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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Hapi Phace ·
Oh dear. Such sad news. Two of my old show-biz partners, Tabboo! and then Philly (notoriously famed for projectile vomiting in the Pyramid production of Attack of the Spider Crabs from Star Nebula), each called me yesterday to break the news about Dean. I'm so glad that someone here wrote about remembering his laughter in the Pyramid dressing room. I remember that too, and his different laughs. He had a slow snickering laugh that could build into a bigger, volcanic eruption of laughter, sort...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

friendofdean ·
Yes daddy. He was the first to have boys in white jockey briefs - with tubesox and combat boots, if I remember correctly. It was also the uniform of the female members of Dean and the Weenies. But they wore bras. In fact, it might have been one of the female Weenies that came up with the look first, and Dean realized that it was the best look for his bar dancers.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

rocko ·
so sad, to have lost such a wonderful person. dean and i were friends at NYU and i was his first drummer in Dean and the Weenies. Over the last few weeks, I kept meaning to reach out to him and tell him the following: Hi Dean - I wanted you to know I have been playing drums to your first Velvet Mafia record and listening to it non stop for the last several weeks. Despite marriage, kids, suburbia, and this BS called a career, I still manage to play and your record has been my first choice for...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

hatches ·
An Historical Note... In our culture it seems to be of paramount importance who was "the first," when in reality any ideas we might have are the result of a barrage of influences we receive from the cradle onward. "You know you weren't the first bald drag queen, Dean," said Constance in the mid-nineties. Likewise, the first boy bar dancers at the Pyramid in jockey shorts were Greg W. (a wall streeter by day) and Sister Dimension (!). This was in 1981, before Dean came here from the wilds of...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Mimi Imfurst ·
This sucks. This just plainly sucks. Dean will be missed. He was always there- and now he's not. A movement all by himself.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
You're right of course Hatch, the whole "being the first" is so "Francine 59" of me. First or not, Dean took everything to the extreme. I remember DJing at one of his parties. There were HUNDREDS of guys totally naked going totally ape shit! At one point he had at least 15 or 20 guys jerking off in unison on the bar (he told them all to come at the same time). It was hysterical. I got inspired and put on Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". They came together. It was a high point in my DJ...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Luxury Lex ·
This is so shocking. Ironically I'm reading this news from the Fairmont Hotel in DC as I type (here for work). I only knew Dean very casually, but he was always so kind and his sense of humor will be missed. Another piece of youth falling away ...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Gypsy0033 ·
I heard the news about Dean tonight. I am so sorry. He will be missed. take care Teri
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Princess RA ·
What a spectacular being Dean is/was.... We met 100 years ago when we both worked at the World.... had a lot of respect for each other, and always shared laughs... recently we reconnected via myspace and were writing back and forth.I adore you Dean, gorgeous and mean God Bless The Queen!
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Chi Chi ·
Thank you for your stories and words here, they are a comfort and I know our own "velvetmafiacapo" is reading every word. For friends of Dean's who might not have seen him of late, I just wanted you to know that he went out at the very top of his game, creatively challenged, respected, even worshipped by new legions of fans, writing, performing...living! His last performance, September 8 at Low Life in the Howl Festival was a complete departure from any of his usual schticks, and yet he made...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
From Mark Tusk:
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
Another one from Mark Tusk. Dean as the crooked Irish Cop at this year's LOW LIFE @ The Howl Festival.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

S'tan ·
I knew Dean as did many through the years via performance and always viewed him as an exotic spider - gorgeous and terrifying. The physicality alone was a phenomenon. When told 'his body could not be identified for a week' ... I made a bad black-humor joke - "What fool couldn't identify THAT body?" I only got to know the man personally very recently as a result of doing editorial for our Verbal Abuse #5. Dean's submission was a masterpiece of concision, mordant wit and insight... I barely...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Hapi Phace ·
Robert Coddington, who is the archivist for Nelson Sullivan's videos, wrote and asked me to let you all know that he has been posting clips of Dean on youtube. This is a link to a video of Dean & the Weenies performing "Teri Toye" at the 5th anniv. of Pyramid . . . TERI TOYE http://youtube.com/watch?v=kYSc312UVSg
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Hapi Phace ·
Here's "fuck You" at the Limelight. http://youtube.com/watch?v=ucXElJkG_8g
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Glamnerd ·
Legends never die. Dean embodied everything that was authentic and necessary for downtown nightlife and its congregation. Thank you Dean, you will be missed.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
Gorgeous. Teri Toye was always one of my faves. And I love how in "Fuck You" Dean comes down the stairs and has to raise the mic stand another foot.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

flobie11 ·
I think he raises it more like 9 inches.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

ex-teen demi-god ·
I got the call from Walter on Friday and it took me a long while to process. Then I sent out an email blast to whomever I thought might not have heard. I got replies from Fenton of WOW and Danny Fields, as well as Tall Paul Gellman, and a number of others from back in the day. All were unanimous in saying it would be hard to imagine NY without Dean. My memories of him are also of his laughter...the loud percussive dirty cackle that he would often greet my snide commentary with. He was one of...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Mister X ·
I only found out about this today! It's a very sad day in New York, we will all miss Dean and his incredible influence on the East Village gay (sub sub)culture. My fondest memory of Dean: He was hosting that ultra notorious club night "Pubic Hair Club for Men" at the Comeback. Go-go boys were required to masturbate. To get to the dancefloor you had to climb a flight of stairs in a narrow hallway, and open a door. Just as I was about to open the door, the door flies open, and there is Dean,...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Daniel J. Cartier ·
I wasn't planning on crying today...but when I heard this news, the tears pretty much took over. This is so very sad, and my heart goes out to everyone in Deans immediate circle of friends and family. Dean was a very special and wonderful person. Although he wasn't someone I spoke with on a daily basis, I was honored to call him a friend. He was without a doubt, one of the nicest, most sincere people in the downtown "scene". I first learned of his exsistance in the Eighties, the same way...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
The one good thing (maybe the only good thing) about a tragedy like this is that it brings the family back together. Just "seeing" so many familiar faces here makes me (and I'm sure Dean) very happy. When we owned MOTHER I knew we had something very special because when something like this happened, MOTHER was where everyone would gather. It was where the memorial would be etc. The torch has now (happily for Chi Chi and I) been passed on to Mr. Joe and The RAPTURE CAFE. Same family (watched...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Rosie d. ·
WOW! what a life lived to the MAX...flaming out like his wild life...another dionysian explosion in our midst.... Dean was brilliant at creating pandaemonium...like his scandalous "mexican prison" backroom scenario at the black party a couple of years ago...as we did cavity searches on the "incoming incarcerated" causing some qeen to swallow all her drugs 'cuz Dean's required "uniform" gave too much realness - so much so that the po-po in Roseland forced the party to shut down our scene...or...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

friendofdean ·
For me and hundreds of others, this death has left a huge hole in my heart. At times Dean's shadow, suivante, confidante, alter-ego, giggle partner, partner in crime, and groupie, 21 years later, I've lost a major role model, a friend who was more like the older brother I never had. A true meanie at times, Dean nonetheless always tried to point me in the direction of personal freedom and happiness. For whatever reason, he took me under his wing in the mid 80's/early 90's era that he...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

tabboo! ·
dean...dean...dean...thanks for choosing me to be the hostess at Rock&Roll fag Bar at the WOrld and later over on Hudson Street,then years later again at that sleaze hole "THE COMEBACK"over at the Jane West Hotel..."those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end...". I'm sooo glad that the last time we spoke I was in drag at of all places THE PINES (not espeicially "drag friendly") what a unexpected joy to see you! you're laughter stills ring in my head when I think of...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Bebe Buell ·
I am still trying to take this all in. When I heard that Dean had died I was in shock. I had literally just heard from him on My Space and he had written this wonderful blog a few months back paying tribute to me that he wanted me to see. It made me cry. I was touched and moved that I had made a mark on him. We were bonding and being sad together about CBGB's closing- that is where Dean and I met. He then went on to invite me to play his Fag Fest/HomoCorps there. We of course ran into each...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

tabboo! ·
wow,mammories,I mean memories...I forgot that we tried r.r.f.b. at Don Hill's also...and that shoot included Guy and Shannon and that CCRRAAZZY faghag of David "Carol Channing Rocks" Illku,or was it his bisexual lover?!? the club was REDZONE(another hellhole!) and that freaky photo w/ clark ,david,chrysis and hapi and me in "scary clown" mode? I also came across an incredible poster that Leslie Alexander did of us as cartoon Supervixons!!!
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Poison Eve ·
Such sad sad news. Dean to me epitomized that true "downtown icon" - what a generation of artists(including myself) was inspired by to move to NYC. Visually beautiful in his brazen baldness and shades, aurally assaulting, verbally sharp as a razor. He embodied that true "punk" aesthetic of not only saying "Fuck You" en flagrante, but living it moment to moment. He will be sorely missed. Thank you Dean for Red Rocks, thank you Dean for your Wild Heart!
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

tabboo! ·
If you read his last diary entry,you'll notice he is currently watching"CRUISING the delux dvd edition".hmmmmm...a film depicting gay drug addict prostitutes being violently murded for fun...hmmmmm....coincidence????
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

friendofdean ·
Tabboo! So true! Goosebumps
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

bobby ·
Dean at Wigstock in Bridal attire 1995
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Alex Joseph ·
To Friends of Dean, I didn't know Dean Johnson. Until this summer, I had no idea who he was. But one week end in early August, my boyfriend and I went to the Belvedere, a clothes-optional guest house on Fire Island that looks like something Cecil Beaton might have designed for Liberace during a bad acid trip. On our first (only) afternoon there, one guy who was just monstrous (and monstrously hung) was lounging in the pool, making sympathetic noises about the blackflies. No one was being...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
Boring, are you kidding me? I loved your post and laughed out loud! You really captured the Dean that we all knew and loved. And Tabboo!, the "Cruising" thing is too weird. Goosebumps here too.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Jesse Thompson-Adams ·
I feel so sad that I took Dean for granted. You just never think something like this will happen to a friend. My earliest memory of Dean is of my band Hermie the Dentist sharing the bill at Squeezebox with what I believe was the 1st Velvet Mafia gig. My bass player was 45 minutes late to the gig and we lost our spot. Dean was understanding and a bit of a bitch at the same time. Over the years I'd hang out at his parties, or my 2nd band, sir, would play Homocorps. We also pursued other...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

scottingk ·
Here is Dean at Homocorp in 2002. http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=19236877
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Bebe Buell ·
There is something on Page 6 today. Sadly it says he may have been murdered in DC. You can go to http://www.drudgereport.com scroll down to the Page Six link and read it if you don't have the paper. The poor gentle giant was found with no ID so it took days to identify his body. He was found with another young man. Now I'm really angry. I want to know who did this and why. I don't want to say anything out of line- just read the item. I want to send my love to his family and friends too- know...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
Good Lookin' out Bebe.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Daniel J. Cartier ·
I already wrote something here yesterday...but later on I recalled my favorite Dean Johnson memory of all time and had to impart it; his hilarious portrayal of Eleanor Mondale in the Blacklips production of GODZILLA. Dean Johnson playing Walter Mondales wife? HILARIOUS! My second favorite Dean memory was performing at A NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STEVIES with him. 5 of us acted out an exerpt from (I think) Mick Fleetwoods autobiography. Dean played Mick Fleetwood (and narrated the piece), I played...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

mr.joe ·
Dean must be thrilled that he got this much space in Page 6, and at the laughably outrageous tone of this item.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

daddy ·
I don't know about you guys but I don't think this story has even really begun. There is so much we don't know.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

viva domination ·
GAY LEGEND IN MYSTERY DEATH??!!!! I think it was Dean who actually wrote that, and put it into some writer's head at Page 6. Genius! Work it out Dean Johnson. Feeling you my brother, FEELING you. Yes, I am so so so heartbroken, but any thinking about you leads to laughing my ass off remembering how fucking funny you were. You have me on NYC subways crying one sec, then laughing the next. FUCKING GEMINI! So much love...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Little Pam ·
The death of Dean Johnson is untimely and a great tragedy, or shall I say murder. I'm glad everyone is paying tribute to him. Myself, I hope the sons of bitches that did this to him and his friend are caught and tortured. Very sinister these Saudi's who come here where they can drink and spend pennies (in their minds) for sex.....virtually do anything they want. I know when I was very young, I saw a few Saudi's. They called the girls cattle and would ply them with drugs while making them...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

hatches ·
Three recent emails I received regarding Dean show the breadth of his regard amongst Downtowners... I am beyond upset. Ages ago when the East Village News existed, I was Entertainment editor... I do remember that the saving grace of that film (Mondo New York) was Dean and The Weenies. I fell in love and remember making a point of going to his shows... All I know is that he was the most brilliant entertainer and I can't believe he's gone. My condolences to the family. Eva Heinemann ***** I...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Chi Chi ·
Finally, the DC news has picked this up - http://video.nbc4.com/player/?id=162843
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

hatches ·
Ah, the mainstream media! NBC Washington called us at Rapture to "let us know that there was another man involved." And I am sure, to pump us for info. Genius Linda James took the call. NBC:... and we just wanted to let you know this... Linda: uh... I think we already know that much... NBC: Gee you guys are really plugged in. Linda: Well, hon, the gays always know first. It went right over the reporter's head.
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Dirty Martini ·
Dean was such a fantastic person to meet hap hazardly on the street or in a club. He always made me feel important just to be near him and our conversations lasted much longer than I ever expected because I never wanted to stop hearing him speak. He was so smart and beautiful, crazy sexy and god damned real. I'm angry that he's gone and there's a hole in my heart. This is a big loss not just for us, but for the rest of New York too. Thank you for making this forum. It's really helpful to...
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Ryan ·
How common
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

fifibear ·
To a Lovely Guy http://mysite.verizon.net/fifibear/deanjohnson.html we'll miss you Dean Johnson... Love, Tina Paul & Lady Arhlene
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

pretty ·
Ryan your post is ludicrous , there is nothing common about any of this. Troll Alert
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Re: Dean Johnson - Death of a Legendary Legend

Chi Chi ·
One more time, details for tonight Please forgive me if you have heard about this over and over, but I am still getting email from people asking about Dean's memorial celebration tonight at Rapture. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3 DEAN JOHNSON MEMORIAL CELEBRATION RAPTURE CAFE & BOOKS 200 AVENUE A (BETWEEN 12-13 STREETS) DOORS 8 PM www.rapturecafe.com Wednesday, October 3 would have been the season opener for DEAN JOHNSON'S smash literary series "READING FOR FILTH", at RAPTURE CAFE & BOOKS.
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