Photo by Steve Schapiro


PAUL MORRISSEY


FROM 1965, PAUL MORRISSEY WAS manager of everything Andy Warhol did outside of painting. He was pivotal to the production of films beginning with My Hustler, and eventually took over writing and directing, sometimes even serving as distributor. It was he and Andy who held a management contract with the Velvet Underground and Nico, for whom he arranged bookings and served as road manager.


This past week, Paul was saluted by the global filmmaking community with an official tribute at the 55th Cannes Film Festival. Three of his Warhol films — Flesh, Trash and Heat — were shown at the Salle Bunuel with the filmmaker in attendance, along with stars Joe Dallesandro and Holly Woodlawn.


The MOCA­American Cinematheque series this summer will include films Paul directed, such as Lonesome Cowboys and Imitation of Christ, made in the days before anyone thought about taking a screen credit. In an attempt
to set the record straight, he has
just authorized a
Web site.


 


GERARD MALANGA


FROM 1963, BEGINNING WITH THE Marilyn series, Gerard was Warhol's painting assistant, literary editor,
superstar (Vinyl, Chelsea Girls). A young
protégé of poet Willard Maas and underground filmmaker Marie Menken,
Gerard had enormous entrée to the downtown literary and art scene and was in a position to introduce Andy to many different kinds of people, young and old, usually interesting and often beautiful. In high school, he was one of the hot dancing teens on Alan Freed's TV show (predecessor of American
Bandstand), so he was a natural to choreograph a provocative routine
to perform onstage with the Velvet
Underground and Nico in the
Exploding Plastic Inevitable.


Gerard was also instrumental in the launch of Interview (a title that paid homage to Charles Henri Ford's great View magazine of the '40s) but parted company with Andy in the early '70s. From his apartment in Greenwich Village, he continues to be prolific as a photographer, poet, essayist, editor
— his latest book, Archiving Warhol,
will be published in September by
Creation Books. Malanga's photos will be featured in the Fahey/Klein show
“I Shot Andy Warhol . . .”
(www.gerardmalanga.com)


 


BILLY NAME


BILLY NAME (NéE LINICH) TRANSformed Warhol's 47th Street loft into the “Silver Factory,” in the process managing to capture almost everyone who came and went in his “Factory Fotos” — the definitive record of life around Andy from 1963 to 1970. During most of that time, Billy maintained and actually lived at the Factory, converting a small area in the back into a bedroom/darkroom; he was the proverbial artist-in-residence. He was also the conduit between Andy and the most entertaining people, like Ondine and the all-night crew of amazing, eviscerating conversationalists. His photographs appear on Velvet Underground album covers and Nico's Chelsea Girl, and are the subject of two books. One of his pictures of Andy will be issued by the U.S. Postal Service this summer along with the Andy Warhol commemorative stamp, and his work will be featured in the “I Shot Andy Warhol” show at Fahey/Klein. (www.billyname.com)


 


THE ONES NO LONGER
WITH US


FRED HUGHES, president of Andy Warhol Enterprises, 1944­2001 (died from the effects of MS).


JED JOHNSON, designer, film editor,
director of Bad, 1949­1996 (died in the crash of TWA 800).


STERLING MORRISON, founding
member of the Velvet Underground, 1942­1995 (died of cancer).


NICO, chanteuse, actress, muse, 1938­ 1988 (died of a cerebral hemorrhage).


ONDINE, luminary, 1935­ 1989 (died
of cirrhosis).


EDIE SEDGWICK, superstar, socialite, 1943­1971 (died of a drug overdose).

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