Hulkamania Will Keep Rockin’, Brother!
Hearing today’s news that Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea has passed away at 71 casts a bittersweet glow over five decades of pop‑culture upheaval. From his emergence as the all‑American hero of the World Wrestling Federation to his unlikely emergence as a reality‑TV patriarch, Hogan’s larger‑than‑life persona reshaped entertainment on multiple fronts and influenced a generation.
In the mid‑’80s, Hogan became the standard‑bearer of “Hulkamania,” a phenomenon fueled as much by patriotism and charisma as by muscle‑bound theatrics. His theme song, “Real American,” sprouted from rock veteran Rick Derringer and lyricist Bernard Kenny’s pride‑anthem demo that Vince McMahon anointed as Hogan’s entrance music in December 1985. Those opening guitar licks and the rallying chorus, “I am a real American,” blasted across arenas and airwaves alike, cementing wrestling’s crossover into mainstream music culture.
Young fans donned yellow “Hulk Up” bandanas, popped “train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins” into daily workouts, and treated Derringer’s track like a pump‑up song at every body‑slam moment. MTV even featured wrestling highlights set to “Real American,” cementing the symbiosis between music television and sports entertainment
Hogan’s impact transcended the squared circle. His headlining match at WrestleMania III in 1987, with a record-breaking indoor attendance, showed corporate America that sports entertainment could be a global, multibillion-dollar juggernaut. He battled villains of every stripe, preached “Training, say your prayers, eat your vitamins,” and marketed everything from action figures to branded appliances.
Today, as tributes pour in from all corners of entertainment, it’s clear that Hulk Hogan wasn’t merely a wrestler or a TV star. He was a living bridge between rock‑and‑roll swagger and theatrical spectacle, a pioneer who showed us that with charisma, a killer theme song, and a larger‑than‑life persona, you could redefine an industry and find a special place in the hearts of America and the world!
As we say goodbye to Hulk Hogan, we will make sure that “Hulkamania” will keep rockin’, Brother!
Doug O’Brien
