Tureaud next worked as a
bouncer. It was at this time that he created the persona of Mr. T.
[13] His wearing of gold neck chains and other jewelry was the result of customers losing the items or leaving them behind at the night club after a fight. A banned customer, or one reluctant to risk a confrontation by going back inside, could return to claim his property from Mr. T wearing it conspicuously right out front. Along with controlling the violence as a doorman, Tureaud was mainly hired to keep out drug dealers and users.
[14] During his bouncing days, Tureaud was in over 200 fights and was sued a number of times, but won each case.
[15] "I have been in and out of the courts as a result of my beating up somebody. I have been sued by customers whom I threw out that claimed that I viciously attacked them without just cause and/or I caused them great bodily harm as a result of a beating I supposedly gave them," Mr. T once remarked.
[16]
He eventually parlayed his job as a bouncer into a career as a bodyguard that lasted almost ten years. During these years he protected, among others, sixteen prostitutes, nine welfare recipients, five preachers, eight bankers, ten school teachers, and four store owners.
[17] As his reputation improved, however, he was contracted to guard, among others, seven clothes designers, five models, seven judges, three politicians, six athletes and forty-two millionaires.
[17] He protected well-known personalities such as
Muhammad Ali,
Steve McQueen,
Michael Jackson,
Leon Spinks,
Joe Frazier and
Diana Ross, charging $3,000 per day,
[18] to a maximum of $10,000 per day, depending on the clientele's risk-rate and traveling locations.
Mr T for teaching me how to be somebody and not somebodys fool, fool!
represent.
