(Credits: Far Out / Pink Floyd Music LTD)
Sun 17 August 2025 15:18, UK
Ronnie Rondell Jr, the American stuntman who was famously set on fire for the artwork of Pink Floyd’s album, Wish You Were Here, has died aged 88.
Rondell, who also appeared in Hollywood films such as Spartacus and The Karate Kid, and TV shows such as Charlie’s Angels, passed away on August 12th at a care home in Missouri, and is survived by his wife and son.
While he would later move on to becoming a stunt co-ordinator in the film industry, his most famous gig was being involved in shooting the infamous handshake scene depicted on the cover of the 1975 album, where he is engulfed entirely in flames.
Aubrey Powell, the photographer who conducted the shoot, revealed to The Guardian that Rondell was initially sceptical about the safety of the shoot, and that despite being dressed in fireproof gear and smothered in protective gel, he still claimed that the premise was more dangerous than anything he had ever done on screen.
The shot was taken 15 times, with only the final attempt going amiss and burning some of Rondell’s facial hair. Of the incident, Powell said: “Ronnie was very gracious about it considering, but as far as he was concerned as a professional in the movie industry it was all in a day’s work.”
A tribute to Rondell was posted to social media by Stunts Unlimited, the organisation he co-founded in 1970. It read: “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.”
Rondell’s father and both of his sons have also worked in the industry, with his youngest son, Reid, having died performing a stunt involving a helicopter in 1985.
Related Topics
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.