Black Bart Passes Away at Age 76

Former NWA wrestler Black Bart, real name Richard Harris, passed away on Thursday at the age of 76.

Harris’ passing was first announced by his wife Linda on Facebook.

“You might know him as Black Bart but to me he was my husband Ricky. He left us this morning . He was pronounced at 5:26 this morning. He is Resting In Peace”

Prior to his passing, Harris had been battling stage 4 cancer in his liver since 2023 and had stopped chemotherapy treatments this past December.

Slam Wrestling reported that Harris’ insurance agency stopped paying for Harris’ rehab last month.

Harris’ professional wrestling career spanned from 1975 to 2006 and worked for various wrestling promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, and had brief stints in both WWE and WCW.

Besides his in-ring career, Harris was also known for being the trainer of WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield. JBL reflected on Twitter about Harris’ passing stating:

“Black Bart took me under his wing and taught me how to be a professional wrestler. We were tag champs in Texas-but we were also just buddies. We sat together in the dressing room while Bart spit in his trashcan and constantly joked about everything. Bart meant the world to me. I love you big brother. RIP.”

Harris’ notable wrestling career achievements and accolades included being a one-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion, one-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion, one-time NWA National Heavyweight Champion, three-time NWA United States Tag Team Champion (Florida version), induction into the Texas Hall of Fame (2013), and recipient of the Courage Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club (2024).