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Review of Gordon Solie... Something Left Behind
Brett Schwan
Editor/Proprietor, WrestlingClothesline.com
"Gordon Solie... Something Left Behind"
By Gordon Solie, Robert and Pamela Allyn
"Too Much"
Too much hypocrisy
Too much government
Too much ill health
Too many lonely people
Too many overpaid underacheivers who only know
Corporate politics.
Too many cracks in societal platfroms for people to slip
Through and get lost in too many stupid bureaucratic files
Too many who consider loyalty a weakness and not a strength
Too man who consider the lie superior to the truth!
The above is just one of the many writings of Gordon Solie published in "Gordon Solie... Something Left Behind". I feel it describes today (especially wrestling) just as much as it did when Mr. Solie wrote it.
Gordon Solie was, by far, the greatest play-by-play man pro wrestling ever had. When Gordon passed away on July 29. 2000 the voice of wrestling was gone and the industry would never be the same.
"Gordon Solie...Something Left Behind" is a phenomenal collection of Solie's unpublished shorts stories and poetry, along with hundreds of photos that span his life and career.
The book begins with Gordon's childhood and his early years, working in radio. A chapter entitled "Stricty Racing" chronicles Solie's love for stock car racing from his days as an amateur driver to an announcer, owner and general manager. (Not to leave out his run as President of Sunshine speedways).
Of course, for wrestling fans, the photographs from his years in the business are a virtual who's who of the sport. Photographs range from Ric Flair, Harley Race, Lou Thesz, Andre the Giant, and Ricky Steamboat to the Funks, Ray Stevens, Eddie Graham, and WrestlingClothesline.com's own "Expert", Les Thatcher.
Gordon Solie was so much more than a professional wrestling announcer and commentaor. His experiences in radio, stock car racing, promotions, movies, writing and his enormous charity work should not go unrecognized. This book makes sure of that.
"Gordon Solie... Something Left Behind" makes sure that Gordon Solie will be remembered for all his great work in addition to all he has done for wrestling.
On a personal note, I had the pleasure of meeting Gordon Solie at an NWA show in NJ. It was one of the biggest thrills of my life as a wrestling fan. To get to meet the man, the voice that will always be the one calling some of the greatest matches in wrestling history, sent chills down my spine. Less than one year later, Gordon passed away.
This book is a must have for any fan of Gordon Solie or of those fans of wrestling, the way it used to be.
As the book ends, so does this article, with the words of Gordon Solie himself... "This is Gordon Solie saying; so long from the Sunshine State".
For more information or to order "Gordon Solie... Something Left Behind" visit floridamagazine.com or floridabookstore.com or call (407) 816-9596
