Today, wrestling fans expect fabulous musical performances at mega-bouts like WrestleMania. Music and wrestling didn’t always go hand-in-hand. In the 1980s, promoter Vince McMahon involved the first musicians in the storylines of wrestling, leading to a unique marriage of sports and music that brought to fruition a wrestling music album performed by some of the top stars of the ring.
Before anyone headlined WrestleMania, famous musicians appeared on the long-running WWF shows, and later on WWE Wrestling Superstars. Which musicians contributed so heavily to the wrestling story that they earned inclusion on the WWE Superstars website alongside wrestling greats like the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, and John Cena?
1. Cyndi Lauper
The music superstar, Cyndi Lauper, earned fame with “She’s So Unusual,” but her appearances on McMahon’s wrestling programs made her a fixture among wrestling fans. Lauper became entangled in a complex storyline involving Captain Lou Albano and The Fabulous Moolah, one of the top female wrestlers of the 20th century. Lauper befriended another female wrestler, Wendi Richter, who fought Moolah in an epic battle in 1983 to win the WWE Women’s Championship and a rematch in 1984.
2. Liberace
Liberace, the esteemed concert pianist known for his flamboyant costumes, fit right in at the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985. He didn’t attend the event as a ticket holder. McMahon put him to work as the timekeeper. Although the only musician on the bill, he shared celebrity status with boxing’s greatest of all time (GOAT) Muhammad Ali, the guest referee.
3. Alice Cooper
The WrestleMania planners had to work to outdo themselves, so they welcomed rock superstar Alice Cooper to the show. Jake “The Snake” Roberts found that he and his pet snake were worthy. The threesome filmed a segment for the show and Cooper cuddled with Roberts’ snake.
4. Toby Keith
The late country star Toby Keith made more than a cameo. McMahon’s idea spread to other wrestling associations and TNA/Impact Wrestling invited Keith to perform a song, “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” in 2002. The storyline evolved when former WWE legend Jeff Jarrett interrupted Keith’s performance, leading Keith, a former semi-professional football player, to join in the royal rumble. The country music legend eliminated Jarrett with a German suplex, ending his bid for the NWA World Championship title. In 2010, the WWE tapped Keith to host an entire show.
What started in the 1980s as the Rock and Wrestling Connection, blossomed into a cottage industry. Wrestlers and musicians regularly work together today, so don’t be surprised when top stars like Snoop Dogg MC WrestleMania, as he did for the 24th iteration of the sports event. It all started when Albano appeared in one of Lauper’s videos and a promoter realized the potential of blending the two industries.
