The Mouth of the South: The Jimmy Hart Story

by Jimmy Hart, Hulk Hogan (Foreword), Jerry “The King” Lawler (Foreword)

What went wrong with WCW? An omnipresent megaphone and maniacal, high-pitched giggle are the only clues that fans of pro-wrestling need to identify perhaps the most successful and internationally recognizable in-ring manager of all Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart. In The Mouth of the South, discover the many faces of America’s beloved entertainer. Hart found fame early in the music biz with The Gentrys’ hit song “Keep on Dancing.” In the 70s, a second big break changed his life. Memphis wrestling gave birth to a new Jimmy Hart ― wrestling’s most loved ― and at times hated ― manager. Ever since, he has been at the center of pro-wrestling’s most crucial historical developments. Hart showed Jim Carrey the ropes in his portrayal of Andy Kaufman’s famous wrestling scene. Other than Jerry Lawler and Kaufman himself, only Hart knew what was going to transpire live on Letterman ― an “unscripted” physical confrontation that shocked America. Hart was also there when Vince McMahon’s WWF revolutionized wrestling and made it a pop culture phenomenon. Hulk Hogan, The Honky Tonk Man, Bret The Mouth of the South was in their corner. With priceless behind-the-scenes photos from Hart’s personal collection, this memoir will establish itself as an indispensable chronicle of what might be America’s true pastime.

180 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Brandon Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels and reads more like a series of short stories about Jimmy's different moments in Music, Wrestling, and TV/Movies.

It is fun but feels rushed and the pacing and flow is weird. It is a rare Wrestling book that had no real bad or negative things to say about promotions or workers, he keeps it pretty positive.

[c · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book taught me what a "Tennessee handshake" is. for those of you outside of the know, a Tennessee handshake is when you extend your right hand to shake someones hand and then take your left hand and knife the person.

this book was ok, but it was very strangely paced. jimmy is a showman and a networker and it shows, he spends much of the beginning of the book (the part about hiss music career with the band The Gentrys) dropping names of rock and pop stars. He also spends a lot of time talking about hulk hogan and jerry lawler, you should probably just read their respective books.

[D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had the potential to be huge. Seemed forced and short.

[ReadinRasslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimmy Hart's 2004 autobiography is a nice collection of road stories and details his rise in the pro wrestling industry well, but bits and pieces of this feel rushed, particularly chronicling his time in the WWF. Hart's book is short, and it feels that way. The writing style feels genuine, but can get sidetracked into storytelling territory at times right in the middle of retelling something else from his career. There's an entire chapter that's pretty much just sucking up to Hulk Hogan, which is to be expected, I guess, since Hart is Hogan's manager both in and out of the ring. The book ends in a very rushed sense, ending right at the fall of WCW and wrapping it up in about a paragraph or two. Jimmy Hart's book is fine for a quick wrestling read, but it's entirely skippable and feels short for a legend who's had decades of experience.

[Tim Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing too memorable about this book, some interesting stories, but it won't blow your socks off. Jimmy Hart seems like a true nice guy in a business where circus acts and attitudes are the norm, and perhaps his book came off a bit bland.

[Big · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was outstanding. Learned a lot about the Gentrys (rock and roll band) and Jimmy Hart's other non-wrestling endeavors

[Matt Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting but I think if Hart would have taken the gloves off and hadn't played it safe the book would have been much better.