Some sad news: it has been announced today that Ronnie Rondell Jr, the stuntman who was famously set alight for the front cover of Wish You Were Here, died on 12th August in a care home in Missouri, USA.

Rondell was 88. His long film and TV career started in 1955, quickly moving into the world of stunts where he appeared in movies such as Lethal Weapon, Blazing Saddles, The Towering Inferno, Spartacus, Diamonds Are Forever, and The Matrix Reloaded (his final appearance).

The world of the stuntman is quite overlooked, with the person standing in for the more recognisable actors topping the bill. However, in 1975, he became much more prominent when he was called on for the famous handshake while ablaze, on the cover of Wish You Were Here.

As Aubrey "Po" Powell related, there were a number of attempts made to capture the perfect image, shot between soundstages at what was then known as Burbank Studios in California, later called Warner Bros Studios. Symbolising the nature of the music industry, it was shot for real, with Rondell joined by fellow stuntman Danny Rogers. Rondell wore a fireproof suit, wig and hood, and was the one set on fire. The first fourteen takes went well, but then on the fifteenth, the wind suddenly whipped around and blew the fire into his face - he lost an eyebrow and some of his moustache. Powell: "Ronnie was very gracious about it considering... but as far as he was concerned as a professional in the movie industry it was all in a day's work."