Mr. T is most known for playing B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III. He is also known for his distinctive hairstyle inspired by Mandinka warriors in West Africa, his copious gold jewelry, his tough-guy persona, and his catchphrase I pity the fool! But did you ever wonder where he got his gold-chain look?
After brawls at the nightclub where Mr. T used to work, patrons would accidentally leave behind or lose their chains and other jewelry. He wore it out front in full view, and patrons may return to reclaim their items.
Who is Mr. T?
Mr. T was born Laurence Tureaud in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest son in a family with twelve children. He participated in football, wrestling, and martial arts training while he was a student at Dunbar Vocational High School. He won two consecutive city wrestling championships as a student at Dunbar.
He later joined the Military Police Corps of the United States Army in 1975. He tried out for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League after receiving his release in the late 1970s, but he was not selected for the club due to a knee injury.
After that, Tureaud worked as a bouncer at Dingbats Discotheque on Rush Street. He developed the identity of Mr. T during this period, and the gold neck chains and other valuables he wore resulted from clients abandoning them at the nightclub after a fight or losing them.
A banned client, or one unwilling to risk a conflict by returning inside, may come back to get his item from Mr. T while flaunting it prominently right in front of the store. Tureaud was primarily employed as a doorman to keep drug users and dealers out of the building while also managing the violence. As a bouncer, he claimed to have been in over 200 fights, been sued several times, and always come out on top. (Source: IMDB)
What Did Mr. T Do for Work After Being a Bouncer?
As his reputation increased, he was hired to provide security for various people, including millionaires, judges, models, and clothing designers. Celebrities including Steve McQueen, Michael Jackson, LeVar Burton, and Diana Ross were among his clientele, and fighters like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and Leon Spinks.
He worked in the pro wrestling industry from 1985 to 1986 and 1994 to 1995. He was Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper’s tag team partner in the first WrestleMania I, which they defeated on March 31, 1985.
His feud with Piper continued when he defeated Piper in a boxing match by disqualifying him at WrestleMania 2. In 1987, Mr. T returned to the WWF as a special guest referee before leaving the sport.
Seven years later, in October 1994, he made a comeback as a special referee for a Hogan-Ric Flair match. He participated in a few rounds with Hogan before fading into obscurity. (Source: IMDB)
Why Did Mr. T Stop Wearing Gold?
After assisting with the hurricane Katrina cleaning in 2005, Mr. T stopped wearing almost all of his gold jewelry, one of his distinguishing features.
As a Christian, I thought that it would be a sin before God for me to continue wearing my gold. I believed that it would be insensitive and insulting to the people who lost everything, so I stopped wearing my gold. When I witnessed other people lose their lives and their land and belongings.
Mr. T
(Source: Sky News)