WWE Hall of Famers The Fabulous Freebirds always marched to their own beat

Southern 'Rasslin' just wouldn't have been the same if The Freebirds never existed. Without the Fabulous trio, who would have been around to raise all that hell?

WWE Hall of Famers The Freebirds consisted of original members Michael P.S. Hayes, Buddy Jack Roberts and Terry Bam Bam Gordy, although they would add some ancillary members over the years. However, the only other actual member was Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin, who was aligned with the group for years before officially joining.

Their legacy and the mark they left on professional wrestling isn't even up for debate. They changed the industry in so many ways, both in and out of the ring. They may have seemed like just a bunch of southern fried simpletons, but they were innovators who shaped not only their era, but generations to come.

Hayes, Roberts, Gordy and Garvin would eventually be elected as a faction to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016

Unfortunately, only Hayes and Garvin were on hand to accept the accolade, as Roberts and Gordy were inducted posthumously. The recognition of their greatness extended even beyond that night, as we see their influence on sports entertainment is still being felt today.

Every time a three-man group defends a tag team championship with any combination of its members, it is referred to as The Freebird Rule. The group introduced this concept and its still being imitated to this day. It was very prevalent in later years with teams like Demolition in the WWF and The Wolfpac in WCW.

Hayes was the spokesman and established leader of the group. His real-life, wild persona is what defined the Fabulous Freebirds, as they took on the image of all-night partiers and beer drinking bar fighters. And in many ways, it's more a reflection of who they really were rather than the characters they were portraying.

Known for their love of Jack Daniels, The Fabulous Freebirds represented what the world would be like if you never grew up and stayed 21 for life

The stories of their crazy antics and raucous reputation are somewhat legendary. Lots of women, booze and destroyed hotel rooms were the norm for them at the time.

So in essence? The Freebirds backed up everything they purported to be: They worked hard, and they played even harder.

When they eventually made their way to the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling, they made the perfect antagonist for the legendary and heroic Von Erichs. To say that the war between the family and The Freebirds blew the roof of the Sportatorium on many occasions would be an understatement. It had emotions running high in The Lone Star State.

David, Kevin and Kerry Von Erich all had a reputation for being the squeaky clean boys next door (although behind the scenes, the boys were far from it). It was an incredible storyline and bitter war. The idea that these vagabonds from Georgia thought they could conquer Texas' favorite sons was downright appalling to fans. This heated environment would set the professional wrestling world on fire and put the Freebirds on the map for good.

It was also around this time that Hayes recorded what would go on to become the faction's theme song, "Badstreet U.S.A.", which was a nod to the group's supposed upbringing. In the lyrics, Hayes' rough-as-sandpaper voice narrates their existence growing up on the 'wrong side of the tracks'.

The song, which became a minor hit in the mid-1980s, was really as much a part of linking wrestling with rock and roll as Cyndi Lauper and Hulk Hogan were in the WWF at the time. Hayes relished the rock star image and cultivated it throughout the rest of his career.

Buddy Roberts was a technical stylist and mat veteran. He provided The Freebirds with a ton of stability as a ring general, but tended to let Hayes do most of the talking during interviews. The same goes for the strong and silent Terry Gordy, who was the heavy hitter of the group.

Today, Jimmy Garvin is retired and living a quiet life away from the glitz and glamor of sports entertainment. For many years after leaving the ring, he was an Airline Transport Pilot.

Michael Hayes, on the other hand, has never left pro wrestling; he's been a part of WWE since 1995. He's currently a Vice President and Senior Producer for the promotion.

Still? It's hard to look back at old pictures of The Fabulous Freebirds and imagine them as any other way than as the roughnecks that they once were. Their devil-may-care, rock 'n' roll attitude was groundbreaking. Their use of their own entrance music and the Freebird Rule was innovative. But most of all? This group of men came together to forever be known as 'Fabulous'.