77-78 Exene and her sister Muriel ["Riding with Mary"], Whisky backstage. Muriel sold jewelry and clothes to Madonna in the late 70's. Madonna appropriated styles that started in LA. Styles such as wearing lingerie in public. I admired the dice necklace that Muriel made. She was very talented and pretty.

77-78 X John and Exene, Whisky Backstage

[80-01 X Slash Signing]

On the rooftop of Slash's Beverly Boulevard upstairs office. Their manager/lawyer Jay Jenkins (who is still my friend and good guy), Billy Zoom, John, DJ Bonebrake, Exene, Slash's president/owner Bob Biggs and the 5th member of X, Top Jimmy, rest his beautiful soul.

[80-3 X Home]

Unknown man on left, the great Claude "Kick Boy" Bessy of Slash and Catholic Discipline with Exene in their little home on Genesee, just north of Santa Monica Boulevard and west of Fairfax.

[80-01 X Exene Slash Signing]

January, 1980.

[80-01 X John Slash Signing]

[80-04 X Exene Tattoo 2]

Top Jimmy showing off his new ball and chain tattoo to John and Exene.

[80-04 X Exene Tattoo 1]

Kit tattooing "Temptation" on Exene's arm. Kit has a video company and looks the same today.

[80-04 X Dec Pen BZ]

Decline filming with director Penelope Spheeris flanked by Exene on left and Billy Zoom on sofa on the right.

[80-04 X WhBKRay1]

Slash released "Los Angeles" and we all celebrated with X, Ray and Top Jimmy at the Whisky. We had no idea the next night would bring such tragedy to Exene. As recounted in "Neutron Bomb," Farrah bought a VW and Muriel died in a car accident on the way to the show.

I didn't go to the show. I NEVER missed an X show but something kept me home. The next day Claude "Kick Boy" came over and told me. He never visited before or again. He knew how much I loved X and wanted to tell me. A very sweet, thoughtful man.

[80-04 X WhBKRay2]

[80-04 X John Ray Manzarek]

I love the Doors. I HATE what Ray did to X's records. He replaced Billy's guitar and add schmaltzy organ passages to "Nausea" and other songs. Broke my heart. John is quoted in "We Got the Neutron Bomb" that Ray didn't change a thing. I don't understand that. Billy said he could have done a better production. I tend to agree with him . . .

Claude "Kick Boy" Bessy gave me an advance tape and I thought it hollow and lifeless. Of course it's hard to capture the vitality of an exciting band like X, but their "Live at the Whisky" shows a lot more energy and it's my fave X release.

[80-0414-5 Ecstatic Stigmatic]

Muriel was in town with her husband, Gordon Stevenson, for the premiere of their film about a woman from the '30's who had stigmatas. Mary Kathryn Cervenka as "Little Rose."

[80-04 X Muriel color]

The last shots taken of Exene's sister, Muriel ["Riding with Mary"], Whisky, April 1980.

[80-04 X Muriel 1]

The last shots taken of Exene's sister, Muriel ["Riding with Mary"], Whisky, April 1980.

[80-04-X Muriel Poem]

The poem Muriel wrote about a hit and run driver who hit her when she was 14 and it would happen again, only this time succeed. She had a premonition she would die in another hit-and-run accident. And within days, her prophecy came true. The phone number on the left was connected to where Exene and John got married.

no photo yet . . .

coming in year one

year one

you're one

I'm one

you're one

[80 X Billy Zoom Cat]

I have to write Billy and ask him for the millionth time what was the name of their cat, Mr. something, from a song of course. Taken at the little house on Genesee. I visited there and bowed down on New Year's Eve, 2005 while waiting for the show to start at the Parlour Club. I couldn't be that close and not come by and feel the ghosts of our lives.

[80 X DJ Dinkie]

DJ and Dinky aka Diana Bonebrake. I was not invited to their wedding, nor Exene and John's nor Billy and Denise. Hmm, it hurt but not everyone can handle being around me. It still brings tears to my eyes years later.

I can only be grateful I was able to take so many shots and see so many unbelievably great shows. I just wanted to celebrate their joy. But they preferred other photographers who came after me. C'est la fucking vie.

[80 X Door 1]

X's door with religious pamphlets given out on the streets of Hollywood. The term "Beyond and Back" is from a pamphlet, as are other phrases and art Exene used in their songbooks.

[80 X Mantle]

X's mantlepiece, used in Rhino's "Beyond and Back."

[80 X Door 2]

I shot the door and the tattoo session during the filming of "Decline."