I meant to post this a few days ago for the rest of the east village old timers!
NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Dean Johnson -- Manhattan drag queen, activist and lead singer of The Velvet Mafia -- was found dead in Washington, it was reported Tuesday.
Friends told the New York Daily News they gave detectives the name of the man who sent Johnson a round-trip train ticket so Johnson could visit him in the nation's capital.
Johnson left New York Sept. 19 and was expected to return the next day.
"It's being called an accidental overdose, but the person he was visiting is under investigation, " said Joe Birdsong, who owns Rapture Cafe & Books.
Johnson was slated to moderate a live reading of gay erotica at the cafe Wednesday. Instead, the evening will be devoted to "celebrating his life," Birdsong said.
The medical examiner's office in Washington confirmed the 45-year-old gay nightlife king was found dead Sept. 20.
A police source said "this is an active investigation, " but declined to say where Johnson's body was discovered.
"After several days, when he didn't come back, some friends got worried and reported him missing," Birdsong said. "It was not like him to be out of touch."
Johnson's sister identified his body at the Washington morgue, friends said.
The Envoy isn't exactly sketchy. Okay, it's not sketchy at all, it's really nice. And two people dead in that apartment in the span of four days is just weird. It's also really unfortunate, I hope they're able to find out what happened and act appropriately.
Originally posted Wednesday, October 3, 2007 (4 years ago)
I saw him twice in the past year, we have some mutual friends.
[img]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/missapril1956/376178244/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/376178244_7a3c3f58f9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Mao PR party 1/31/07" /></a>[/img]
Originally posted Thursday, October 4, 2007 (4 years ago)
Found this online today:
Rapture Cafe was packed to the rafters last night for a spectacular
memorial to Dean Johnson as reports of his suspicious death are
finally beginning to appear in the Wash. D.C. and New York media.
Sure was great to see how many people loved and respected him. M C
Hattie Hathaway had to break up the tributes into several shows, so
many people wanted to speak, so I only stood through one round inside
and then went out on the equally mobbed sidewalk to reminisce with
friends. Michael ("The Hours") Cunningham was there, gay super-poet
Bobby Miller came all the way from Cape Cod, and if you had the
current issue (Oct.) of OUT Magazine in your hand, you could have
checked off many of the faces in its "Creratures of the Night" photo
splash. I thought I saw Linda Simpson squeeze by me, Raven-O across
the room, Thomas Onoratio in tears on the sidewalk, super-promoters
Chi Chi Valenti and Johnny Dynell who hosted Dean's last performance
at their HOWL Festival just two weeks ago- Chi Chi was so sad she
could barely talk and if you know Chi Chi... Lady Bunny in black
teddy, huge hair and (of course) black veil...
Promoter and Rapture owner Joe Birdsong read an hilarious short story
published a while back re. how he and Dean had thrown a wild dance
party and the go-go boys had failed to show up. Dean then pumped joe
full of booze and Viagra and said, "Guess we'll have to do it
ourselves!" Sorry, can't print the rest of the details here! But the
best tribute I caught inside was Michael Musto reading an interview he
had done with Dean 20 years ago. Between Dean's wit, Michael's
writing and Michael's ad-libs, we were all howling and cheering. If
you gotto go, leaving joy behind is definately the way to be
remembered. We love you Dean, and so many of us miss you so very much!
OMG! IPANEMA Dean Johnson Is Dead!
I meant to post this a few days ago for the rest of the east village old timers!
NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Dean Johnson -- Manhattan drag queen, activist and lead singer of The Velvet Mafia -- was found dead in Washington, it was reported Tuesday. Friends told the New York Daily News they gave detectives the name of the man who sent Johnson a round-trip train ticket so Johnson could visit him in the nation's capital. Johnson left New York Sept. 19 and was expected to return the next day. "It's being called an accidental overdose, but the person he was visiting is under investigation, " said Joe Birdsong, who owns Rapture Cafe & Books. Johnson was slated to moderate a live reading of gay erotica at the cafe Wednesday. Instead, the evening will be devoted to "celebrating his life," Birdsong said. The medical examiner's office in Washington confirmed the 45-year-old gay nightlife king was found dead Sept. 20. A police source said "this is an active investigation, " but declined to say where Johnson's body was discovered. "After several days, when he didn't come back, some friends got worried and reported him missing," Birdsong said. "It was not like him to be out of touch." Johnson's sister identified his body at the Washington morgue, friends said.
We lost another one...guys.. .
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I don't know if you've read anything else about it, but I just came across this article and it caught my attention because that's in my neighborhood.
WaPo Article, Two Men Found Dead in Same Apartment Within Days
The Envoy isn't exactly sketchy. Okay, it's not sketchy at all, it's really nice. And two people dead in that apartment in the span of four days is just weird. It's also really unfortunate, I hope they're able to find out what happened and act appropriately.
I saw him twice in the past year, we have some mutual friends. [img]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/missapril1956/376178244/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/376178244_7a3c3f58f9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Mao PR party 1/31/07" /></a>[/img]
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/missapril1956/502859530/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/214/502859530_37fcb33465.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Dean Johnson" /></a>
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/09/promoter_and_queer_icon_dean_j.html
There was a memorial tonight, but I missed it. Alas. So strange. I remember Dean and the Weenies.
Found this online today: Rapture Cafe was packed to the rafters last night for a spectacular memorial to Dean Johnson as reports of his suspicious death are finally beginning to appear in the Wash. D.C. and New York media. Sure was great to see how many people loved and respected him. M C Hattie Hathaway had to break up the tributes into several shows, so many people wanted to speak, so I only stood through one round inside and then went out on the equally mobbed sidewalk to reminisce with friends. Michael ("The Hours") Cunningham was there, gay super-poet Bobby Miller came all the way from Cape Cod, and if you had the current issue (Oct.) of OUT Magazine in your hand, you could have checked off many of the faces in its "Creratures of the Night" photo splash. I thought I saw Linda Simpson squeeze by me, Raven-O across the room, Thomas Onoratio in tears on the sidewalk, super-promoters Chi Chi Valenti and Johnny Dynell who hosted Dean's last performance at their HOWL Festival just two weeks ago- Chi Chi was so sad she could barely talk and if you know Chi Chi... Lady Bunny in black teddy, huge hair and (of course) black veil... Promoter and Rapture owner Joe Birdsong read an hilarious short story published a while back re. how he and Dean had thrown a wild dance party and the go-go boys had failed to show up. Dean then pumped joe full of booze and Viagra and said, "Guess we'll have to do it ourselves!" Sorry, can't print the rest of the details here! But the best tribute I caught inside was Michael Musto reading an interview he had done with Dean 20 years ago. Between Dean's wit, Michael's writing and Michael's ad-libs, we were all howling and cheering. If you gotto go, leaving joy behind is definately the way to be remembered. We love you Dean, and so many of us miss you so very much!
Michael Musto wrote the most poignant obit for John Sex in the Village Voice.
I found Dean's myspace page, wow very manly.
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