Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of my friend Lee Paris. A while back I stumbled upon a tribute site to Lee and posted my thoughts there. In celebration of his life and in memory of his passing, I want to share that post with you, below:
I first met Lee Paris in late 1979, when I was "lucky" enuf to become a Meet A Punk on his YNMT program on WXPN - I wound up developing a good friendship with him over the next six years, and with his torch, I followed the trail of discovering new wave at a level I never had known!
The scene was beautiful- the never ending concerts at places like the Hot Club, Elks, Starlight Ballroom, and the sacred East Side Club... mixed with the constant fix of Lee and company teaching the listeners - or as Lee called his fans his 'Paris-ites" - what to like and how to listen to more than you thought you liked...
I wound up taking my music and spinnin 45s at the Love Club (or Love Hall, depending who u ask!) at the corner of Broad and South ... next thing, Lee and Co. opened The Kennel Club - and I had a new home.
I hung there more than I hung at my own apartment. At the time I was running a weekly gay newspaper in Philly, so I was out every night - but no matter where I had to go, I always wound up just about every night at the Kennel.
I worked with my friend Seth on throwing mad parties and showing sleeze/shock-a-rama horror flicks at the Kennel and even wound up spinning a few times ... there was nothing like being out on the deck at 2am - surrounded by the lights of the city and listening to the mix of '85... sweet.
Sadly, Lee was imploding slowly - he and I would watch a number of sunrises talking about the pressure of life - he was a fast soul and I personally think he just wasn't able to handle the pace anymore.
Lee crossed over on Jan. 8, 1986. I remember that time clearly. It was a Wednesday night - I got word late the next night from my friend Mo - I was in a collapse mode myself at that time, only months away from imploding and leaving everything and starting over - Lee's passing hit me hard and I remember, a few weeks after, around the end of the month - when the Challenger blew up - I watched that over and over that day and thought of me and my life, of Lee and our conversations, of the whole scene. Everything was ending. It was like watching a film and then - BAM - it ends at the weirdest moment. Roll Credits.
Ironically, when you look back on the scene locally and on New Wave, 1986 was the end of that chapter. Things just weren't fun anymore. Reagan had settled into the culture, the music scene became vapid and those on the cutting edge - which included a large gay element - were realizing that there was a deadly enemy among them and everyone had to sober up and get serious.
Lee must have saw it coming and just said 'fuck this shit' and checked out.
I miss him, but since 1988 I've worked at WXPN and, on the nights I am in the studios alone, I feel him still around. I feel him with me as I spin my monthly new wave dance party 'Sex Dwarf' in Philly. I know he's getting a kick out of it. And I REALLY feel him when I host Land Of The Lost, a monthly rock of the 80s show on XPN. It will never be YNMT. But each month right before I flip open that mic, I say outloud to no one "OK Lee, here we go!".
And that makes it all good. :)
4 comments:
I was starting to get into new music around the time that Lee died. I didn't know him personally but I did hear a bit about him. I hadn't heard about YNMT then but I do remember listening to I-92 quite a bit (which he did run). I've always wondered what Lee would say if he saw the local new music/"alternati
ve" music scene today if he was alive.
I just found your post today but I wanted to share some thoughts.
I was in 8th grade when I became a devoted i-92 and Lee Paris fan. Obviously I was too young to attend any shows at that time. After the demise of I-92 I got into college radio (I blogged about it about a month or so ago...)
Anyway, long story short, my early formative "new wave" I-92 and WXPN years led me to the college I attended because I knew I wanted to go to a school w. a student-run radio station. I ended up becoming general manager of that station my senior year. It was literally one of the best experiences of my life.
In fact, a friend I met via my radio station experinces (a guy from a well-known Chicago band) - well the 10th anniversary of his passing is coming up in June.
I'll be thinking of them both.
I used to listen to YNMT before going to bed on Sunday nights, if memory serves. I still remember hearing Lee play "30 Seconds Over Tokyo"! It was one of the most exciting things that ever took place in my bedroom as a teen!
YNMT was awesome. My band Urban Fall played on the air on March 6, 1987. I just found an old cassette tape of the show which I recorded to AIFF format today. Listening to that show and reading your posts really brings me back to mid '80s Philly. I remember wishing I could get into the Kennel Club as a teenager, and playing at Revival and Bachannal (sp?) with my band. Good times ... Thanks for sharing.
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