TO THE MAT: North Little Rock resident Gary Harrington is better known to some as “Gorgeous” Gary Young from his wrestling days in Texas from 1977 to the mid-1990s. Back then, he was the World Class Championship Wrestling heavyweight champion and a member of the Global Wrestling Federation tag team champions.
In mid-March, he and nine others will be inducted into the Insane Hardcore Wrestling Entertainment Texas Wrestling Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. Now 54, Harrington retired from wrestling in 1995.
Since then, he’s been the manager of Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurant in North Little Rock. A memorable moment from his wrestling days? Engaging in verbal banter with Mr. T of the 1980s TV show The A-Team. (To see it, beginning about two minutes into this four minute video, visit tinyurl.com/my954jg).
RISING STAR: Briggsville native Jacob Lofland joined the cast of the FX original TV series Justified in the role of Kendal Crowe.
Lofland began his film career portraying Neckbone in the 2012 film Mud, which was shot in Arkansas and was written and directed by Little Rock native Jeff Nichols.
LOOKING FOR LOSERS: ABC’s reality show Extreme Weight Loss, Season 5, holds a casting call from noon to 6 p.m. March 1 at the Argenta Community Theater in North Little Rock. Those who could lose at least 50 percent of their body weight are invited to attend and bring a nonreturnable photo.
Those unable to attend the North Little Rock call may submit a video audition.
For more information and to pre-register, visit extremeweightlosscasting.com.
LOCKED AND LOADED: The Discovery Channel begins airing a six-episode hillbilly-laced reality show set in Hardy at 9 p.m. Feb. 25. The show, Clash of the Ozarks, follows two long feuding families - the Evanses and Russells.
TUNING INTO HISTORY: A month into the campaign to restore Little Rock Central High School’s 1927 Steinway grand piano, the nonprofit Tiger Foundation has raised more than a third of the estimated $22,000 to $26,000 needed. So far, $9,060 has been raised and another $500 pledged. An anonymous donor will pay to construct a locked, climate-controlled storage compartment for the piano.
“The response has been extremely gratifying, though I have a way to go before there is enough money to start the restoration work,” says Julie Keller with the foundation, adding that work will not begin until all the funds are raised.
Donations can be sent to the Tiger Foundation, P.O. Box 250005, Little Rock, Ark., 72225, with a notation on the check that the donation is for the piano.
Keller said it is known that the piano was taken to the school in 1927, but no one knows how.
“There is no freight elevator,” she said.
To remove it, a crew will move the piano up and down several flights onto the front steps, where a crane will transfer it to a moving truck.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com .
Arkansas, Pages 13 on 02/16/2014