He also ran notorious masquerade and cross-dressing events where downtown drag queens would mix with uptown socialites. He still brags about turning away Mick Jagger. He would monitor the door and decide who was stylish and hip enough to enter. He became a promoter and doorman at the legendary Sheridan Square nightclub Salvation, whose eclectic crowd included the Beatles, Andy Warhol and Frank Sinatra. A photograph of the event ran in a March 1961 issue of Life magazine.ĭowntown, Mr. Javits and the socialites packing the Sheraton Ballroom. In 1961, he shimmied under a bar held by Lola Falana seven inches off the ground, cheered on by Senator Jacob K. ''Every time Kiss and Alice Cooper performed, it was Mike Quashie,'' he said. Quashie has long claimed that his wild style of pyrotechnics on stage was co-opted by Hendrix, as well as many other glam and psychedelic rock groups, including David Bowie, Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice Cooper and others. Quashie now plans to sell the Hendrix clothing: the wide-brimmed felt hats, medallion belts and the bathrobe. In late August 1970, famous but troubled Hendrix left for England and left two small trunks of belongings behind - and a bathrobe hanging on the door. Hendrix used to sleep here as a refuge from his many hangers-on. Quashie said, standing in the small bedroom next to his kitchen. ''Everyone I touched turned to gold, except me,'' Mr. He has trouble paying his medical bills, as well as the $500 a month for his rent-controlled apartment. He has a bad heart and a landlord who wants him out. His limbo show evolved into an exotic voodoo-inspired act, which he claims helped influence Hendrix and other musicians. Quashie says he nurtured, protected, lodged, promoted or otherwise championed these musicians and many others on their way to rock stardom. He performed with Led Zeppelin, was a constant companion to Lou Reed and became known, with a claim as quietly unchallenged as his title of Limbo King, as Jimi Hendrix's best friend. He starred for a while, too, at the center of the downtown rock scene, befriending musicians like Todd Rundgren and Billy Idol. Quashie was, as a distinctive New York personality, more than just the Limbo King. ![]() Also pictured with him are other celebrities, from Bill Cosby to Maya Angelou to Candy Darling.įor Mr. Quashie's walls are also lined with photographs of rock stars, including Jimmy Page, Lou Reed and Steven Tyler. Jackie Kennedy had me perform for her parties.'' ''All of high society came out to see the King of the Limbo. ''I was on the top of the world,'' he said one recent evening.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |