Hollywood stuntman Ronnie Rondell Jr, best known for being photographed engulfed in flames for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here album, has died at the age of 88.
A care home in the US state of Missouri announced his death on August 12.
Rondell performed in numerous films and TV shows, including Star Trek, The Matrix Reloaded and Charlie’s Angels.
In 1970 he co-founded the Stunts Unlimited talent agency to supply stunt performers for Hollywood films.
In a post on the Stunts Unlimited Facebook page, the company said: “Our hearts are heavy with the loss of the last of Stunts Unlimited’s 3 esteemed founding fathers, Ronnie Rondell.
“In a class all his own, Ronnie was a generous mentor whose talents set the bar for every aspiring stunt person. He was deeply respected, admired and loved. Ronnie was not just a legend, he was legendary and will be deeply missed.”
Iconic Pink Floyd shot took multiple takes
Ronnie Rondell (right) on the Wish You Were Here album cover.
 (Getty Images: Rahman Hassani/SOPA Images/LightRocket)
Rondell was best known for featuring as the businessman on fire for the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here.
His suit and hair were covered in flame-retardant gel to save him from injury.
The photographer who took the iconic shot, Aubrey Powell, later told The Guardian that on the 15th take a gust of wind blew the flames into Rondell’s face, burning off part of his moustache.
Wish You Were Here topped the album charts in Australia, the US and the UK, and in 2023 ranked 264th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 500 greatest albums.