shoot for theWish You Were Herealbum cover,Ronnie Rondell Jr. had to be set on fire 15 times before they finally captured the shot.What’s more, in those 15 distinct attempts to capture the shot, Rondell Jr. lost both an eyebrow and part of his mustache from the flames.
Rondell Jr. gave some insight into the stunt in the documentaryPink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here,saying, “I’d been doing a lot of fire work in those days…It was pretty easy to do, not too life-threatening, and paid well.“Little did he know that the gig would “pay well” in more than just funds.
As is typical for as decorated a stuntman as he was, most of Rondell Jr.’s work was done anonymously. Even so, he is leaving behind a phenomenal legacy of stunts in the wake of his death.The man on fire, however, above all, is forever immortalized within the archives of classic rock.
