Claude Bessy (writer) explained

Claude Bessy
Alias:Kickboy Face
Birth Date:20 June 1945[1]
Birth Place:Normandy, France
Origin:Los Angeles, California, United States
Death Place:Barcelona, Spain
Genre:Punk rock, post-punk
Occupation:Singer, songwriter, writer, magazine editor, music video producer
Instrument:Vocals
Past Member Of:Catholic Discipline

Claude Bessy (20 June 1945 – 2 October 1999), also known as Kickboy Face, was a French writer, magazine editor, singer, video producer, and painter. He is noted as an early organizer in the Los Angeles punk scene in the mid-1970s[2] and was involved in the British post-punk scene in the 1980s.

Biography

Bessy was born in Normandy, France. Bessy was kicked out of the Sorbonne after showing up drunk at nine in the morning, brandishing a bottle of brandy, and threatening a teacher.[3] Bessy moved to the US in 1966 and to Los Angeles in 1967.[3] Bessy later left for Afghanistan to "deal" hashish.[3] Bessy later detoxed from methedrine in a French asylum.[3] In 1970 Bessy returned to Los Angeles, finding work first as a busboy in Santa Monica, then as a waiter as well as other jobs,[3] and founded Angeleno Dread, L.A.'s first reggae fanzine.[4] [5]

In May 1977, he helped Steve Samiof[6] launch the monthly punk rock magazine Slash, which he edited until it ceased publication in 1980.[7] [8] [9] [10]

As Kickboy Face (a pen name adopted from, Kick Boy Face a song and album by Prince Jazzbo), Bessy was the lead singer for the band Catholic Discipline, the film The Decline of Western Civilization includes a Bessy interview, and two songs.[12] [13]

"The scene was not fun anymore, so I bailed on L.A. and the USA, never to return the day Ronald Reagan was elected." — Claude Bessy[14]

Bessy left California in November 1980.[15] moving with his lifelong partner Philomena Winstanley to the U.K. where he landed a job as a press officer at Rough Trade record label. There he championed American groups such as The Gun Club[5] and Panther Burns.

In 1982 Bessy was hired as the resident VJ at The Haçienda in Manchester. He went on to produce music videos and films for The Virgin Prunes, The Fall and William S. Burroughs,[5] and work with Factory Records' Ikon FCL video label, producing a Factory Records Christmas video trailer Bessy Talks Turkey.[7]

Bessy returned to London[16] [17] where he worked for Forbidden Planet and wrote record sleeve notes. He contributed vocals to records by Sonic Youth, Howard Devoto, Wire's Graham Lewis and trumpeter Marc Cunningham.[5]

In 1987 Bessy moved to Barcelona, Spain where he took to painting and earned a living teaching English. He died of lung cancer in 1999.[5]

Discography

Filmography

Further reading

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Catholic Discipline . AllMusic. 2 January 2015.
  2. Heylin, Clinton, From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World. Penguin Books, 1993.
  3. Web site: Bishop . Moe . 23 September 2021 . September 29, 2011 . Kickboy Face. Vice.com.
  4. Web site: Kickboy Face Page in Fuller Up, The Dead Musician Directory. Elvispelvis.com.
  5. News: Thomas. Richard. Claude Bessy. 27 October 2013. The Guardian. 22 October 1999.
  6. Web site: Melanie Nissen and Steve Samiof of Slash Magazine, 1977. Photo by Alice Bag. 2 June 2007. Flickr.com.
  7. Web site: Photographic image. Flickr.com. 27 April 2024.
  8. Web site: Photographic image : Hill's Hot Shorts column, High Performance vol.1 no.2 June 1978. Flickr.com. 27 April 2024.
  9. Web site: Bessy – Bessy Talks Turkey (1984, VHS) - Discogs.
  10. Web site: FACT 125 Bessy talks Turkey. www.youtube.com.
  11. Mullen, Brendan. "'Thees Ees Zee Reel Shit!' Remembering Claude Bessy, a.k.a. Kickboy Face/" L A Weekly, 22–28 October 1999.
  12. Web site: Claude Bessy. 27 January 2012. Flickr.com.
  13. Morris, Chris (23 October 1999). "Declarations of Independents: In Memory of 'Kickboy,' the Voice of L.A. Punk Scene". Billboard 111 (43): 71.
  14. Web site: ART FOR A CHANGE - Mark Vallen's Portrait of Claude Bessy.. Art-for-a-change.com.
  15. Young, Rob. Rough Trade: Labels Unlimited. Black Dog Publishing Ltd., 2006.
  16. Web site: Panter . Nicole . Nicole Panter . Jarboe, Mike & Kickboy Face, circa 1986. . 22 September 2021 . 17 August 2008 . This was a typical evening at Claude & Philomena Bessy's flat in Elephant and Castle, circa 1986. Jarboe and Mike Gira of Swans were in town for a gig. I was visiting from California. Claude, after a certain point in the evening was to be found prone, wine bottle nearby. Flickr.com.
  17. Web site: Panter . Nicole . Nicole Panter . Claude Bessy (Kickboy Face), Nicole Panter, Philip K. Dick, circa 1979 . Flickr.com . 5 September 2008.
  18. News: GEORGE . LYNELL . L.A.'s Punk Eruption . 23 September 2021 . Los Angeles Times . 25 April 1999.
  19. News: Harvey . Doug . Recline and Sprawl . 23 September 2021 . LA Weekly . 5 May 1999.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Claude Bessy (writer)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.