James Grady Johnson
Born
February 5, 1940
Died
June 23, 2006 (66 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Union Point, Georgia, U.S.
"Crazy" Luke Graham (real name: James Grady Johnson, February 5, 1940 – June 23, 2006) was an American professional wrestler best known for his eccentric in-ring persona and as a member of the fictional Graham Family, a notable wrestling stable. He was a three-time tag team champion in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), including being the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champion alongside Tarzan Tyler in 1971.
He debuted in 1961 and wrestled across various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories, Stampede Wrestling, and the AWA. He gained major success in the Los Angeles territory by winning the WWA World Title in 1965 from Pedro Morales. Throughout his career, he feuded with top names such as Bruno Sammartino, André the Giant, and Bob Backlund. He also competed under the name El Lobo in Florida and won the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship in 1974.
Known for his "crazy" character, his signature moves included the atomic drop and the "Golden Spike," a thumb stab using a taped thumb. He retired in the 1980s but made a brief appearance in 2001 with his son, Luke Jr. Graham passed away in 2006 due to congestive heart failure.
