The Importance Of Koko B. Ware's Bird Frankie & His Tragic Death, Explained

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• Many WWE Wrestlers Have Used Animals As Part Of Their Gimmick

• Koko B. Ware And Frankie Come To WWE

• Frankie The Bird’s Tragic Passing

WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware is arguably one of the most underrated stars of the New Generation era. Though he never won a title in WWE, he became massively popular with wrestling fans on account of his fun-loving attitude and musical talent.

Many fans today remember Koko B. Ware as one of the late great Owen Hart’s tag team partners. The two competed together as High Energy from 1992 to 1993, when the team was quietly dropped and both stars went their separate ways. After High Energy split up, Koko continued to work as a babyface. He feuded with heels such as Irwin R. Schyster and Bastion Booger.

RELATED: The History Of Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart's Friendship, ExplainedWithout a doubt, the most memorable aspect of Koko B. Ware’s WWE career was his animal companion, Frankie the parrot. Frankie would accompany the Birdman to the ring and observe his matches. He’d also take part in promos and was often the star of Koko’s merchandise.

Many WWE Wrestlers Have Used Animals As Part Of Their Gimmick

Animal companions were fairly common during this era of WWE. Perhaps the most famous of them is Jake Roberts’ snake Damian, who Roberts would carry to the ring in his menacing sack. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid, the British Bulldogs, had an English bulldog of their own named Matilda.

Some animals posed much more of a threat than others. Both Damian the snake (sometimes a cobra, sometimes a python) and Matilda the bulldog saw their fair share of action in the ring. Damian infamously bit the "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Matilda had a feud of her own with the Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart.

While Matilda and Damian would get involved in matches by occasionally attacking their owners’ opponents, Frankie was mostly just there for moral support and musical accompaniment.

Koko B. Ware And Frankie Come To WWE

Koko B Ware signed with WWE in August 1986. He had adopted the Birdman persona on the independent circuit but didn’t yet have Frankie as a companion. The idea of bringing a live bird into the act came from Koko’s wife, who showed Koko a picture of a macaw from a pet store and told him that the bird would help him break into stardom.

RELATED: Everything Roman Reigns Has Said About A Potential WWE Match With The Rock, ExplainedKoko, a little confused, went along with the idea and presented the bird to Vince McMahon, asking if he could make the bird a part of his gimmick. McMahon agreed and WWE’s newest dynamic duo was formed.

Koko used Morris Day and The Time’s song “The Bird” as his entrance theme. He even sang the tune himself, wowing crowds with his strong, vibrato-filled voice. Koko’s charisma and Frankie’s presence quickly made them a fan-favorite among wrestling fans.

While Jake Roberts’ snakes came from handlers and were lent to Roberts for shows and tours, Frankie was a beloved personal pet of Koko. Frankie remained a part of Koko’s act until the end of his WWE tenure in 1994.

Frankie The Bird’s Tragic Passing

Koko had Frankie for 15 years. He lost the parrot in 2001 due to a house fire that started while Koko was at church. Frankie was in his cage while Koko was out of the house, and his neighbors were, unfortunately, unable to rescue him. Koko told the story during an interview with Everywhere Legends Video:

I was at church, and somebody came running up to me and said, ‘Koko, you gotta go home, your house is on fire…’ I got there, and it was a disaster. A neighbor who I had never met before, who lived down the street, was in the backyard on his knees crying.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t save your child…’ He had heard a voice inside the burning house. It was saying, ‘Let me out! Let me out!’ He thought it was one of my kids. It was Frankie, trapped in his cage.

I loved Frankie. His spirit is still with me to this day. God bless you, Frankie.

-Koko B. Ware (via Everywhere Legends Video)

There is a Find a Grave webpage created in Frankie’s honor where fans can leave virtual flowers for the parrot and pay their respects.

Koko has since gotten a new macaw companion, also named Frankie. You can keep up with the two of them on Koko’s Twitter page.