* The big part of this article was translated by using ChatGPT. Please note that there may be some awkward wordings.
It was around the beginning of summer in 1983, on a warm afternoon, though I’m not certain if it was a Sunday afternoon or not.
My first trip to the United States was planned for around September, during the spring break after finishing my first year of junior high school. I already had a strong fascination with America and mostly listened to Western music, with only a bit of Japanese music, including singers like Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, Akina Nakamori, and occasionally RC Succession.
On that particular day, a special program was airing featuring the American tour of the top three stars of All Japan Pro Wrestling: Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Gen-ichiro Tenryu. I was eager to watch it and sat in front of the TV, not wanting to miss it.
When New Japan Pro-Wrestling had broadcasts from overseas, they seemed to focus more on places like Madison Square Garden in New York City, which gave a more urban vibe. On the other hand, it felt like All Japan Pro Wrestling often had shows in places like North Carolina or Georgia, more in the rural South. Still, the whole American feel of it was enjoyable.
That day, the broadcast was from Dallas. There might have been matches from Savannah, Georgia, as well. I was looking forward to seeing the Von Erich brothers, Kevin, David, and Kerry, especially David, who was my favorite at the time. Little did I know that six years later, I would be living near Dallas, something I never even dreamed of back then.
During the event, David Von Erich had a match against Jimmy Garvin accompanied by a woman. I remember that she somehow interfered in the match, causing David to lose, and he was visibly frustrated.
As for Kevin, he challenged Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. David, infuriated by Race’s cunning attacks, ran into the ring, and Kevin ended up losing by disqualification. After the match, David berated a prone Race, which I thought was cool at the time.
Kerry teamed up with Bruiser Brody in the main event. Brody, who was usually portrayed as a villain in Japan, was considered a hero in Texas, so it felt a bit strange to see him teaming with Texas’ idol, Kerry. They faced a team I didn’t know much about called The Fabulous Freebirds, consisting of Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy, who would later become quite popular in Japan.
I was captivated by their entrance, particularly their music, which had a cool intro and involved waving Southern-style flags. To me, coming from the remote countryside of Hiroshima Prefecture, everything seemed so cool at the time. Later, I found out it was the flag of Georgia. Anyway, the song ended quickly after they entered the ring, leaving me wanting to hear more of it.
After that, I called All Japan Pro Wrestling to inquire about the song, but they directed me to the sports department of Nippon Television because the actual Dallas event was not promoted by All Japan. I called NTV, and after asking repeatedly, I found out that the band was called “Lynyrd Skynyrd.” I later learned that the band was named after their high school’s gym teacher, Leonard Skinner.
I desperately wanted to listen to the song, but there was no way a record store in the deep countryside that my hometown is would have it.
The Fabulous Freebirds would come to Japan for their first tour in 1984. While only Terry Gordy would eventually settle in Japan, their team name, “The Fabulous Freebirds,” perfectly represented their carefree behavior in the ring.
About a year later, while I was in Hiroshima City for something, I entered an import record store in search of bootleg recordings of Bruce Springsteen’s live performances. To my surprise, I found an album by Lynyrd Skynyrd. On it, someone had handwritten, “A best-of album of the late Lynyrd Skynyrd!” I later learned that several band members, including the lead vocalist and guitarist, had passed away in a 1977 plane crash.
I bought the album right away, and inside was a live version of “Free Bird,” with a piano intro rather than the original organ intro. When they played it during the broadcast from Dallas, it was the same live version, but I had mistakenly thought the Dallas version had an organ intro. In any case, I was initially disappointed, but over time, I grew to like the piano intro, especially when I started playing the piano myself again a few years later.
In 1987, I moved to the United States, living in North Carolina, Tennessee, and finally Texas until 1995. It was a time when I experienced both the good and bad sides of life as an Asian person in a region where…, well, you know what I mean. However, I still cherish those experiences as an essential part of living in this country.
During my time in North Carolina, I visited Myrtle Beach in South Carolina for a trip. While taking a nighttime stroll, I heard music coming from an open bar, and when I peeked inside, I saw a band of only two members, playing “Free Bird.” I was deeply moved, thinking, “This is what America is all about.”
During my time in Tennessee, Lynyrd Skynyrd went through reunions with the addition of the original vocalist’s brother, and I bought cassette tapes to listen to their music. Now, only one original member remains, but they have been performing much longer than the original members However, when I listened to some of their new songs, I couldn’t find much interest, and watching their live performances, it seemed like they mostly relied on their old songs anyway.
During my time in Texas, there was a period when I would go to watch wrestling matches in Dallas almost every Friday. Among those matches, I had the opportunity to see not only Hayes and Gordy but also other members of the Fabulous Freebirds, such as Buddy Roberts and Jimmy Garvin.
Of course, it’s challenging to truly experience the essence of America in places like Hawaii, Los Angeles, or New York, where many Japanese people gather. The eight years I spent in the South were an invaluable.
And speaking of the original version of “Freebird,” I have decided that it will be my funeral song when the time comes. I want it to be played while my coffin is being carried out of the sanctuary at the church.
