This weekend also brought on a lot of introspection, and no, it wasn’t the Dick Clark tribute that brought this on. Saturday I attended a the second annual Grigsby Award ceremonies at Live Bait Theater. I went because they were giving it to Brigid Murphy, who’s a solo performer, all around fun gal, and sort of legend in this city. I also went beacuse I love hanging out with my superstar friends, David Kodeski and Edward Thomas Herrera. They’re the Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows of Chicago. No, really, they are, and I would pay money to see them dressed as that.
Brigid is still young and very vital. She’s just crammed a lotta livin’ into the years she’s been here, and with everything she’s been through she’s very inspirational as well. I met Brigid in the late 80’s when I was a bit of a club monster. I was working at Limelight and on Sunday I was the bartender at the Paradise disco on Sunday afternoons for their ill-fated New Wave T-Dance. That’s where I met Billy Swindler. Billy would come to the bar every Sunday and sit with me and talk. He was in town doing Pump Boys and Dinettes at the Apollo Theater, which to me at the time seemed so very glamorous. He wore old horn rimmed glasses, had a crooked smile and was very very sweet and charming. His best friend was Brigid, who was just starting out at the time and they both were always involved in some kind of performance art thing. I was not. I dared not utter a word about any artistic aspirations I might have. I expected stardom to be brought to me on a silver platter because even though I loathed myself I felt I was entitled to everything. I fucked up any chance of an ongoing thing with Billy, but I also think Billy had another life I didn’t know about. Brigid was just FUN, and I always looked forward to hanging out with her, and she loved Billy. Very much. Fast forward a few years. I ‘m finally at a Milly’s Orchid Show, and yes, it’s every bit of fun I heard it was. Amazing. Intermission. After not seeing Brigid or Billy for years I run up to her, say hello and ask if she’s heard from Billy. I’d like to write him. Brigid, decked out in her Milly costume lowered her huge eyelashes and said ‘Oh, David, Billy died…’ The music started and it was her cue to go on and I just stood there- numb.

Filed under: My Way Of Life