Ok – I admit it: I am one of those people who started playing Christmas music last week. Yesterday the Christmas lights went up. I don’t normally rush this, but this rotted year has really done a job on me. However, I am comfortable enough in my middle-aged fruitiness to freely quote Auntie Mame at you: We need a little Christmas. Now.
One of my favorite holiday CDs of recent years is Tracey Thorn’s Tinsel & Lights – a smart collection of original and non-traditional holiday-themed songs perfectly suited to the Everything But The Girl singer’s melancholy voice.
The lead track, Joy (written by Thorn) has been on repeat in my home every December since its 2012 release. When I first posted this in 2020, the song felt like it was tailor-made for that pandemic holiday season.
The opening lyric: When someone very dear / calls you with the words “Everything’s all clear.” / That’s what you want to hear / but you know it might be different in the new year. / That’s why / That’s why / We hang the lights so high: Joy.
Now, as 2025 limps to a close, it’s a different lyric that strikes a chord:
So light the winds of fire / and watch as the flames grow higher / we’ll gather up our fears / And face down all the coming years / All that they destroy / And in their face we throw our Joy.
Here are some other Thanksgiving-themed goodies I have previously posted:
When it comes to holiday music, unfortunately Thanksgiving is lost in the long shadow of Christmas. There’s a severe lack of Thanksgiving songs, aren’t there? All we’ve got is “Let’s Turkey Trot” by Little Eva, and even then it is not really about Thanksgiving at all. The song’s title refers to the Turkey Trot, a dance step popular back in the early 1900’s.
“Let’s Turkey Trot” was Eva Boyd’s third single, released in 1963 with the hopes of recapturing the #1 success of her debut platter, The Loco-Motion. It had a respectable showing on the charts, peaking at #20, although it should have been billed as Little Eva & The Cookies, as the backing group is as much a part of the success of the record as the lead. Group member Earl-Jean McCrea delivers solo lines echoing their own hits Chains & Don’t Say Nothing Bad About My Baby, which also featured Little Eva on background vocals.
Here’s an abbreviated performance by Little Eva on Shindig in 1965. Darlene Love and the Blossoms stand in for the Cookies in what must be one of the proudest moments of their career. Gobble Diddle It!
The Dollyrots also covered this track in 2014. Besides using footage of Little Eva’s Shindig performance throughout the video, they also namecheck “Little Eva back in ’63”:
Want some “Mashed Potatoes” with your “Turkey Trot?” Here’s Dee Dee Sharp with her own ode to a Thanksgiving staple / dance move:
On the darker side… one of the faux trailers from Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse is the hilariously spot-on Thanksgiving, directed by Eli Roth. It is entirely plausible that someone would have jumped on the bandwagon of grade-z holiday themed horror films that followed the success of Halloween. But this one is a fake. In 2023, Roth did put out a full movie version of Thanksgiving. The original trailer retains it’s own seedy charm:
During the Thanksgiving episode of SNL in 1997, Lilith Fair stand-up comic Cinder Calhoun (a recurring character played by Ana Gasteyer) & singer Sara McLachlan paid a visit to Norm MacDonald and the Weekend Update desk, singing the Thanksgiving classic “Basted In Blood.” It would not be nearly as funny if they didn’t sing it so well.
Unfortunately this segment seems to have fallen off the annual SNL Thanksgiving Eve prime time special.
In 2019, Ana Gasteyer released a holiday album: Sugar & Booze. Highly recommended!
It’s hard to believe that the Laurel & Hardy holiday classic March of the Wooden Soldiers debuted 91 years ago. Originally released as Babes In Toyland on Nov. 30, 1934, the holiday perennial was based on Victor Herbert’s popular 1903 operetta. The film came out of Hal Roach studios and was co-directed by Gus Meins and Charles Rogers.
Here’s the trailer:
I originally posted this celebration of the film on the 85th Anniversary. Here is an updated and expanded version:
10 Things You May Not Know About March of The Wooden Soldiers
1) In addition to Babes In Toyland, the film was also re-released under several different titles, including Laurel and Hardy in Toyland and Revenge Is Sweet. This was sometimes due to the estate of Victor Herbert withholding rights to the original title. In the book March of the Wooden Soldiers: The Amazing Story of Laurel & Hardy’s Babes In Toyland, Randy Skretvedt writes; “Ella Herbert Bartlett detested the film and didn’t want the name Babes In Toyland to be further besmirched by its association with Laurel and Hardy.”
2) Although the 1934 film includes many of the characters in the original operetta, the plot is almost completely different. Six musical numbers from the original stage score are featured: “Toyland”, “Never Mind Bo-Peep”, “Castle in Spain”, “Go to Sleep (Slumber Deep)” and the instrumental “March of the Toys”. Additionally, an instrumental version of “I Can’t Do The Sum” is used to underscore many scenes.
3) The villainous Silas Barnaby was played by 22-year-old Henry Kleinbach. He later changed his name to Henry Brandon and appeared in over 100 films throughout his 60 year career.
Brandon played essentially the same character as an opera impresario who torments poor, poor Alfalfa in Our Gang Follies of 1938.
20 years later he played Acacious Page in film Auntie Mame.
Another fun fact: Brandon’s partner for the last 25+ years of his life was Mark Herron, who was briefly the 4th husband of Judy Garland.
In 2018, Bill Cassara and Richard S. Greene published Henry Brandon: King Of The Bogeymen.
You can also find out more about Henry Brandon here
4) Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals) also filmed at Hal Roach studios. Several of the kids appear as schoolchildren in Toyland, although not dressed in their Our Gang costumes as in this photo atop Mother Peep’s Shoe-house.
Laurel & Hardy introduce Spanky to “pee wees” in this promotional photo shoot.
One of the most popular Our Gang / Little Rascals shorts, Mama’s Little Pirate was filmed the same year and has an extended sequence shot in the caves of Bogeyland. Gus Meins directed both films.
Another Our Gang connection: two graduates of the silent era, Johnny Downs and Jean Darling appear as Little Boy Blue and Curly Locks:
Johnny Downs and Jean Darling as Little Boy Blue and Curly Locks
Queen of Hearts Alice Moore with a couple of Little Rascals.
5) Felix Knight played romantic lead Tom Tom and fell in love with co-star Alice Moore, who played the Queen of Hearts. They were married the following year.
Behind the scenes, l-r: Alice Moore (Queen Of Hearts) Charley Rodgers (Simple Simon and the film’s co-director), Felix Knight (Tom Tom), Charlotte Henry (Bo-Peep) and Henry Brandon (Barnaby). Note the Three Little Pigs masks and padding hanging in the background.
Knight also appeared with Laurel and Hardy in their 1936 film – The Bohemian Girl:
6) Marie Wilson makes an early film appearance as Mary Quite Contrary. Her later work in film, radio and television (most notably My Friend Irma) garnered her three stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
“NO, I haven’t seen them!” Marie Wilson as Mary Quite Contrary
8) About those pigs…. Elmer, the kidnapped pig was played by a little person – 2′ 11″ Angelo Rossito. He appeared in 70 films spanning from the silent film era to his role as “The Master” in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).
Angelo Rossitto in Freaks (1932) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
The two other pigs were played by child actors:
Payne B. Johnson has said that he was cast as Jiggs because, unlike the other children auditioning, he didn’t complain about the heavy mask and padding. Although only four years old, this was his eleventh film credit. He would later appear in a handful of Our Gang shorts, including Our Gang Follies of 1938 with Henry Brandon.
As of 2025, he is the last surviving major player from the film.
Edward Earle Marsh toured as a child prodigy pianist/composer.
And THIS little piggy…. was a porn star! Willie was played by Edward Earle Marsh, a child prodigy pianist/composer who later performed on Broadway with the stage name Edward Earle. In 1969, he reinvented himself as Zebedy Colt, a gay cabaret singer. He kept the name as he directed and performed in both straight and gay adult films through the 1970’s & 80’s.
Someone needs to write a book about this guy.
9) The film became a broadcast television staple on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day in the early 1960’s. I grew up watching the film on NYC’s WPIX Channel 11, which continues to air the film to this day. In 1990 they switched to the colorized version, and in 2018, due to viewer requests, they began airing restored black and white and colorized versions at different times during the day.
Some may remember a shorter version of the film airing on television years ago. This 73-minute edit was trimmed for theatrical re-release in 1950. Due to the objections of Victor Herbert’s estate mentioned above, the title of the film was changed and the opening sequence shortened to omit “Babes In Toyland” from Mother Goose’s book.
Motion picture censors in 1950 objected to the unmarried Tom Tom and Bo Peep snoozing together at the end of the song “Go to Sleep (Slumber Deep).” The whole sequence was cut.
This edited version of the film had fallen into public domain and was broadcast on television in the 1980’s. Any susequent restored prints or colorized versions of the film run at the original 79 minute length.
If it isn’t broadcast in your area, you can watch the full movie here:
10) Bearing in mind that the source material is the original operetta and not this film, there have been numerous wildly different versions of Babes In Toyland:
Between 1950 and 1960, there were three television productions broadcast during Christmas seasons, including one featuring Barbara Cook and Dennis Day in 1955.
Walt Disney’s Technicolor™ 1961 film version starred Annette Funicello and Ray Bolger.
A 1986 made-for-television version featured Drew Barrymore, Keanu Reeves and “a royal legion of tacky trolls” with only two songs from the Victor Herbert score, a new plot, and new songs by Leslie Bricusse.
Click the link to see the full movie on Youtube:
An 1997 animated film version, with a new plot and only one of the original songs, featured the voices of Christopher Plummer and Lacey Chabert.
These other versions come and go, but none feature Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee… a gay wedding… nightmare-inducing pig masks … a monkey inside a knockoff Mickey Mouse costume… or carpet-clad Bogeymen with visible zippers and padding.
Join me in wishing a happy 91st birthday to a Hollywood holiday classic!
It’s hard to believe that it has been 17 years since I put together the first Halloween show for 60 Degrees with Brian Ferrari, my weekly radio program featuring “60’s chicks and girl groups – the hidden gems, cult favorites and unreleased obscurities of the decade.” The show ran for five years and has been back on the air since the relaunch of East Village Radio in July, 2024. This Halloween episode was originally broadcast on October 27, 2008 and aired every Halloween for the duration of the show’s run.
This year we have a new show! Halloween 60 Degrees Part II: Electric Boogaloo is streaming here:
Once again, we’ve got soul witches, rockabilly rabble-rousers, death discs, horror movie theme songs, science fiction sirens, girls driven to madness by love, and more dead boyfriends than you can shake a broomstick at. Plus a whole lot more! As with every episode, the songs are interspersed with vintage commercials, sound effects and movie clips.
September 26, 2025 would have been Lucas Murnaghan’s 50th birthday. The celebrated underwater photographer and orthopedic surgeon lost his battle with cancer nearly 5 years ago on March 21, 2021. His longtime partner Antonio Lennert has kept his legacy alive with reissues and reprints of his finest photos.
From Murnaghan’s website: “Lucas was never defined by a single identity. He was an orthopaedic surgeon, a healer who combined precision with deep empathy. He was a photographer, whose underwater lens revealed truths about intimacy, masculinity, and vulnerability that had rarely been seen before. He was an entrepreneur, a teacher, and a storyteller. But above all, he was a human being whose curiosity, humour, and generosity touched everyone around him.”
In a 2020 Ted Talk, Murnaghan charted his path as an uptight overachiever following the family tradition by becoming a doctor, coming to terms with his sexuality and the circumstances that led him to become a full-time photographer and entrepreneur in recent years.
I started following Lucas on Instagram in 2018. I knew nothing about him but his photographs spoke for themselves: stark, striking images that often played with what he described as “the balance between vulnerability and confidence, pride and shame, solitude and connection.”
Murnaghan’s photo Suspended Animation on the cover of Bruno Capinan’s 2018 CD.
When he began to promote his photography, his initial impulse was to hide his “day job” as a medical doctor, feeling that it prohibited him from being taken seriously as a photographer, or having an artistic point of view.
“I felt like I was entering the art world from the side door. Well, as it turns out, there is no front door. As an artist, that’s all we can do… gather up our entire lives and transmit it into our work. To do anything less than that is to not be honest with ourselves or our audience.”
Singer/songwriter Derek Macolly is the subject of several Murnaghan photographs.
For more images and information regarding his book Beneath The Surface, please visit www.lucasmurnaghan.com/
From the website:
“Today, as we celebrate his 50th birthday, we also celebrate the many lives Lucas touched—from his patients and colleagues to his collectors, collaborators, and friends. His photography remains not only a body of work, but a legacy: one that continues to challenge, inspire, and connect us.”
I recently happened upon a very special and atypical issue of Mandate. The June 1988 edition of this skin magazine is the “N.Y. Gender F..k” issue. Although it contains 6 regular photo layouts of masculine models – including 3 Brazilian Kristen Bjorn models and the burly bear on the cover – there are also several articles devoted to drag performers such as Charles Busch and John Epperson. Elsewhere in the issue is an editorial on “Nellyphobia” (or “Nelliphobia,” depending on whether you go with the spelling on the cover or in the article). It’s not a scientific study, really.
As a whole, the drag/genderfuck theme was not quite the regular magazine filler one would expect. I am curious as to the reaction that it received at the time.
Today, the article “New York Redefines Drag” serves as a history lesson on the late 1980’s drag scene.
I was unfamiliar with Cutter Sharp / Razor Sharp / Ultra Sharp, so I asked a fellow lifetime queer New Yorker of a certain age. He recalled; “(Cutter) was out and about NYC in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He was on (local public access game show) Be My Guest with Sybil Bruncheon… and he appeared at Night Of A Thousand Gowns with the Imperial Court as Empress Razor Sharp. He held a seminar at the Gay & Lesbian Center on Drag Queen Enlightenment. He also did reports on GCN (Gay Cable Network) from The Monster, The Saint, The Pyramid, and other clubs.” I also learned that Cutter Sharp was known as a professional hair stylist and that his name appears on a 1994 panel of the AIDS quilt.
John Burke, aka Sybil Bruncheon, Charles Busch, and David Drake are interviewed in the article as well. The three are still active, all these years later. If you don’t know their work, Google ’em.
Next up is an interview with John Epperson – the legendary Lypsinka. Epperson is still going strong, 40 years into his career.
Mike Varady coined the term “Nelliphobia” and challenges it in an editorial piece about the shaming of feminine men. “We are supposed to avoid being a stereotype, which is any person who happens to have at least a glimmer of truth as far as being a gentle person, a nonfighter – something to be proud of – is concerned.”
While some of Varady’s conclusions and/or choices of phrase now seem dated, he was certainly hitting upon an issue not often discussed in gay skin magazines at that time: a push-back against gender conformity. “The notion that ‘We’re just like everyone else, except for…’ is foolish… and quite damaging to us.”
In his closing paragraphs, Varady admits that the piece is bound to be unpopular with readers, that he has created “a headache for the editors” with anticipated angry response letters. But he goes one step further:
“Who knows? Maybe someday we’ll even read an erotic story or have nude photos in Mandate in which a willowy queen is the sex object! Now that would really be destroying a stereotype!”
Even the music section of this issue is planted firmly in downtown genderfuck. The music documentary Mondo New York is featured with performances by Joey Arias, Dean Johnson and John Sex.
While doing research for my previous post about a 1990 tour of gay Greenwich Village, I found a December 1991 clipping from Bob Harrington’s “Bistro Bits” column tucked into my journal. Harrington’s column was a regular feature in the performing arts publication Back Stage. In pre-internet days, performers would buy this print weekly for the audition listings. “Bistro Bits” was a column highlighting the cabaret scene. It was here that the annual Bistro Awards began in 1985 – created by Harrington to honor excellence in cabaret .
Another prominent feature in Back Stage at the time were the obituaries. Every week there would be death notices for entertainment industry professionals – usually young men dying far too young of “undisclosed causes.” This was at the height of the AIDS crisis and the stigma surrounding it may be lost on those too young to remember. “AIDS complications” were seldom cited in obituaries and listing it as a cause of death could be considered slander. That said, some men began to request its inclusion in their eventual obit: a final act of defiance in a world that was dragging its feet to find a cure.
I mention this to give some context to the level of courage it took for Harrington to write this column.
East Meadow High School (1968)
Robert William Harrington was born on October 2, 1950 in Richmond Hill, Queens and grew up in East Meadow on Long Island. Harrington graduated from East Meadow High School in 1968. He was just a couple of years younger than both of my parents, who graduated from W.T. Clarke, East Meadow district’s other high school. He then went on to study at SUNY Oneonta, where he graduated in 1972.
SUNY Oneonta, NY (1972)
Harrington honed his writing skills while working as a bartender and became known as an expert on the cabaret scene. In 1982, he began writing a column for the Long Island monthly magazine NightLife. He continued writing for the publication when they moved to New York City in 1984 and also launched his “Bistro Bits” column in Back Stage. In 1986, he began contributing reviews for the New York Post, and was an occasional guest on Joe Franklin’s local television talk show.
Harrington was a driving force behind the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs and also very active with Hearts & Voices, an organization that brought music to AIDS patients.
A few months after his announcement in Back Stage, Harrington was quoted as saying; “I’ve gotten tons of letters from people who have survived five, ten years with AIDS. This is the ’90s. We don’t have to die, we’re gonna make it.”
Bob Harrington died on October 19, 1992. He was 42 years old and was survived by his mother and three brothers.
A tribute was held at Caroline’s on November 12, 1992. The show was hosted by Jamie deRoy with performances by Julie Halston, Nancy Lamott, Jim Caruso, Margaret Whiting and Karen Saunders. All proceeds went to Hearts & Voices.
Another tribute took place the following month:
New York Daily News (12/8/92)
The following year, The Bistro Awards named Rosemary Clooney as the first recipient of their highest honor: The Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award.
New York Daily News (2/5/93)
Back Stage editor-in-chief Sherry Eaker spent several years compiling Harrington’s “Bistro Bits” columns into a book. The Cabaret Artist’s Handbook: Creating Your Own Act in Today’s Liveliest Theater Setting was published in 2000.
I recently found myself perusing (as one does) the January, 1990 issue of In Touch For Men. An article titled Touring Around The Village caught my eye. Wesley Allen took a walking tour around Greenwich Village, writing about the gay bars, shops, and restaurants.
This was the New York City that I fell in love with – the one I would visit on day trips from Long Island and was finally able to move to the following year. (See The Lion In The Emerald City and 1991: Homo Alone for more on that. ) These were the shops I frequented and a couple of the bars, too.
Of the 26 businesses mentioned here, four of them still exist at the same locations: The Monster, Ty’s, Marie’s Crisis, and Julius. Around the time that this magazine hit the stands, The Duplex, which originally opened in 1951 at 55 Grove Street, moved to its current spot at 61 Christopher Street.
In 1991, I moved into a 5th floor walkup on East 6th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A. Tunnel Bar was my neighborhood spot, just around the corner on First Avenue at 7th Street. On slow nights, the bespectacled bald barback would sit cross-legged on the far end of the bar, absentmindedly clicking his tongue ring on his teeth like some sort of queer lizard. I couldn’t decide if it was creepy or adorable.
A few years after Tunnel Bar went out of business, Saifee, the hardware store next door expanded into the space. I would reminisce about what it used to be whenever I would go in to buy plant dirt and screws.
I used to joke that the bar I frequented the most was Uncle Charlie’s, but it was just so I could hold my friends’ coats while they cruised the preppy boys. I was invisible there – never quite handsome or stylish enough for the clientele.
Postcard for the 56 Greenwich Avenue location of Uncle Charlie’s, which closed in September, 1997.
The Bar on Second Avenue was another neighborhood spot that I frequented, followed by The Boiler Room, which opened right around the corner on East 4th street in 1994. The Bar went straight a few years later, undergoing many hetero iterations and name changes in the ensuing years. The Boiler Room remained its gay seedy self until the Fall of 2024, when it moved to 45 Second Avenue.
Another item of interest in this issue of In Touch: A very nice photo of Madonna paramour / model Tony Ward.
I usually only post a year-end list of gay porn stars that have passed on, but there have been so many notable passings in 2025. Lets pay tribute to those lost this year thus far.
In August of 2020, porn star Koldo Gorantweeted about three fellow performers who had recently died. Goran’s tweet was the only public notice that one of them, Dani Rivera, had been murdered. “I realize nobody talks about it, we are unprotected and forgotten;” Goran tweeted “We are humans, people, enough of contempt.”
Most gay news outlets choose to ignore the passing of all but the biggest names in the adult film industry. Porn companies also seem reluctant to broadcast the death of a performer who is still on their roster, forever young and willing in their website content. An obit is a real boner killer, ya know? Why jeopardize the profit margin?
Note that at least two of the men listed below have had studio content posted months after their passing without any mention of the fact.
Additionally, performers who abandon their porn personas and return to life under their real names often pass away unnoticed by former employers and scene partners. Case in point: A reader recently alerted me to the passing of Trent Locke in July of 2022 at the age of 32. Locke was a high profile performer with a 5 year career working for Colt, Falcon, Raging Stallion, Next Door, Hot House, Lucas Entertainment, Cocksuremen and several others companies. Surely some adult film news outlet would have noted his passing, right?
Once again, this year’s list is short on people of color. Why? Is it that few have passed on or that they haven’t been reported? For this reason – and due to continued interest from fans – there are ongoing updates to the lists of porn star passings in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
We remember those that were lost in 2025 to prove Koldo Goran wrong – they have not been forgotten.
1) Chris O’Donnell, aka creeohdee was born on June 18, 1993 and lived in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a popular TikTok influencer and also active on Onlyfans from 2022-2024. While best known for his fitness videos, he was also candid about his battles with mental health and substance abuse issues. He committed suicide at age 31 on January 11, 2025.
2) Shawn, aka Kenny only appeared in a handful of scenes. He was Shawn at Active Duty and Kenny at GayCastings. The Chico, California native was born on June 14, 1995. He made his film appearances in 2015 when he was 20 years old. In his interview segment at GayCastings, he mentioned previous health issues that had interrupted his pursuit of a medical degree. According to the IAFD, he passed away on February 1, 2025 at age 29.
3) Roman Mercury was born Hermes Sant Anna Filho on June 22, 1979 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and died of a “heart attack” in late February, 2025 at age 45.
Based in Las Vegas, Mercury was a latecomer to the adult film industry: he was 42 years old when he made his studio debut in 2022 with Raging Stallion’s Heavy Load Movers. His IAFD profile lists 93 titles in the past three years. He earned two GayVN Award nominations at this year’s show.
Friend and co-star Gregg Dixxon paid tribute in an Out magazine interview and on social media, writing; “Roman left us unexpectedly, leaving behind a legacy of passion, talent, and kindness that touched the lives of so many around the world…. His family will spread his ashes in the ocean near his favorite place to live in Southern California. Roman, you will always be missed, but never forgotten!”
4) Tim Kruger, was 44 years old when he died following an accident at his home on March 1, 2025. Born Marcel Bonn on January 25, 1981 in Dusseldorf, Germany, the adult film actor, producer, and director appeared in his first film back in 2006. Of course, he was best known for his website TimTales, which he started with the help of his partner, Grobes Gereat, in their hometown of Berlin in 2009.
A statement written by Grobes was posted on the TimTales blog :
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share the news of the passing of our beloved Marcel, the man you all knew and loved as Tim Kruger. To the public, he was the ultimate ginger pornstar; to me, he was a sweet, caring partner of over 20 years. He was also my best friend. He touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
“I am very aware of the stigma that surrounds deaths in the porn industry, so let me make this very clear to hopefully cut down on the inevitable speculation: Tim’s death was a tragic, yet simple accident at home. There were no drugs involved, nor was there any indication of foul play or suicide. Though my heart is broken into pieces, I find solace in the countless memories he gifted us. And I know that he died knowing he was loved. Tim’s legacy of compassion, love, and joy will live on in all who knew him.”
5) Damien Stone was born in Moldova on September 16, 1992 and emigrated to the U.S., where he grew up in Pennsylvania. He began his prolific film career in 2017 with appearances in gay, bisexual, and trans porn scenes. Among the companies he worked for were MEN, TransAngels, ManUpFilms, FaceDownAssUp, WhyNotBi, TheGuySite, Bromo, and NakedSword.
Stone retired from studio work in 2020 and competed in bodybuilding competitions. He later transitioned to OnlyFans content and was active on social media up until early February.
On March 11, 2025 family members confirmed that Stone died of “complications from an enlarged heart.” He was 32 years old. Four months later, Bro Network posted a new scene featuring Stone with Boomer Banks.
6) Popular Sean Cody model Brendan, aka Michael Johnson was involved in a murder/suicide on April 13, 2025. He was 35 years old and living in Oak Grove, Kentucky. Brendan appeared in approximately 10 Sean Cody films between 2015-2017. According to his social media accounts, he later pursued a career in country music.
7) Jay Massage, aka JayM4m,Cmtcpt, Desmides, Elcmt, and Itsdesmipeach, reportedly died of an overdose in early May, 2025. He was known as “the unofficial masseuse of the gay porn stars.” FitnessPapi posted about the passing, but it was unconfirmed as his OnlyFans and other socials began to be taken down. The IAFD updated his profile, while his Instagram account has been turned into a memorial page referring to addiction and recovery.
8) Brad Knight was a straight porn star who also appeared on the Spunkworthy website. He was 36 when he died of stomach cancer on May 6, 2025. He detailed his cancer battle on his Instagram page.
Born on December 29, 1988 in San Diego, CA, Knight appeared in hundreds of straight porn scenes over a 14 year period and was voted AVN Best Male Newcomer in 2016. He also directed several films for Blazed studios. In late 2019, he left the U.S. adult movie industry and moved to China to teach school, but resumed his career in Europe three years later.
9) Colton Ford, aka Glenn Soukesian 62, died in Palm Springs, CA on May 19, 2025. Originally thought to be a hiking accident, toxicology results revealed an accidental overdose. Born on October 12, 1962 in Pasadena, Ford entered the porn business at age 40 and appeared in titles over the next 22 years. The companies he worked for included Falcon Studios, MRS Releasing, RawFuckClub, All Worlds, and Mustang. In 2003 he was awarded GayVN Performer Of The Year.
Ford was a rare crossover, with film and TV credits including Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!, Hellbent, The Lair, and The Next Best Thing. The 2004 documentary Naked Fame chronicled his attempts to transition from adult films to a music career. He went on to release 3 albums and several EPs.
His stage work included a 2011 Off-Broadway appearance in Little House On The Ferry. Earlier this year he appeared in a Palm Springs production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Click here for more about Colton Ford.
10) Travis Youth, aka Gregory Reno from Decatur, IL was born on July 19,1994. Between 2019 – 2024, he made 29 films according to the IAFD website. He performed as Dave at Sean Cody and Greg Toreno at TheGuySite, but it was as Travis Youth at Gayhoopla and BiGuysFuck that he made the most appearances.
11) Koby Falks, aka Anthony Cox was born September 7, 1982 (or 1985) in Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia and died at age 39 (or 42) on May 28, 2025. In just three years, Falks had racked up 75 appearances for RawfuckClub in addition to his OnlyFans and JustForFans accounts. He often appeared with his partner Sam Brownell.
Talent agent Matthew Leigh shared a tribute on Instagram, writing “”We have lost a trailblazing creative spirit far too soon. But I truly believe his light and legacy will continue shining brightly above. Rest peacefully, Koby. You will be missed, always.”
12) Nathan, aka Nicholas Tulloss passed away at 29 years old in Los Angeles on May 20, 2025. He appeared in two scenes for Military Classified back in 2017 and returned for one more in 2021. Site owner Rob Navarro posted on social media: “For 20 years I’ve enjoyed great success working w/many models who have brought us joy but along w/success sometimes tragedies hit & today I’m writing about one… w/a heavy heart I announce 29 yo civilian NATHAN passed away… RIP Nicholas!”
13) Kolby Gigante‘s stage name was inspired by his 6’7″ stature. Born on June 19, 2000, he made appearances at Gayhoopla and HotGuysFuck websites in 2023. The MenofPorn website posted about his death at age 24 on May 10, 2025.
14) Brazilian bodybuilder Gustavo Boton was a content creator alongside his equally muscular partner, Andres Vergel. Besides OnlyFans and JustForFans, the duo appeared in approximately 10 scenes for RawFuckClub in 2024-25. Vergel posted a heartfelt tribute to his partner in late July, stating that his beloved “Nene” had passed away the previous month. “I love you, my hero… the love of my life.”
15) Mr. Cali, aka Robert Franklin, died suddenly at age 38 in early July, 2025. Born December 9, 1986 in Long Beach, CA, Mr. Cali made his first film appearance at age 29. The IAFD lists 80+ titles over 10 years for Noir Male, Treasure Island Media, Dawgpound, and Raw Strokes, among others. He was also a music entrepreneur and digital content creator under the Mr. Cali Entertainment brand.
As news of his death spread, many fans paid tribute online with one noting, “… heartbroken and shocked to hear of the sudden passing of legendary Black Gay Adult Entertainer Mr. Cali. Not only did he help to usher in this new era of Black Gay Porn but he was never afraid to be out as a member of the community.”
16) Sean Cody’s Jamie, aka Kyle Allen Mills, 35, passed away due to a fentanyl overdose on August 6, 2025. The North Carolina native was born on May 14, 1990, and began working with Sean Cody in 2009. He was one of the most popular models on their site, with 16 appearances between 2009-2012. His videos have since been removed. Recent posts have detailed his legal troubles, and a GoFundMe was established to help cover funeral costs.
17) Dino Phillips, aka Dimitri Perparos was 55 years old when he died “unexpectedly” in late October, 2025. Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 13, 1969, he moved with his family to Arizona when he was in his teens. He was dancing at The Works in Phoenix when he met drag queen/porn director Chi Chi LaRue in 1993. She invited him to San Francisco to appear in his first adult film. Phillips went on to appear in approximately 150 films over the next 16 years. Sometimes using the name Dino Jordan, he worked for Falcon, Hot Desert Knights, Jet Set, Catalina, All Worlds, Minotaur and many other studios. In 1996 he won the Grabby for Best Newcomer, and the 1997 AVN Award for Best Supporting Performer. As Dane Preston, he also directed several films.
Phillips left the industry in 2009. In recent years he resided in Chandler, Arizona and worked as a customer service representative for an insurance company.
A GoFundMe has been set up by Mark Morris to cover funeral expenses. Mark writes, “He was family. His compassion, laughter and unwavering support touched countless lives. Whether it was a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand, or a moment of joy, he gave freely and wholeheartedly. His beauty was not just in his appearance but in the way he made others feel seen, heard and loved.”
A few of the many DVD/VHS box covers featuring Dino Phillips
18) Vince Ferelli, aka Jared Degado, aka Jared Tarquini was born on March 10, 1983 in Danville, IL. He was 25 years old when he began his film career and appeared in over 50 films from 2008-2017. He worked for Colt, Hot House, Raging Stallion, Jet Set, Kink.com and several other studios.
Ferelli was homeless when he passed away at age 42 on November 6, 2025 in Los Angeles. The cause of death is under investigation.
19) Scott Finn, aka Rhett Douglas Messerly was born in Ogden, Utah on February 2, 1998. He made his porn debut with Active Duty when he was just 18 years old, and worked with them steadily over the next 9 years. His IAFD profile lists over 250 titles – most with Active Duty and Next Door Studios.
He had been going through a tough time over the past two years, posting on social media about a divorce and other issues. His family released a statement that he passed away at age 27 on November 23, 2025.
Next Door Studios executive producer/director Jeremy Babcock told AVN, “Scott had an infectious laugh, and always raised the energy of every room he was in. On and off camera, he captivated everyone he met. I’m honored to have had Scott as a co-worker and friend.”
Next month will mark five years since I started the Artist’s Muse series on this blog – profiling the men who inspired, and were subjects of, mid-century artists like George Platt Lynes, Bernard Perlin, George Tooker and the PaJaMa collective: Paul Cadmus, Jared and Margaret French. Last summer I compiled some of these stories and photos for the Fire Island Pines Historical Preservation Society website. “The Fire Island Muses of George Platt Lynes & The PaJaMa Collective” focused on the subjects of the artwork they created during their time on Fire Island. Click here for the full post.
This summer, Vogue has entered the mix with a piece titled The 1940s Vogue Photographer Who Turned His Lens to the Male Muses of Fire Island. Honestly, it sounds as if he happened upon a coven of beautiful gay men, rather than importing his friends and lovers from the mainland. While it’s true that Lynes would photograph models and “attractive men that he heard of through word of mouth,” this applied to his studio work back in New York City. On Fire Island, the photos were of his intimate circle.
Lynes’ Fire Island photos are inextricably linked with the PaJaMa collective, as they all vacationed together and posed for each other. Artists like Lynes, Tooker and Perlin were all influential on each other’s work, especially the photographic aspects of their creativity.
Lynes with Paul Cadmus, Glenway Wescott, Donald Windham, Jared French & the Fire Island Lighthouse, PaJaMa (ca. 1938-40)
The Vogue piece displays several photos from A.Therien gallery’s recent collection of images featuring fellow photographer Wilbur Pippin, who was profiled here back in April. These are additional photos from that collection:
Wilbur Pippin with Fidelma Cadmus Kirstein and George Tooker, photos by George Platt Lynes & PaJaMa (ca. 1948-50)
In 1943, Lynes was so enamored of Jonathan Tichenor that he left his long-term threeway relationship with Glenway Wescott and Monroe Wheeler to be with him. The pair moved in together and Lynes shocked his discreet friends by announcing that they planned to be married. Tichenor was the subject of many Lynes photographs during this period, including some memorable shots snapped on Fire Island. The relationship imploded in 1945 when Tichenor ran off to become the second husband of socialite/artist Bridget Bate.
Jonathan Tichenor, Fire Island, photos by George Platt Lynes & PaJaMa (ca 1944)
Lynes met aspiring dancer Randy Jack in 1947 while he was working for Vogue in Los Angeles. The pair moved back to New York the following year, where Jack found success as a model. They parted ways a few months later. Read more about Randy Jack here.
Lynes with his boyfriend Randy Jack (ca 1948)
Ten days after the departure of Randy Jack, former military man Chuck Howard moved in with Lynes. Throughout their relationship, Lynes frequently photographed Howard on Fire Island. He later became a successful fashion designer and restaurateur. Read more about Chuck Howard here.
Chuck Howard photographed on Fire Island by George Platt Lynes (ca 1950)
In 1950, Lynes created a studio beach scenario with dancers Nicholas Magallanes and Tanaquil LeClerq in poses from the George Balanchine/Jerome Robbins ballet Jones Beach. Magallanes was also a member of Lynes’ social circle and a frequent model for his nude photography.
Nicholas Magallanes and Tanaquil LeClerq in Jones Beach, George Platt Lynes (1950)
Lynes’ most iconic Fire Island image is of dancer Francisco Moncion, seen here with some alternate shots from the contact sheet. The influence on the work of Herb Ritts and Bruce Weber is evident.
Francisco Moncion photographed by George Platt Lynes on Fire Island (ca 1948-50)
The Vogue profile of George Platt Lynes concludes that his work for the magazine may have provided him with commercial success, but that his Fire Island portraits show that success comes in many forms.
In the April 11, 1936 edition of the New York Age newspaper, Joe Bostic wrote in his “Seeing The Show” column about show he attended at the Apollo Theatre. The headliner was an unknown: the now legendary blues singer Lead Belly. Bostic was not impressed:
The advanced publicity stated that this man had been in two jails on murder charges and that the wardens, on hearing him work out on his guitar and vocally, had set him free. Maybe they did but after hearing the man myself, I’m not so sure that musical excellence prompted [the] actions. It may have been that both they and the other inmates wanted some peace during their quiet hours. No. Lead Belly isn’t the man, if it’s music that you want.
After reviewing other aspects of the show, including the comedy of Pigmeat Markham, Bostic concludes his review with this:
Midge Williams, the sensation from the west coast, looks, acts and sings like she knew most of the answers as a personality soloist…. She’s too good for the company she’s in at the Apollo this week.
I’ve had a bit of an obsession with the mysterious Midge Williams since I first heard her recordings of familiar jazz standards… sung in both Japanese and English. In the mid 1930’s, she was the first female African American singer with a national radio show. Midge worked with Bunny Berigan, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, and Jimmie Lunsford. When Olympian Jesse Owens had a short-lived foray as a bandleader, Midge was his singer. She toured with Louis Armstrong’s orchestra for three years, from 1938 until 1941, when she ended up hospitalized in Detroit. And then… nothing. She died of tuberculosis in 1952 at age 36.
That’s the story in a nutshell, according to the liner notes of her CD compilations and the few websites that mention her. Several years ago, I set out to fill in the blanks on this forgotten artist.
Midge started out in a family group with her three brothers. They were The Williams Quartette, later The Williams Four, performing in clubs and churches in the San Francisco area. They later joined the Fanchon and Marco vaudeville circuit and performed up and down the West Coast during summer breaks from school.
A musician / arranger named Roger Segure took them under his wing and became their manager, securing work on local radio and then traveling with the group to China and Japan. The opportunity to hear swing jazz vocals sung live was heralded as a major event in the history of Japanese jazz. During their stay in Japan, Midge recorded several sides, singing in English and Japanese, accompanied by the Columbia Jazz Band:
Midge crossed paths with writer Langston Hughes as he traveled through the Far East. Back in New York a few years later, Hughes would write songs for Midge. She recorded his “Love Is Like Whiskey” in February, 1938. Another song, “Night Time,” with lyrics by Hughes and music from her manager Roger Segure, was the theme song to her radio program. Unfortunately, no recording of the song exists.
The New York Age, April 16, 1938
California Eagle, (8/17/39)
Attempts by gossip columnists to stir rumors of a romance between the two proved unsuccessful.
Midge was just 21 years old when she began hosting her own radio show on NBC – a twice-weekly 15-minute program. She recorded several dozen sides while also making club appearances. A prominent figure in Harlem society at the time, the African American newspapers covered her every move… until her alcoholism resulted in a dismissal from the Louis Armstrong Orchestra.
Baltimore Afro-American (4/30/38)
Her last studio recording was with Lil Hardin Armstrong (Louis’ ex-wife) and her Dixielanders in 1940:
In April of 1946, Midge made an appearance on Jack Webb’s radio show. She was in fine voice on a cover of “Cow Cow Boogie”:
Shortly after the Jack Webb radio performance, Midge settled into a six month engagement at Mona’s 440 Club, the legendary lesbian bar in San Francisco. It is from this period that we have a photo of Midge, an image that has been widely circulated. One of the most familiar photos depicting lesbian nightlife of the 1940’s, it was also used to promote the 1993 documentary Last Call At Maud’s.
Midge Williams (left) with fellow Mona’s singer Kay Scott and friends (ca 1946)
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