The man on fire on the front of this album has died.

Back in the 70s when I was in the midst of my coming-of-age musical years, I became fascinated with the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album, Wish You Were Here. What was this photo supposed to me?

Here’s a closer look.

The photo appeared to have been taken on the lot of a movie studio. Who were these men? And why is one of them on fire?

The project, one of the most famous undertaken by the original Hipignosis, the album art studio. The concept was created by Storm Thorgerson with photography by his partner,  Aubrey “Po” Powell.

What does it mean? After Thorgerson accompanied Pink Floyd on their 1974 tour, he learned about the sinister side of the music business and how artists were constantly “getting burned” by men in suits at the record label. Contracts were one-sided, royalties weren’t paid out as required, and artists were often left adrift.

For the shoot, Powell hired two Hollywood stuntmen, Danny Rogers and Ronnie Rondell Jr., and had them report to Warner Brothers Studios in Canada. Rondell was outfitted in a fireproof suit over which he wore business attire. His head was covered by a hood over which a fireproof wig was deposited. To protect exposed skin, a fireproof gel was used. Rondell was set on fire fourteen times, and as many photos as possible were taken during the short time Rondell burned.

On the 15th take, the wind changed direction and blew the fire into Rondell’s face. He lost an eyebrow and his moustache.

This information, however, was not widely available to fans back in the 70s, so the mystery of the Wish You Were Here artwork lingered for years until books, magazine articles, and (eventually) websites told its story.

I bring this up today because Ronnie Rondell Jr. died August 12 at a care home in Missouri. He was 88.