April 24, 2024 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Rocky 'Soulman' Johnson was a WWE Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer and the father of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Here’s Dwayne paying tribute to his father who taught him so much about life.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. A blood clot
was the cause of death for Rocky Soulman Johnson, the
WWE Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer and father of Hollywood
actor Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Johnson died at the Florida
home his son bought for him. He was seventy five.
(00:33):
Rocky began wrestling at the age of sixteen and retired
in nineteen ninety one, but he went on to train
his son to become a wrestler. Here's Dwayne the Rock
Johnson paying tribute to his father.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Wish I had one more shot, you know, just that.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
He say goodbye, I say I love you, say thank you,
I respect you. But you know, I have a feeling
he's watching, he's listening. I know my dad will be saying, ka,
fave the tears. You know, you try and you think about, well,
(01:14):
what am I gonna write?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And this is you know, you don't Yeah, you don't
know what to write for eulogy.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's your dad. You don't expect it, as you guys know,
you know, he went very quick. I was on my
way to work the other day on January fifteenth, and
I was just pulling into work and we were shooting
that day and it was a very first day of production.
And then I get a call from my wife Lauren,
who said, you know, hey, I just spoke to Cora.
It seems like something's going on with your dad. And
(01:43):
Lauren was with our she was with our babies, my mom,
and she said, you know, I really can't talk. She goes,
(02:04):
I think you should call Cora though, so of course
I called Kora. Cora, you know, she broke the news
to me. And right when she broke the news, I
was literally just pulling it and I'm looking at the
whole crew, hundreds of guys and women milling around and
carrying equipment and waving at me in the truck and
waving back, and it all got really foggy, and it
seemed like it was just a big dream. And you
(02:24):
know how you have those moments you can try and
shake yourself.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Out of it and you're like, no, it's not a dream.
My dad's gone.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
And in that moment, I just thought, well, what do
I need to do.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
What's the next thing that I need to do? And
I heard a voice say, oh, hey, show must go.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
On, and and that was my dad, That was my
own man. Who told me that, you know, this idea
about the show must go on. It just reminded me of,
you know, what my dad was and what he represented
to our business and to our wrestling business, and something
(03:08):
that you know, we're all very proud of because many
of us are in this wrestling business and it is
in your blood. Once it's in your blood, it never
goes away. The phrase of trailblazer is connected to my
dad's name, my dad, Rocky Johnson. Trailblazer never been done.
When you do things that have never been done, but
(03:30):
impactful things and things that actually move the needle an industry,
and he did that and for my dad when he
broke into the business in the mid sixties and throughout
the late sixties and into the seventies in the United
States where racial tension and divide was very strong, and
in the sixties and the seventies, you have a black
(03:51):
man coming in, it's an all white audience.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
There is good luck and dude, wouldn't you say in.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
All these small little towns that eventually I would go
on to wrestle in But at that time changed the
audience behavior and actually had them cheer for this black man.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
A man that had been a pop star all over
the United States for the.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Past decade, introducing Rocky Johnson.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Lest each other, Is he excited or is he?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And not?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
When he was wrestling against other black men, because he
was usually the only black guy in the territory, he
was wrestling against other white wrestlers. And I thought that
was really unique, and I thought that was really powerful,
and I thought that it deserved to be said.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And that's what this man did.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
You know, we celebrated and we gave honor to doctor
Martin Luther King yesterday and I woke up this morning
and my heart, of course it's heavy, but there was
a lightness to it that I thought, Wow, you know,
it's very appropriate because you know, my dad fought for
racial equality at a time where it was needed.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
We are the first black tat champions of the world ever.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Thought doctor Martin Luther King would be very out of
my dad. When you think of my dad's name, you
think hard work, you think barrier breaking, you think you
know that being the hardest worker in the room, always
working out, taught me how to work out when I
was a very at a very young age. Hard work, discipline,
those are things and tenets that are synonymous with my
(05:19):
dad's name. What's amazing to me now, after a daylight today,
after we come here and we give our respects and
our love, he's galvanized. He's responsible for galvanizing families now
and families coming together just a bit closer, because you know,
through processes like this and we all go through this,
we all go through this, and we've all lost loved ones.
(05:40):
But guarantee, when we walk out of these doors, we're
going to hold each other a bit tighter. We're going
to have each other a bit harder. We're going to
kiss each other, we're going to say I love you,
and we're going to be a little bit more present.
And I think that's the beautiful irony about my dad
and all the things that his name is synonymous with.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
All over the years.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Now, his name is synonymous with the power of love
and bringing people together.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
It's very appropriate for the soul. Man.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
I wish your soul at rest and at ease. There's
no more pain, no more regret. I'm sorry, Just give
me a second. Thank you for bearing with names. Give
(06:33):
me a second. I'm so happy he had friends a
place like this that he could come to and all
of you who have been in his life, and all
of you have said really wonderful things, all the messages
that you sent me. He would be very happy at this.
(06:54):
It would make his heart full. This isn't goodbye, this
is just and I'll see it down the road. We'll
see it down the road. I thank you guys so
much for your time. And I love you all. I
thank you, we love you all my family, thank you
(07:15):
guys very much. And I'll see it down the road.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
So man, father and son rocking the house here, Ladies
and gentlemen, as rotomadias.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
You carry the family name, you carry your grandfather's name,
you carry my name. And I said in that crowd,
and I watch.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
You, and I was so proud. My dad was a
hero to me.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
He was larger than life, legendary matches I witnessed as
a kid.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
He was able to cross all lines.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And become one of the most dynamic and formidable performers
of his time. It is my great honor to welcome, congratulate,
and induct into the two thousand and eight WWE Hall
of Fame my dad, Rocky Johnson.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
I would also like to thank my beautiful daughter, Wanda
my son Curtis, and for Dwayne. For everything you've done
for me. You made me proud by continue our family
resting legacy, by continuing our family resting I know in
the beginning I resisted you from entering the business because
(08:23):
they knew it was extremely difficult, and I only agreed
to train you on one condition that I would not
go easy on you.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And let me tell you I didn't. I will tell you.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Fllow Selly, I will tell you a story that's not
on this script. He got sassy with me one time.
It's about a mile and a half from home, and
he wanted sympathy, and it was porn down rain and
I said, if you want sympathy, go home to your
mother and get it. He said, that's exactly where I'm going.
(09:02):
He took his bag and he left. But I will
say this from the bottom of my heart, and I
love him very much. He's my son and he always
will be, and I'm very proud of him. I would
like to be remembered for help him pave the road
for other black athletes, but I'd also like to remember
(09:25):
for paving the road for all athletes, no matter rice,
color or coon. Thank you and May God bless each
and every one of you.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Thank you, and a terrific job on the production editing
and storytelling by our own Greg Hangler. And you were
listening to Dwayne the Rock Johnson eulogize his father, Rocky
Soulman Johnson. In the end, there you were listening to
Rocky Soulman Johnson himself, the father and son love affair.
(10:01):
It's not a dream, the Rock said, Dad's gone. I
heard a voice, though the show must go on. My
dad taught me that he fought for racial equality, breaking barriers,
hard work and discipline, always working out, always working hard.
That's what my dad taught me. His name is associated
(10:24):
though in the end, with the power of love and
bringing people together. He would be very happy with this.
It would make his heart full. And he closed with
those words, I'll see you down the road, soul Man.
Dwayne the Rock Johnson gulogy to his father here on
(10:44):
our American Stories
And we continue with our American stories. A blood clot
was the cause of death for Rocky Soulman Johnson, the
WWE Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer and father of Hollywood
actor Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Johnson died at the Florida
home his son bought for him. He was seventy five.
(00:33):
Rocky began wrestling at the age of sixteen and retired
in nineteen ninety one, but he went on to train
his son to become a wrestler. Here's Dwayne the Rock
Johnson paying tribute to his father.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Wish I had one more shot, you know, just that.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
He say goodbye, I say I love you, say thank you,
I respect you. But you know, I have a feeling
he's watching, he's listening. I know my dad will be saying, ka,
fave the tears. You know, you try and you think about, well,
(01:14):
what am I gonna write?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And this is you know, you don't Yeah, you don't
know what to write for eulogy.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's your dad. You don't expect it, as you guys know,
you know, he went very quick. I was on my
way to work the other day on January fifteenth, and
I was just pulling into work and we were shooting
that day and it was a very first day of production.
And then I get a call from my wife Lauren,
who said, you know, hey, I just spoke to Cora.
It seems like something's going on with your dad. And
(01:43):
Lauren was with our she was with our babies, my mom,
and she said, you know, I really can't talk. She goes,
(02:04):
I think you should call Cora though, so of course
I called Kora. Cora, you know, she broke the news
to me. And right when she broke the news, I
was literally just pulling it and I'm looking at the
whole crew, hundreds of guys and women milling around and
carrying equipment and waving at me in the truck and
waving back, and it all got really foggy, and it
seemed like it was just a big dream. And you
(02:24):
know how you have those moments you can try and
shake yourself.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Out of it and you're like, no, it's not a dream.
My dad's gone.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
And in that moment, I just thought, well, what do
I need to do.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
What's the next thing that I need to do? And
I heard a voice say, oh, hey, show must go.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
On, and and that was my dad, That was my
own man. Who told me that, you know, this idea
about the show must go on. It just reminded me of,
you know, what my dad was and what he represented
to our business and to our wrestling business, and something
(03:08):
that you know, we're all very proud of because many
of us are in this wrestling business and it is
in your blood. Once it's in your blood, it never
goes away. The phrase of trailblazer is connected to my
dad's name, my dad, Rocky Johnson. Trailblazer never been done.
When you do things that have never been done, but
(03:30):
impactful things and things that actually move the needle an industry,
and he did that and for my dad when he
broke into the business in the mid sixties and throughout
the late sixties and into the seventies in the United
States where racial tension and divide was very strong, and
in the sixties and the seventies, you have a black
(03:51):
man coming in, it's an all white audience.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
There is good luck and dude, wouldn't you say in.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
All these small little towns that eventually I would go
on to wrestle in But at that time changed the
audience behavior and actually had them cheer for this black man.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
A man that had been a pop star all over
the United States for the.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Past decade, introducing Rocky Johnson.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Lest each other, Is he excited or is he?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And not?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
When he was wrestling against other black men, because he
was usually the only black guy in the territory, he
was wrestling against other white wrestlers. And I thought that
was really unique, and I thought that was really powerful,
and I thought that it deserved to be said.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And that's what this man did.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
You know, we celebrated and we gave honor to doctor
Martin Luther King yesterday and I woke up this morning
and my heart, of course it's heavy, but there was
a lightness to it that I thought, Wow, you know,
it's very appropriate because you know, my dad fought for
racial equality at a time where it was needed.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
We are the first black tat champions of the world ever.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Thought doctor Martin Luther King would be very out of
my dad. When you think of my dad's name, you
think hard work, you think barrier breaking, you think you
know that being the hardest worker in the room, always
working out, taught me how to work out when I
was a very at a very young age. Hard work, discipline,
those are things and tenets that are synonymous with my
(05:19):
dad's name. What's amazing to me now, after a daylight today,
after we come here and we give our respects and
our love, he's galvanized. He's responsible for galvanizing families now
and families coming together just a bit closer, because you know,
through processes like this and we all go through this,
we all go through this, and we've all lost loved ones.
(05:40):
But guarantee, when we walk out of these doors, we're
going to hold each other a bit tighter. We're going
to have each other a bit harder. We're going to
kiss each other, we're going to say I love you,
and we're going to be a little bit more present.
And I think that's the beautiful irony about my dad
and all the things that his name is synonymous with.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
All over the years.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Now, his name is synonymous with the power of love
and bringing people together.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
It's very appropriate for the soul. Man.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
I wish your soul at rest and at ease. There's
no more pain, no more regret. I'm sorry, Just give
me a second. Thank you for bearing with names. Give
(06:33):
me a second. I'm so happy he had friends a
place like this that he could come to and all
of you who have been in his life, and all
of you have said really wonderful things, all the messages
that you sent me. He would be very happy at this.
(06:54):
It would make his heart full. This isn't goodbye, this
is just and I'll see it down the road. We'll
see it down the road. I thank you guys so
much for your time. And I love you all. I
thank you, we love you all my family, thank you
(07:15):
guys very much. And I'll see it down the road.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
So man, father and son rocking the house here, Ladies
and gentlemen, as rotomadias.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
You carry the family name, you carry your grandfather's name,
you carry my name. And I said in that crowd,
and I watch.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
You, and I was so proud. My dad was a
hero to me.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
He was larger than life, legendary matches I witnessed as
a kid.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
He was able to cross all lines.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And become one of the most dynamic and formidable performers
of his time. It is my great honor to welcome, congratulate,
and induct into the two thousand and eight WWE Hall
of Fame my dad, Rocky Johnson.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
I would also like to thank my beautiful daughter, Wanda
my son Curtis, and for Dwayne. For everything you've done
for me. You made me proud by continue our family
resting legacy, by continuing our family resting I know in
the beginning I resisted you from entering the business because
(08:23):
they knew it was extremely difficult, and I only agreed
to train you on one condition that I would not
go easy on you.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And let me tell you I didn't. I will tell you.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Fllow Selly, I will tell you a story that's not
on this script. He got sassy with me one time.
It's about a mile and a half from home, and
he wanted sympathy, and it was porn down rain and
I said, if you want sympathy, go home to your
mother and get it. He said, that's exactly where I'm going.
(09:02):
He took his bag and he left. But I will
say this from the bottom of my heart, and I
love him very much. He's my son and he always
will be, and I'm very proud of him. I would
like to be remembered for help him pave the road
for other black athletes, but I'd also like to remember
(09:25):
for paving the road for all athletes, no matter rice,
color or coon. Thank you and May God bless each
and every one of you.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Thank you, and a terrific job on the production editing
and storytelling by our own Greg Hangler. And you were
listening to Dwayne the Rock Johnson eulogize his father, Rocky
Soulman Johnson. In the end, there you were listening to
Rocky Soulman Johnson himself, the father and son love affair.
(10:01):
It's not a dream, the Rock said, Dad's gone. I
heard a voice, though the show must go on. My
dad taught me that he fought for racial equality, breaking barriers,
hard work and discipline, always working out, always working hard.
That's what my dad taught me. His name is associated
(10:24):
though in the end, with the power of love and
bringing people together. He would be very happy with this.
It would make his heart full. And he closed with
those words, I'll see you down the road, soul Man.
Dwayne the Rock Johnson gulogy to his father here on
(10:44):
our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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