Before flamboyant Captain Jack Sparrow captured the hearts and minds of the world, another famous flamboyant Captain held that spot: Captain Lou Albano.

Albano, pictured here with longtime collaborator/sometimes enemy Cyndi Lauper, died last month at the age of 76.

Captain Lou, who wasn’t really a Captain of anything (except maybe a few wrestling teams?), was a staple of the WWWF in the 1980′s.

He also had quite the acting career.  He starred as Mario in the Super Mario Brother’s Super Show, which lasted one whole season.  He also had bit parts in 227, Hey Dude!, and Miami Vice.

But perhaps the most interesting part of Captain Lou’s career is the part that involves Lauper.

Lou and Lauper met each other on a plane in 1983.  Lou went on to star as Lauper’s father in the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun video.  This served as the impetus for the WWF (who had dropped a W by now) and MTV Rock ‘n’ Wrestling storyline.

Albano, who was an evil character in the WWF, continued to star in Lauper videos (including She Bop, Time After Time, and The Goonies R’ Good Enough) while simultaneously trashing Lauper during WWF performances.  He claimed that he was the real genius behind Lauper’s success and that he was the real author of her hit songs.  (Which would be odd, incidentally, since She Bop is about female masturbation.)

The whole thing boiled over into a feud that saw Albano and Lauper managing rivals in the 1984 MTV/WWF Brawl to End it All.

After Albano lost the match, he underwent surgery to remove the calcium deposits on his medula oblongata, which cured him of his evil tendencies.

Post operation, Lauper and Albano teamed up to co-chair the MS fund-raising efforts, raising over $4 million for the cause.

Then, Roudy Roddie Piper smashed a gold record over Lou’s head, and the rest is history.

R.I.P. Captain Lou.

BTW, This article is fantastic.  Not only does it include some must see videos, it draws a parallel between the Lauper/Albano feud and another ongoing feud.  It’s a must read.