So....I've been running the site for a week now and I guess so far so good. No MAJOR complaints to speak of from anyone so I guess I haven't managed to kill it off yet....so that's certainly a good thing.
Ok, so people are frequently asking me about the status of the Eddie Gilbert book I've been working on the past year and I've been waiting until a I made decision before I posted anything but I believe I've decided. This book started out as something I wanted to do in honor of a wrestler that I was a big fan of and have the utmost respect for. In talking with J.D. McKay and reading a lot of the false things that float around on the internet about him I thought it would be good to talk to people who knew him best and write a fitting book telling his story. I contacted and interviewed many people for the book including Eddie's parents Tommy and Peggy Gilbert, Lance Russell, Missy Hyatt, Jerry Jarrett, Joel Watts, Downtown Bruno, Ken Wayne, Darla Taylor, Bob Barnett, Tony Myers, James Beard, Tommy Rich, Bobby Eaton, and the list goes on and on. I have a lot of great material and a big portion of the book done.
However, one person I wanted to talk to throughout this process was Doug Gilbert. I finally was able to get in touch with Doug and he informed me that he is the executor of Eddie's estate and for me to do a book about Eddie he would need me to let his attorney draw up a contract and he would want final say so over everything that went into the book. I thought about it for a long time and I just don't feel this is really what I had in mind going into it. I never had any intention of putting many negative things in the book and we probably wouldn't have many issues about things that are in there but at the same time I'm sure there would some things that some of the people said that Doug may take issue with and by most accounts the statements are true. Plus I'm sure there would be a lot of conflict about money and things of that nature and that was never what this was about......according to Doug there are many people who are wanting to do this project so I think it would be best if I left it to one of them to do it another time.
I did however spend MANY, MANY HOURS compiling the material I do have and I don't plan on just letting it sit on my external hard drive. I'm thinking I may post it as a series of columns here on RRO in the near future.....or perhaps not....perhaps I'll just talk with the owner of Eddie Gilbert.com and find a way to work it into that site....or both....I haven't decided. Wherever I post it I think fans, friends and family of Eddie Gilbert will find it entertaining and informative and respectful of his memory and the mark he made on the pro wrestling business that is still seen to this day.
