Gay Porn Stars Died? Murdered? Suicide? Selling real estate? The guys who helped me out of the closet This is a work in progress as I search the Internet to find all the information I can find on these guys. Bookmark and check back often. The Tarheel Writer - On the Web since 24 February 2003. Celebrating 21 Years on the Internet! Tarheel Home Page A Tribute to those that entertained us through the years      For decades, there have been a number of everyday people who stepped up and became stars in the gay porn business; Kurt Marshall, J.W. King, Joey Stephano, Christopher Lance, Brandon Wilde, Leo and Lance, Mike Henson, Cody Foster, Christian Fox and so, so many more. Yes, we admit, that we have enjoyed countless hours watching and re-watching them forever preserved in their pristine youthful bodies, providing us with erotic fantasies and countless times of stroking to the mountain top of physical pleasure. The 70's and 80's brought AIDS and the death of many personal friends and those stars of first 8mm films, then VHS tapes, DVD and finally digital streaming, who gave us so much pleasure. The early days were cheeky, cheap and predictable. The evolution of media brought us high definition and the ability to count the number of hairs between the cheeks. My first purchase was an 8mm film that featured an actor by the name of Morgan. 7 career film credits, 8 including compilations      He was young, blond, a face full of acne and a voice filled with lust. His gravely, youthful voice crying out "oh, please fuck me harder" brought chills down my spine and lightening bolts between my legs. He was supposedly murdered, thrown off a cliff. All I could do was wonder, why? There was a lot of spectulation, including the involvement of infamous gay porn director Willian Higgans, whose disapparance from the United States shortly after Morgan's body was supposedly found and left a lot of questions unanswered. In my mind, it was either true, somehow involved William Higgins (or not) or his family found out what he was doing and created a way out for him. I am inclined to believe his family (with the assistance of William Higgins) created a way to get him out of the porn business.      WHY am I including this page on my website? Back in the questioning days of just figuring out who I was, it was films by these guys that let me know, yes, I'm gay, definately, absolutely and I want to do what they are doing on the screen like no body's business! So that is why I am including this page. Well, they are still nice to look at, forever preserved in their youthful skin by pictues and video.      Here is some of the information I have found through the years about former entertainers. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * William "Bill" Eld His Find a Grave site is here. 1945 (Rochester, New York) - 1987 (Los Angeles, California) 41-42 years old - overdose 29 career film credits with 34 compulations      After surviving a rough childhood and youth that was filled with foster homes and living at an orphanage until he was 18, Bill said he enjoyed being the center of attention as an actor. But by the end of the 1970's things were changing in the adult film business and also with Bill as a man. Now into his 30's in the early 1980's, he reportedly preferred living on the east coast to Hollywood. For years there have been suggestions that in his personal life he was a heterosexual straight man, which he preferred to keep personal. While impossible to know the truth, his beginnings in the adult entertainment industry were in straight media (performing live with a woman on stage in San Francisco and then initially in male/female stag loops) and for most of his gay work, his roles were definitely "all male" in terms of activity. According to many sources of information on the Internet, Bill Eld passed away of a cocaine overdose in the mid-1980's, however skeptics point out that no actual date of his death seems to be provided. Another ending to the Bill Eld story suggests that (being a straight man in his 30's, tired of the business and seeing the horrors of AIDS developing) he quit the business and decided to simply drop out of sight.      One of the saddest cases to come out of Hollywood. Bill Eld was one thing and one thing only a male pinup who made his living as an Adagio Dancer in the big clubs of the West Coast such as The Condor and the Pink Pussycat then moved on to Colt to do Eroica movies lived in LA and San Francisco back and forth. With a body of a Greek god, a tool that was obscenely large and a face of an Irish Joe College drenched in youth and a proud symbol of Americana Bill made his way to the studios who made X rated films in the late 60s. Toby Ross' Reflection of Youth propelled him to super stardom overnight. From here on his use of Cocaine got perniciously worse till no-one would hire him. Moody and difficult he worked in other jobs such as a food inspector ending up as a janitor for the adult theatres around 42nd street his teeth gone and his heart stopping beauty fading into a gaunt weird character who roamed the streets of New York with a shopping cart loaded with all his belonging. Toby Ross helped for a while with money and some places to stay but eventually he dies alone from the drug of his choice Cocaine. From $1000 a night to a homeless existence, a heart break. His ashes were scattered somewhere on Hart Island where 1 million nameless souls are keeping him company. No stone no grave just a memory and some old films and magazines. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Billy London (William Arnold Newton) His Find a Grave site is here. 26 July 1965 (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) - 29 October 1990 (Los Angeles, California) 25 years old - murdered 10 career film credits (no compulation appearances)      Newton's gruesome murder is regularly featured in articles listing the most notorious, unsolved Hollywood homicides for decades. His death rocked the close-knit gay community of West Hollywood when pieces of his dismembered body were found in a dumpster. The murder case remained unsolved for more than 30 years until the LAPD confirmed that they secured a confession from Daralyn Madden, who is already serving a life sentence in Oklahoma in 2007 for the murder of two other men, the LA Times reports. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Brad Chase (William Paul Lawrence Hobbs) 10 February 1971 (Eminence, Kentucky) - 19 April 2000 (Salem, Indiana) 29 - suicide by hanging Here is his Find a Grave site. 11 career film credits, 32 including compilations      Brad Chase (William Paul Lawrence Hobbs) committed suicide at his home in Salem, Indiana, on April 19, 2000. He was 29 years old. He is survived by his mother and father, a younger sister, and his brother -- gay porn star Kyle Matthews.      Perhaps the best tribute one can give is his real-life brother, gay porn star Kyle Matthews. Here is what Kyle has to say:      "There is nothing I cannot tell you about him. He and I were as close as twins. Having a gay biological brother is one thing. Being adult sex stars at the same time was pretty wild. Although in that aspect, I always seemed to get by on his coat tail." *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Brandon Wilde (William Anthony Filoromo) 8 November 1957 (Coatesville, PA) - 5 March 1996 (Pensacola, FL) 39 years old - murdered 31 career film credits, 37 including compilations His FindAGrave Memorial is here.      Discovered dancing at the Follies in New York in 1982 by "Mr. Embinder." Began with magazine modeling. He was in the opening scene of "Blonds Do It Best" from 1985.      His body was found by landscapers off Kingsfield Road near Filly Lane in Pensacola, Florida. His housemate, Patrick Ashby Day, was convicted of second-degree murder after a four day trial. Apparently Day argued with Filoromo over some items that he believed Filoromo had stolen from a foot locker. Filoromo died of blunt-force trama to the head.      "I remember seeing Brandon dance at the Follies here in DC, and he seemed so nice and friendly. As usual, he had hours of downtime between performances (shows are 12 noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, and 12 midnight). It was late on a Saturday night, and the club was emptying. He and I had talked about the DC music scene in the front lounge, and he seemed sweet, intelligent, and knowledgeable. I never saw Brandon Wilde ever again. I'm not even sure if he was just visiting DC and had gotten Joe (the manager) to let him strip, or whether he was on tour, or what. He just seemed very nice." From Tim @ rame.net *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Buster (Jeffrey Wayne Cole) 23 August 1956 (South Hill, VA) - 10 May 1991 (West Hollywood, CA) 34 years old - complications from AIDS 16 career film credits, 40 including compilations      Buster did one film for Falcon before doing two for Mark Reynolds. The name Buster was given by Reynolds to the other performer in Buster and Bill but the names got mixed up and stuck that way.      Larry Ginsberg met Buster by going to Oceanside every weekend to pick up Marines. Buster (at 21) was boyfriend to Richard Moore (at 30) lived in Harry Weiss's place in LA. They were often at the Palm Springs compound. Buster had been with Harry for about a year. Buster was working for Harry as a property manager but in reality Buster and Richard's function was to find and procure boys for Harry and his friends. As for production staff fucking with performers, that, for the most part, is what those guys were like. There were a few exceptions like Jerry Douglas but in the 80's it was based in drugs and sex. That was true through the 90's. As time went on it was still there but not as up front.      Buster was an intelligent fun guy to be around. As time went on, drugs and alcohol took it's toll. Harry and Buster parted ways and Buster then was being taken care of by a guy named Richie Silverman who cleaned him up. He was living at Richie's house when he ran for the city council in West Hollywood in 1986, having admitted that his “acting career” might pose a campaign issue. Cole initially said the films he appeared in were R-rated, but then conceded, "Maybe some of them were X-rated. Anyway, I'm not making them any more."      He died in a Hospice in 1991 basically alone with only his family and Richie and a "boyfriend" visiting him. All those that used him along the way were nowhere to be found. After he died the Marines agreed to bury him but before that happened they found out he was gay and refused burial. He is buried in an unmarked grave in Oceanside.      The family went to get his belongings mostly pictures and some art he made only to find his apartment had been cleaned out by the "boyfriend". The family never had the money to buy a gravestone. In a depressing irony his mother passed away from Covid c2021. He used to take her to parties all over Hollywood with the stars. She never really recovered from his death. His father disowned him when he found out he was gay and was not in his life after that. Those that are left don't want to talk about the old days. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Cameron Fox (Shane Eugene Davis) 28 November 1977 (Dallas, TX) - 12 June 2014 (Oklahoma City, OK) 36 years old - complications from AIDS 47 career film credits, 80 including compilations FindAGrave information      Everybody loved Cameron. He was the guy that simply let his work speak for himself. He didn’t want adult fame, he just wanted to give a great performance. His fast-pounding performances were loved by fans and often praised by critics. In 2001 Cameron won an AVN Best Group Scene award for his participation in Falcon’s Out of Athens. On screen Cameron is versatile although much of his work has been as a top. He is best recognized for his brunette features and of course his bigger than average nine inch cock. Cameron left the industry in 2006 after appearing in close to fifty films for the industries leading studios. He is still one of the most requested stars in the industry and his movies continue to be among the most watched.      Cameron’s personal quote was: “It’s good to be able to do things with other fellas and get great cash. I didn’t have to go to school to learn how to bring lust on the screen. It’s all a matter of doing it, ’cause I choose to”. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Casey Donovan (John Calvin Culver) 2 November 1943 (East Bloomfield, New York)- 10 August 1987 (Inverness, Florida) 43 - complications of AIDS Here is his Find a Grave site. 27 career film credits, 46 including compilations      See Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan, All-American Sex Star by Roger Edmonson; 1998 Alyson Books. Edmonson's biography describes him as a gentleman who was always well dressed, always upbeat, able to ingratiate himself with anybody, anywhere in the world, a well educated devotee of culture and the arts, a sexual virtuoso, extremely promiscuous, unappologetically gay and the first gay porn star. Casey (John) had wanted to have a legit career and did appear in some off broadway productions but this was aborted by the porn films and hustling he did to make ends meet and his unwillingness to hide his sexuality. Some of his co-actors said his acting was OK but unvarying from performance to performance.      A note in Mandate in 1979 said that he had bought a guest house in Key West that he called Casa Donovan. Michael Kearns says that Casey was the highest paid hustler in NYC at the time Donovan performed in Tubstrip in 1974 but an appointment with actor Tom Tyron led to a romantic affair.      For most of his career Casey had no tattoo but towards the end he had a small one on his hip that his S/M master placed there.      He was briefly a mainstream actor, who appeared on stage, as well as a theatre producer and manager, and appeared as himself in TV series Emerald City. John appeared in non-porn films: Score (1972), Ginger (1971), Dragula (1971), play: Circle in Water. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Chris Burns (Danny Joe Burns) 17 September 1958 (Vallejo, California) - February 26, 1995 36 years old - complications of AIDS His FindAGrave site is here 75 career film credits, 113 including compilations      Chris Burns was an actor who appeared in gay adult movies in the 1980s and early 1990s. He died in San Diego of AIDS at the age of 36. Born Danny Joe Burns in Vallejo, California, he retired from the adult film industry in 1993. Burns was in a long-term relationship with fellow adult film actor and director Jim-Ed Thompson (September 18, 1946 - June 21, 1988).      Danny and Jim Ed. Toyed with the idea of unionizing porn performers. He appeared with a Prince Albert in Master Hyde. Director Steve Scott is said to have told him he has "the most beautiful cock in porn." One writer described him as knowledgeable in martial arts which he used to make Below the Belt more realistic. He described himself as very hooked on his gym routine, experiencing withdrawal if he missed his workout, being serious enough that he rarely would pick somebody up at the gym. He made a film about self defense: Take Back the Night that he sold thru mail order. He also worked as an emergency medical technician and paramedic.      Burns said he preferred to bottom but considered himself versatile enough to keep any director happy in a performance as a top. He claimed to enjoy all kinds of sex citing fisting and felt that sexual pain was a turn on for him. He also enjoyed watching himself on video and felt that sex was not to be limited. He didn't like eating his own cum but would enjoy that of others until his own orgasm would turn that enjoyment off. For other performers, Burns recommended not getting into porn just for the money, otherwise one would be ruining it for others. Although he appeared in many pictures in print he was rarely filmed posing solo. Director Jeff Lawrence described him as the consummate bottom who would freak out some distributors because of how far he would push it. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Chris Ladd (Darwin Lee Moehle) 20 June 1960 (Austin, TX) - 14 November 1990 (Houston, TX) 30 years old - complications of AIDS His FindAGrave site is here 17 career film credits, 41 including compilations      He started a dance career right out of high school, then as a stripper and model. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Chris Williams (Todd Dunning Bart) 22 December 1967 (Fairfax, VA) - 11 September 1991 (Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami FL) 24 years old - complications of AIDS A YouTube Memorial 6 career film credits, 23 including compilations      Chris Williams did exactly two photo layouts during his career. One was for "Mandate" and the other for "In Touch." Both issues are exceedingly rare. To come across a good photo of him is like finding a diamond in the earth.      And yes, Chris Williams was a true jewel of a human being.      Chris Williams was born Todd Dunning Bart on December 22, 1967, in Fairfax, Virginia. He had a rough childhood. He was willful and energetic, and his strict parents had little patience with which to deal with their bright, loving child. By the third grade, Williams was skipping school, disobedient, running away, and more. When he was eight, he was sent to live with his grandmother in North Carolina.      He knew he was gay from as early as he could remember. His fundamentalist parents had clearly and strongly condemned his burgeoning sexuality, which created his severe emotional and relationship problems. In North Carolina, he began experimenting sexually with boys his own age and older. He lost his oral virginity when he was nine, and his anal virginity when he was 10 (although he did not top another man until he was into his late teens).      When he was 14, Chris Williams left his grandmother's home and took up residence in Washington, D.C. He lived on the streets. He became a prostitute, turning several tricks a night in order to make enough money for food to eat, and to clothe himself.      When he turned 16, he obtained a fake I.D. and began stripping in several local gay strip clubs. At the time, patrons could fondle the dancers, even masturbating them (although not bringing them to orgasm). Williams' large cock and huge balls were customer favorites. He cut his hair short, and bleached it a lighter shade of blond. He worked out at a local gym (often turning tricks for money in the steam room and showers). He lied and said he was from California in order to build a mystique about himself. He worked primarily at Chesapeake House (746 9th Street NW, now an office building; closed Sept. 1992) and Shooters (1520 Connecticut Ave. NW, now part of the Riggs Bank complex; closed Oct. 1992). He made hundreds of dollars a night, and was able to rent his first apartment. Williams was thrilled to be the object of attention, and he often said that the men who fucked him during this time taught him more about his sexuality, honesty, strong relationships and love than his family ever did.      He soon sought work as an adult film star. Two weeks after he turned 18, he did his first feature film, "Steal My Stuff," for Bijou. The owner of Bijou Studios owned a strip club/bath house/adult bookstore/sex club in Chicago. Williams had heard of the huge complex and its gay porn studio from strip club patrons in D.C., and sought work there when he was still 17. Bijou hired him, but told him he could not perform until he turned 18. He rushed to Chicago to do a film as soon as he could after his birthday. His performance in "Steal My Stuff" was outstanding.      Williams was not enamored of the stop-and-go nature of sex on the gay porn set. Nevertheless, Bijou was able to get him to return a year later at a much higher salary. And Williams turned in yet another astounding job in the now-classic film, "Making It Big." His sizzling sexual performance, obvious charisma, huge cock, massive balls and hot body brought him to the attention of Falcon Studios' Chuck Holmes.      In late 1987, Falcon paid Williams $1,000 -- then a princely sum for a gay porn star -- to appear in "Out of Bounds." It was a small role at the end of the feature, and a sloppily-made film. Williams thoroughly enjoyed his time in Los Angeles, however. He escorted heavily, making several thousand dollars. He also had sex with a large number of gay porn stars, people he had come to idolize and worship from afar. The gay nightlife was superb, the fashions fabulous, the money free-flowing, the food delicious, and there were swimming pools and drugs and sex 24/7.      Williams returned to California roughly every two months throughout 1988. He worked twice more for Falcon. His poolside scene with Robert Harris in "Perfect Summer" begins with Harris using a motorized squirtgun to douche his asshole. Williams later said it was one of the kinkiest things he'd ever done, and he loved the moans and gasps the crew made as Harris squirted his well-fucked anus. But "Spokes 2" was probably his best effort. He had a three-way with Kevin Williams and Casey Jordan, taking two cocks at once up his copious asshole. He participated in a gang-bang in the final scene; the director couldn't stop the top-men from leaving the model they were supposed to screw and fucking Williams as hard as they could. Williams loved it.      Williams snuck in a performance for Sierra Pacific along the way. He did the now-classic "Bare Tales," getting screwed by super-star Jim Pulver in a scene which still makes jaws drop. "The hot spot here is Pulver balling Williams," the authoritative Adam Gay Video Directory wrote. "I'm surprised they aren't lovers in real life, because they certainly know their way around each others' body."      Toward the end of 1988, producers at Catalina offered Williams even more money to appear in films for that studio. Williams seized the opportunity. His first film, "My Best Buddy," was a dud. The casting of the film was all wrong, and performers were paired up with men they did not find attractive.      But Williams' second film (and, unbeknownst to anyone, his final movie) was one of the best gay porn films ever made. It was "The Young Cadets," directed by Cameron Leight. The movie features Williams as -- get this -- a top. He has the hots for military academy roommate Erich Lange (who has made a recent comeback and is doing bareback videos these days). Together, they trade tales about sexual goings-on at their school before Williams leads a land-and-sea assault on Lange's tight, redheaded ass. The acting is lackluster. But the sex is top-notch. Very few films have better sexual performances than this masterpiece.      Chris Williams fully intended to return to gay porn. But two things caught up to him and cut short his career -- and his life.      In 1989, Williams was one of several prostitutes caught in the Bush I administration call-boy sex scandal, which also ensnared Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) for a time (Frank was eventually cleared of wrong-doing). Since many of the men arrested in the sting by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) had fucked Williams when he was under-age, the police focused their attention on the newly-hatched porn star. Williams was arrested, threatened with a lengthy jail sentence and heavy fines, and told he would be sent to Lorton (the District's notoriously violent prison in northern Virginia). The police also threatened to put Williams in a wing with black gangs and rapists, and let the prison population know they had a gay porn star to play with. The likelihood of repeated prison gang-rape terrified Chris Williams.      Isolated, without legal counsel, uneducated and psychologically tortured, Williams agreed to testify against his former clients in order to obtain immunity from prosecution.      While the agreement kept Chris Williams out of prison, it alienated the gay community. Gay strip clubs refused to hire him. Many of his escort clients stopped using him.      Destitute and emotionally broken, Williams then learned that he had become infected with HIV.      By mid-1990, Chris Williams was homeless, eating poorly, ill and showing obvious signs of HIV infection (including KS). Under police surveillance on weekends, he was unable to support himself through prostitution. His court testimony was took several days, and destroyed the lives of many men -- most of whom had never suspected that they had hired an under-age hooker. (The police never investigated or fined the gay strip clubs for hiring an under-age dancer. Odd, eh? And Williams never ratted on the clubs, even after the club owners mistreated him. Nevertheless, the clubs turned on him, viciously.) The witch-hunt galvanized the gay community in D.C., and led to numerous changes in the way the District police conducted prostitution sweeps and stings involving the gay community. Out this scandal, the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit was established within the MPD as a means of protecting the GLBTQ community from police harassment.      But all this came too late for Chris Williams.      Sometime in the final months of 1990, Chris Williams moved to Miami -- believing the warmer climate would be better for his health. It wasn't. Penniless, in very poor health, malnourished, often homeless and without income for medication, his physical condition deteriorated rapidly.      Chris Williams died at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami on September 11, 1991. He was 24 years old.      As he lay dying, Chris Williams made extensive videotapes renouncing his 1990 court testimony. His deathbed confessions exposed the psychological manipulation techniques of the D.C. police. Williams asked that the hundred hours of videotape be given freely to every man accused of wrongdoing in the prostitution sting. Chris Williams died not knowing whether this would make a difference. But it did. A number of men had their convictions reversed, and others had their sentences and fines reduced.      By all accounts, Chris Williams was a sweet, gentle, caring individual who continuously gave of himself. Deeply scarred emotionally, he nevertheless opened his heart whenever anyone asked him to. His outlook on life was positive, his willingness to help others boundless, and his sensitivity to others' needs almost psychic in nature. He delighted in providing his body to others; it was all he had to give, and so he gave it -- freely, graciously, joyously. He never begrudged sex to anyone. He was thrilled to be the object of anyone's attentions.      Chris Williams had his dark side as well. He could be incredibly bitchy and cruel at times, especially when he felt that someone had wronged him or taken advantage of him. His self-esteem was non-existent, leading to deeply self-destructive behavior.      But his intelligence, love and selflessness was obvious to anyone who knew him. Men marveled at how much of his life had been squandered. If he had only had more supportive parents, if he had only been counseled about his sexuality rather than forced to deny it, if he had only been given the opportunity and assistance to obtain an education rather than simply been ejected from school... His mind was like a sponge, eagerly absorbing knowledge. His creativity was boundless, exciting and shockingly original. He had no inhibitions, and sought out new experiences, new feelings, new thrills, new ideas and new people constantly.      Some people said Chris Williams was nothing but a stupid, naive whore. He spread his legs for anyone, idiotically seeking self-worth through sex.      That couldn't have been further from the truth.      Chris Williams gave of both his body and his soul, freely and generously. All he asked was that someone love him.      No one did.      But Chris Williams is not forgotten. He made only nine films. But those nine movies portray some of the most honest, joyful, sincere and powerful sexual performances on film. He changed people's lives with his sexual acting. Thousands of men all over the world can point to Chris Williams' films and say, "I learned about my sexuality watching him." Thousands of men can point to his magazine layouts and say, "I learned about beauty from him." Thousands of men -- myself included -- can point to his performance and say, "I saw truth there. I saw honesty there. I saw a man who did not hide his sexuality, was not ashamed of who he was. I saw a man who took joy from his body and the bodies of others, and did not see guilt or wrong in that. I want to be like that man."      The afterlife is open to Chris Williams. There, all tears are kissed away. All bitterness and pain are left behind like an old garment, shrugged off. As he so freely and willingly gave of himself in life, so he will freely be given the joy and love he desperately sought on earth, and which he so richly deserves.      tim1965 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Christian Fox (Christopher John McLaughlin) 5 April 1974 (Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada) - 20 September 1996 (New Orleans, LA) 22 years old - suicide/overdose 28 career film credits, 68 including compilations      Placed in foster care at the age of 13. Ran away a few years later after claiming he'd been sexually molested by a social worker. Worked as an underage dancer in Toronto, Vancouver, New York City, and other places (under a fake I.D.) for several years. Allegedly did his first scene on his 18th birthday, although the film was not released until early 1993 (that is the year he turned 19). Known as a difficult performer, his career was in steep decline by early 1996. He'd married an American woman to get a green card, and moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. After learning that his agent had terminated their relationship, he agreed to enter drug rehab in early August 1996. In late August, he attempted suicide by throwing himself through a plate glass window. Too injured to enter rehab, his wife left him. He took a lethal dose of the horse anesthetic ketamine ("Special K"), and died in his apartment on September 20, 1996. His body, along with a suicide note for his mother and sister (who survived him), was found three days later. (from obituary in "Manshots" magazine, March, 1997, and his obituary in "Gay Video Guide", #20 (November 1996).) *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Christopher Lance (Bobby Lance Slacke) 26 November 1967 (Fort Dix, NJ) - 24 April 1994 (Dallas, TX) 27 years old - stabbed to death in Dallas, Texas by his boyfriend 6 career film credits, 16 including compilations      His boyfriend, Ryan Borderner, was also treated at Parkland Hospital for stab wounds and was eventually charged with murder, but indictment by the grand jury seemed doubtful since both were stabbed. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Denis Reed (Denis Reed) 9 November 1985 (Prague Capital City, Czech Republic) - 7 May 2016 (Czech Republic) 30 years old - motorcycle accident His Find a Grave site is here 338 career film credits, 484 including compilations      Famous pornstar, director and producer Denis Reed died in a motorcycle accident. On Reed’s Facebook, a representative reports that the accident occured when he lost control of his motorcycle at a sharp right bend and crashed into a tree. On the way to the hospital, the 31-year-old succumbed to his severe injuries and died.      Reed, also known as Jan Velicka, Pavel Matous, Ian Voight, and other porn names, started his career in the adult entertainment industry in 2004, and had since become one of the most well-known porn actors from Eastern Europe. He had appeared in hundreds of both gay and straight porn. One might recognise his work for sites like CzechBoys, Willam Higgins and Staxus. He also became one of the guys behind Czech Hunter, reports Queerfever, and worked as a talent scout in Czech Republic.      A Czech news site reports that Reed leaves behind a wife and a young son. Other sources describe Reed as a huge motorcycle enthusiast, and that his wife had asked him to stop using his motorcycle and to sell it away for his own safety. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Eric Manchester (Ronald Liter) 26 August 1964 (Dallas, TX) - 12 March 2023 (San Francisco, CA) 58 years old - heroin overdose 25 career film credits, 78 including compilations      Eric (Ronald) was a prolific gay porn performer in the 1980s, appearing in over a dozen films between 1986 and 1989. Raised on a farm, served in the Navy and introduced to Dirk Yates by a model that had worked for him. Yates described him as a class act. Raised Mormon, his siblings were aware of his film experience and were not "impressed" but not surprised either. In a Manshots interview, Jeff Appel said, "Always a pleasure to work with. His dick never goes soft, and there is something about him that is so terribly sexy."      Ronald virtually disappeared following his last performance in 1994 "Powerline." Speculation about his whereabouts continued for years.      Ronald, a former San Francisco resident, was visiting the city in March 2023 when he was found dead by housekeeping staff in his hotel room. The cause was a heroin overdose. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Grant Fagan (Eric Lawerence Grant Fagan) 24 September 1966 (Ontario, CA) - 7 December 2017 (North Hollywood, CA) 51 years old - unknown 24 career film credits, 54 including compilations      I can't find much on Grant, but I'm still looking. I remember him from "The Pizza Boy He Delivers" in his two scenes with David Ashfield. And then there's the first scene in "The Young and the Hung" where he flip flops with Christopher Lance. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * J.W. King (James Leonard Waldrop) 21 July 1955 (Dallas, TX) - 15 December 1986 (Los Angeles, CA) 31 years old - complications of AIDS 40 career film credits, 71 including compilations      One of the most popular and well liked stars of the 80s. Onetime Playgirl model and a very popular gay porn performer. For a few videos in 1983, Gold Rush Boys and Tightropes at the Officers Club, King sported a beard. He looked very good with it but never appeared with one again. Sometimes billed as the older brother of Jon King, which he was not. Higgins said he was a very sweat guy who never bottomed on film but probably did in real life. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Jeremy Scott (Troy Andrew Myers) 17 October 1961 (San Diego, CA) - 28 May 1994 (Rockford, Illinois) 32 years old - complications of AIDS 39 career film credits, 60 including compilations      Troy was raised in Los Angeles. He was sexually precocious, and was having sex with other boys and men by his early teens. Extremely well hung, he primarily bottomed. He had had no boyfriend or lover, but was well-versed in the gay world of restroom sex, public park sex, cruising, and so on. At least one person who knew him while he was still in high school has called him "a sex addict" because he was constantly seeking out sex with other men.      Worked in the office of William Higgins for 3 years before getting in front of the camera. Ended up filling in for a no-show at the last minute. Higgins had is first relationship with a performer with Scott who was able to hold great sway over him. His appearance would change markedly from one film to another. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Joey Stefano (Nicholas Anthony “Nicky” Iacona Jr.) 1 January 1968 (Chester, PA) - 21 November 1994 (Hollywood, CA) 26 years old - overdose 71 career film credits, 209 including compilations      Found dead in a Hollywood Boulevard motel room, his system overloaded with a mixture of cocaine, morphine, heroin, and ketamine. Most consider his death the result of an accidental overdose. He is buried next to his father. Buried at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery Linwood, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA      Over the course of his five-year career, Stefano appeared in 58 gay adult films and two music videos with Madonna. He was considered to be the perfect power bottom.      Born to middle-class parents in Chester, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 1968, Nicholas Anthony Iacono had an older sister, Linda, and a younger sister, Tina. At age 15 he dropped out of high school -- at about the same time his father died -- and began to experiment with drugs as well as engage in "street hustling." In 1989, at the age of 21, he moved to Los Angeles and quickly became involved in the rapidly-expanding world of gay videos. Standing 5' 11" and weighing 165 pounds, his good looks and pleasing physique soon made him a porn star under the name "Joey Stefano." By some accounts he earned $100,000 in the year 1990, making as much as $1500 for a single sex scene. (Significantly, Iacono almost always played the "bottom" role in these scenes, making him unique in a genre filled with performers who would only play "tops.") He did not handle his finances well, however, and had no long-range plans to manage his career, usually being content to accept whatever was offered to him. Soon his career began to fade, though his drug habit continued, and late in 1990 he tested as HIV positive. Hoping to revive his fortunes, Iacono began to tour the country, dancing and stripping at gay nightclubs and offering himself as a paid "escort." Eventually he returned to L.A. where, on November 26, 1994, at the age of 26, he was found dead in a Hollywood Boulevard motel room, his system overloaded with a mixture of cocaine, morphine, heroin, and ketamine. Most consider his death the result of an accidental overdose. He is buried next to his father in Immaculate Heart Cemetery in Philadelphia. In 1996 Charles Isherwood published a biography of this gay icon titled "Wonder Bread and Ecstasy." *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Joey Yale (Joseph Richard Yanoska) 25 December 1949 (Lynch, Kentucky) - 18 April 1986 (Palm Springs, CA) 36 years old - complications of AIDS 5 career film credits, 6 including compilations      Adult Film Actor.Joey was born Joseph Richard Yanoska in Lynch, Kentucky and grew up in Indianapolis. He worked under the stage name Joey Yale. He started his career in the original "Disney on Parade," the original traveling roadshow, all over the states. Joey played Mowgli, "The Jungle Boy", in a black wig and red diaper. He left Indianapolis when he was seventeen, with $100 in his pocket.      He met gay porn director Fred Halsted outside a leather bar in West Hollywood, in 1969. They became lovers and later Fred convinced him to star in his first porn, L.A. Plays Itself. Joey filmed most of the work, but halfway through the film, he had such indecision about what he was doing that he backed out of the project. They split, Fred being really upset with him.      Several years later, however, that relationship was rekindled, and Joey and Fred became business and personal partners. They lived together for many years in a West Hollywood apartment. Their partnership included their gay porn company "Cosco".      Joey's career was greatly bolstered by several performances with veteran actor Brett Mahoney of New York. Their relationship offscreen, however, was violent. After the infamous scene where Joey brutalizes Brett in several ways, they never talked again. David "The Dick" Clements also helped to boost his career. They enjoyed nights of wine and 3-way sex with Dom "lil D" Izzo. They all loved S&M.      In July 1983, Joey performed with John Holmes in one of Holmes' gay films, The Private Pleasures of John C. Holmes. At the time Yale had already contracted AIDS, and died three years later of complications, on a hill in Palm Springs, California. He was cremated and his ashes were spread on that same hill overlooking the town of Palm Springs, the place he loved. Soon after his lover Fred Halsted committed suicide. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Jon King (John Nelson Gaines) 12 January 1963 (Jacksonville, FL) - 8 March 1995 (Santa Fe, NM) 32 years old - complications of AIDS His Find A Grave site is here 33 career film credits, 63 including compilations      He was one of the most popular gay adult film stars of the 1980s. When asked in interviews, Jon rarely discussed his life in Florida in much detail, except that it involved quite a bit of "getting into trouble". He had been interested in pornography since finding a Playboy magazine his father owned when he was twelve years old. At some point in his teens, he had read about Jack Deveau, owner of Hand In Hand Films, and sent the producer some dark and fuzzy pictures of himself. Deveau politely turned him down.      Deciding that he was "going places and doing things he'd never done before", John Gaines and his then-lover went to Los Angeles while on summer vacation in 1980, with plans to go back to school in Florida after he had finished having fun. This changed when his lover got a job and the two young men decided to stay. Eventually John picked up a guy cruising who was a model who had an appointment later that day with a photographer. John tagged along to the interview, and was soon on his way as an adult film performer. His start in adult films came with the 1981 film Brothers Should Do It, where he was billed as Jon King, the younger brother of J.W. King. Though the two strongly resembled each other, they were not related. He next appeared in Biker's Liberty, with Kristen Bjorn, Printer's Devils, and These Bases are Loaded, again with J.W. King. Later, he would complain that the man who helped him get started in the industry was a "psycho" who screwed him over for money. In 1982, just as he was at the seeming peak of his popularity, he stole and wrecked a car, and for this spent eleven months in prison. Jon was later reluctant to discuss his time in prison to interviewers, only saying that "it wasn't fun", particularly since his twentieth birthday was spent behind bars.      Making a comeback in 1983, Jon King continued to appear in films and videos throughout the 1980s. Among these were Big Summer Surprise; The Biggest One I Ever Saw (with Lee Ryder and Rick Donovan), Hot Off The Press, Hotel Hell, Inevitable Love, Perfect Summer, Screen Play (again with Lee Ryder), Studhunter, Trick Time (with Tim Kramer), Tyger Tales, Wild Country, and Wild Oats. One of his most memorable scenes was in a hot tub with veteran adult star Kip Noll in 1984's Kip Noll - Superstar.      Around 1989, Jon retired from the business and moved to Atlanta, where he attended culinary school. Apparently his dreams of becoming a chef did not work out. He made a second comeback in the early 1990s, appearing in Fade In, Fade Out, Wild Country, and the sequel These Bases are Loaded 2. His last video, Pumping Iron, came out in 1995. Jon King had been HIV positive for a number of years, and soon after completing Pumping Iron, he became extremely ill with AIDS. He moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to live with a friend who looked after his needs. It was here that Jon King died from AIDS complications on 8 March 1995. He was cremated and his ashes mixed and scattered with those of his beloved dog, who had died some years earlier.      Jon King's tight, boyishly muscular body, combined with his thick black hair, deep dark eyes, and a youthful innocence and vulnerability made him very popular with most everyone who saw him. He was often described as a gentle, loving person, who sadly spent his whole life searching for a lasting happiness which he never found. When asked about his popularity, John Gaines commented that being recognized and approached in public as Jon King actually made him uncomfortable, and that he had even quit going to gay bars for that reason. "It's not that I don't appreciate it, " he once said of the admiration he received, "I just want to be myself." *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Johnny Dawes (Brian Lee) 22 March 1955 (Akron, Ohio) - 25 July 1989 (Los Angeles, CA) 34 years old - complications of AIDS 27 career film credits, 41 including compilations      Lee graduated high School in 1971. He moved to Los Angeles, due to his love of movies, where he started out as a dancer in an all male erotic revue at the Beverly Cinema in 1973. This led to Lee’s career in gay adult movies in the late 1970’s. Aside from his adult film work, Lee acted in the Los Angeles production of Robert Chesley's AIDS play Night Sweat at the Fifth Estate Theatre. He was also a documentary filmmaker and an opera historian who wrote articles for Opera Digest The End of October Halloween has come and gone And comes November's chilly dawn; Where's the summer sunlight now That gleamed do brightly 'neath thy brow? It's gone, it's gone, It's dead and cold; It was a love that grew too old. Like summer, seasons pass along; At once they're here, at once they're gone, Johnny Dawes (Brian Lee) *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Johnny Rahm (Barry Thomas "JT" Rogers) 11 June 1965 (Milledgeville, GA) - 7 November 2004 (Atlanta, GA) 39 years old - Committed suicide by hanging himself with wire on the fence of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Buried at Baldwin Memorial Gardens in Milledgeville, GA 103 career film credits, 176 including compilations      Barry, a native of Baldwin County, was a graduate of Gilead Christian Academy in Macon, Georgia and also attended Bob Jones University. Among his various activities, he worked with the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.      Barry relocated to California in the late 1980s and worked for nearly a decade in the adult film industry. He was the winner of the 1993 Gay Video Guide’s Best Supporting Actor Award for his role as a mafia don in “Body Search,” directed by Chi Chi LaRue. He also won the 1995 Best Supporting Actor award for “All About Steve.” He also was employed at Drakes Melrose, Pier One Imports, and worked as a barback for the Atlanta club, "The Metro". Here's some more info Washington Blade By DYANA BAGBY Friday, November 26, 2004      ATLANTA — Barry “J.T.” Rogers, known as Johnny Rahm in scores of gay pornographic films, committed suicide in Atlanta on Nov. 7. He was 39.      Rogers hung himself with a wire on the fence line of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, according to the Atlanta Police Department.      A memorial service was held Sunday, Nov. 21, said Adam Kahn, Rogers’ friend and roommate.      Rogers was born June 11, 1965, in Milledgeville, Ga. He was buried there next to his grandmother on Nov. 10, said Jamey Rousey, Rogers’ cousin. Rousey said he was very close to his grandmother.      Rogers, who was HIV-positive, is survived by his parents, two sisters and a brother, according to Rousey.      Rousey said he and Rogers were raised fundamental Baptists and attended a Christian high school in Macon and also attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.      “He was a kind and gentle soul and as tragic as his death was, I hope he’s found the peace he couldn’t find in life,” said Rousey, who works with the Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund.      Rogers moved to California in the late 1980s and worked for about a decade in the gay sex film industry, Rousey said. In recent years he worked in Atlanta with producer Dick Wadd, according to Kahn.      Rogers was the winner of the 1993 Gay Video Guide’s Best Supporting Actor Award for his role as a mafia don in “Body Search,” directed by gay porn favorite Chi Chi LaRue. He also won the 1995 Best Supporting Actor award for “All About Steve.”      “He was a sweet guy, a very loving, caring person — although he had his demons,” Kahn said. “Within five minutes of meeting him, people loved him. He was always the comedian and wanted to make people laugh and feel good about themselves.”      J.C. Adams, a columnist who writes about the gay sex industry in “Adams Report,” said that as Johnny Rahm, Rogers had a devoted fan base.      “What was a little unusual about him is that he was actually a very good actor,” Adams said. “He never became a superstar like Jeff Stryker, but he did several films that are still remembered.”      Some of Rogers’ better movies include “The Devil and Danny Webster,” “Straight to the Zone,” and “Badlands,” said Adams, who has also been editor of Inside Porn Magazine and Unzipped Monthly.      “He knew how to use his voice and body. As a sexual performer, Johnny told me he really enjoyed what he was doing. He was having fun and that came through onscreen,” Adams said. “That is one of the main reasons fans adored him and remembered him through the years; Johnny’s light and spirit was evident.”      Kahn said Rogers was never shy about what he did professionally and also tried his hand at stand-up comedy. But while he may have achieved some fame in the gay sex film industry, he struggled financially in his last months. Since about April, Rogers was trying to get financial assistance to find his own home, Kahn said.      “He was on the phone every day trying to get SSI and it seemed like he kept getting the runaround. His major frustration was not being settled,” Kahn said. “He never did anything bad except to himself.      “He wasn’t your run-of-the-mill porn actor. The biggest part of him was making sure everyone around him was happy. He will be greatly missed,” Kahn said.      Adams interviewed Rogers in 2001 and said Rogers was truly humbled when he read him some of his fan mail.      “It’s good to know that I made a difference to some gay guys out there,” Rogers told Adams, “even if it was inadvertent. I feel honored to have that kind of devotion.” There was also this letter to the Washington Blade:      As the brother of the late Barry “Johnny Rahm” Rogers, I felt compelled to write you after reading the article about his suicide. (“Former gay porn star commits suicide,” news, Nov. 26).      To those who knew Barry (“J.T.”), he’s remembered as a fun person to be around. He could walk into a room filled with 1,000 people, and walk out with 999 friends. I remember him as the big brother who protected and comforted me during our childhood. I miss him terribly, and his passing has left an unfillable void in my heart.      Your article alluded to the speculation that his role as Johnny Rahm factored in his decision to end his life. After retrieving his personal belongings, and spending countless hours reading his personal journal, I can say that nothing in his writings offered the faintest hint that his on-camera role had anything to do with his suicide.      His journals, as well as his suicide note, offered overwhelming evidence that it was because he was turned down repeatedly by Social Security for disability benefits.      Barry suffered for years from severe depression. He had also been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. The Hep C treatments couldn’t begin until the depression was under control, and that never came about.      He was depressed about his inability to be self-sufficient. He was depressed due to his deteriorating health condition. He was depressed because he had nowhere to call “home.”      There are several government entities that I hold responsible for his depression, and subsequent death, but I do not think that his role as Johnny Rahm had anything whatsoever to do with it.      To those who had the honor of calling J.T. “friend,” his loss is felt tremendously, and I thank each of you for taking care of my brother during his final weeks and months.      For those of us who had the privilege of calling him son, brother or cousin, his loss is one that can never be replaced, and it will take a long time to get over it.      To those who simply knew him as “Johnny Rahm,” you didn’t know the true Barry/J.T., and the loss is yours. SCOTTY ROGERS Washburn, Tenn. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Kip Knoll (Thomas Earl Hagen) 7 August 1957 (Greenwich, CT) - 21 May 2001 (Salt Lake City, Utah) 43 years old - heart attack 26 career film credits, 36 including compilations      Supposedly straight, he married and had three daughters, then divorced. The truthfulness of his death facts are (as many 'porn facts') disputed.      Discovered by a scout who referred him to Mark Reynolds. Noll insisted that Reynolds get naked himself during their interview. Reynolds said that "Kip Noll had a way of sucking like you suck on a straw, just as you were about to come, that made you feel like your head was coming off. But there was no way to capture that on film..."      According to promotional material for Rear Deliveries, Noll had been in a motorcycle accident preventing him from appearing in the third William Higgins film.      Jack Deveau was not impressed by Noll's appearance but was impressed with how he was marketed into being a top draw. Mark Reynolds' first encounter with Noll left Reynolds unimpressed but after a little grooming Reynolds changed his mind. In a Manshots interview Al Parker considered him to be unkempt, arrogant street trash. Higgins noted the same thing, that Noll looked much better on camera.      Appeared in live stage performances starting in 1980 with Nick Rodgers and Lee Marlin at the Eros Theater in New York. In 1981 at the Follies Theatre, he was known to engage in physical and sexual contact with the audience. In 1984 he took the stage again with Lance and Daniel Holt when the Follies reopened again.      A megastar for only a few years, many apocryphal stories have built up around him to the point where little is known for certain about what actually happened after 1984. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Kip Tyler (John "Jack" William Hawkins) 5 August 1971 (Omaha, Nebraska) - 26 August 1995 (San Francisco, California) 24 years old - complications of AIDS 28 career film credits, 46 including compilations      Jack Hawkins and ran in Radical Faerie circles as Billie Jack. Kip/Jack was active in the gay community, volunteering with the Pasadena City College GLSU and Christopher Street West as well as other organizations *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Kurt Marshall (James Allen Rideout, Jr.) 13 November 1965 (Waterville, Maine) – 10 October 1988 (Los Angeles, CA) 23 years old - kidney failure due to substance abuse and AIDS 4 career film credits, 13 including compilations      In 1984, at the age of 18, he starred in his first film, Matt Sterling's Sizing Up, with fellow gay adult film star Mark Miller. His role was that of a star track and field athlete, which echoed his high school sports experiences. A historian of gay erotic film called Sizing Up a "superior example of a gay porn video which makes gay men visible in places where they have mostly been invisible ... " He made three films the following year, all for Falcon Studios: the highly influential The Other Side of Aspen II, Splash Shots, and Night Flight. The Other Side of Aspen II was Falcon's first film which was shot entirely on video, and Marshall worked with legendary gay adult film performer Scott O'Hara. O'Hara later wrote in his autobiography that he was not in the least attracted to Marshall, although much of the film was later edited to make it appear as if he was having an intense sexual experience with him and two other blond men. Adult Video News (AVN), the adult film industry trade publication, later rated the film as the ninth most innovative and influential gay porn film of all time in 2005. Marshall's second film, Splash Shots, was credited with making sex around the swimming pool a gay porn trope.      James was an advocate for gay rights, once telling an interviewer: "I think to be gay is to be blessed. We have so much freedom, so many choices. This isn't our moment to party or to think we're going to stay young forever … maybe it's our time to find someone to be safe with … to be happy with ... " *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Kyle Ross (Aaron Cumbley) 30 June 1993 (Southlake, Texas) – 2023 (Florida) 29 years old - car crash 54 career film credits, 54 including compilations      Ross, whose real name was Arron Cumley, was killed in a single vehicle car accident in Florida where he had been on vacation. The adult film performer worked with Helix Studios for many years was 29 years old. He also documented an angry interaction with airline staff who refused to let him board a flight with his service dog, Hank. In later videos Cumley filmed himself sleeping in his rental car and complaining about the heat.      Ross announced his retirement from performing at the 2020 GayVN Awards ceremony during the group acceptance speech for Helix's Best Feature win for Vegas Nights, also noting that he planned to move behind the scenes at the studio. Then just last month, he announced via Twitter, "I've decided to pursue my dreams and explore opportunities outside of my role at Helix Studios. Thank you for your support and love throughout my journey with Helix Studios. I'm excited to share my future endeavors with you and I can't wait to see what the future holds."      After the news of Ross' passing broke Tuesday night, his former boyfriend and fellow Helix exclusive, Max Carter, who stopped performing and departed Helix concurrently with Ross, tweeted: "Rip to the my best friend! He has always been there for me when times were tough. Always helped me out whenever I needed it most. I will forever miss you. You left too soon. Words can’t even describe how much you meant to me. Life won’t be the same without you here."      Though details about the exact time and cause of Ross' car crash are not yet known, he did establish via his Twitter account that he had been vacationing in the Florida Keys, and he documented through a series of videos on his feed starting just after midnight Sunday that he had been turned away from boarding his American Airlines flight from Miami to San Diego due to having failed to submit documentation for his service dog Hank 48 hours before the flight. He subsequently rented a car that he slept in because he was unable to find a hotel with any vacancies. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Lance (David Alan Reis) 25 November 1962 (Santa Barbara, CA) - 26 May 1991 29 years old - complications of AIDS 13 career film credits, 32 including compilations      Discovered and groomed by Malibu Studios in 1982. Had a reputation for being in trouble, causing trouble and drinking to excess. Appeared live on stage in 1984 at the Follies in New York with Kip Noll and Daniel Holt. He was cremated, and his ashes scattered at sea. Specifically: Ashes scattered off the coast of Marin County, California *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Lee Ryder (Darras Robert Pyron) 3 August 1959 (Norco, CA) - 24 May 1993 (Los Angeles, CA) 33 years old - Complications from AIDS 16 career film credits, 28 including compilations      Lee Ryder (born Darras Robert Pyron on August 3, 1959, in Norco, California - died July 10, 1991, in Los Angeles, California) was an adult film star who began doing gay adult film in 1983 at the age of 24. He was an overnight star. He was tall, lean, dark-skinned, and had a nine inch endowment. Ryder grew up in Laguna and graduated from Esperanza High School in Anaheim. Like many young gay men at the time, he discovered that the only place that would hire an openly gay man was a florist shop. He found work with Crosley's Flowers in Los Angeles, an upscale florist which handled arrangements for the VIP rooms at the Beverly Hills Hotel and on various television series. After a while, he quit his job, and traveled. He followed this pattern throughout his life, working for a florist and then quitting to visit Germany or Hawaii or Jamaica, or Panama or Switzerland.      Ryder had met a man named Glenn, who was from Massachusetts but living in Dallas. They were deeply in love. Then Glenn left him. Ryder wanted to open his own flower shop, so beginning in 1982 he began nude modelling. Within a year, he'd done several layouts and had been on the covers of three national gay porn magazines.      In late 1982 or early 1983, Ryder met Rod Phillips at the Boom-Boom Room, a popular gay bar in Laguna Beach. Ryder was 24, and Phillips 21. They were deeply attracted to one another, and spent a few months commute-dating before Phillips moved to Los Angeles. At Ryder's urging, Phillips began performing in gay porn films. The two appeared in several of the same films, with Ryder even fucking Phillips in Biggest One I Ever Saw and Winner Takes All. But problems set in. They became jealous of one another when one got paid more, and sometimes accused one another of "enjoying" the sex with a co-worker more than the sex at home. Ryder later admitted he was still in love with "Glenn from Massachusetts", and never really fell in love with Phillips. By 1985 or so, Phillips and Ryder separated. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Leo Ford (Leo John Hilgeford) 5 July 1957 (Dayton, OH) - 17 July 1991 (Ashes scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge) 34 years old - motorcycle crash on Sunset Boulevard 22 career film credits, 64 including compilations      Leo traced his sexual awakening to second grade when he noticed his attraction for boys. He had two brothers with which there were some liaisons but both of them married had families and divorced.      In San Diego, Ford picked up on yoga and meditation. He spent some time in India studying and practiced celibacy for the heightened experience.      Onetime lover to Jamie Wingo. Introduced to the business by Scott Andersen. He was approached for nude photos and originally turned the offer down but decided he needed the money. He turned to J. Brian for advice and Brian eventually made a movie with him and Leo used his lover Jamie for his first on film pairing. This was Flashbacks but Style was the first Ford film released although it was the third one he filmed.      Lived for a time with J. Brian when starting out. Performed a live show at the Follies at 48th and Broadway in Manhattan. Had his own mail order business for selling his work.      In the film I Am Divine (2013), Ford was described has having a many year relationship with Divine. Ironically, he played a motorcycle accident victim in Games only to die on a motorcycle given to him by William Higgins after filming Class Reunion. Ford and Craig Markle had founded Leo Ford Presents to market Leo's work. Just before Ford's death, he and Markle had been working on a documentary of the physique era. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Lindon Hawk (Terry Lindon Kelley) 2 February 1976 (Oklahoma - 13 December 2010 (Pennsacola, FL 34 years old - assault His Find A Grave Memorial is here. 10 career film credits, 24 including compilations      After a fender bender outside of T & C Food Mart, 34-year-old Terry Lindon Kelley (aka Lindon Hawk) and 27-year-old Terry Jabar Hill got out of their cars to inspect the damage. When Kelley began assessing the impact, Hill punched him in the face and fled the scene. What he didn’t know is that his punch sent Kelley’s head flying into the pavement causing cerebral hemorrhaging. Kelley died two days later on Monday afternoon at the nearby Baptist Hospital. The alleged assailant already had four criminal charges against him for various felony drug offenses.      Terry was a native and lifelong resident of Santa Rosa County. He was a 1995 Graduate of Central High School and enjoyed life to the fullest.      Lindon Hawk had a brief career in porn from 2000 to 2002 as a smooth twink bottom who starred in such Falcon films as The Other Side Of Aspen V and Out Of Athens 2. He co-starred with such big name stars as Cameron Fox, Chad Hunt and Travis Wade. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Lon Flexx (David Lee Anderson) 7 January 1965 (Claremore, OK) - 15 September 1996 (West Hollywood, CA) 5 July 1957 (Dayton, OH) - 17 July 1991 (Ashes scattered at Slide Rock State Park in Arizona) 31 years old - complications from AIDS 49 career film credits, 101 including compilations      Dissatisified with the homophobic atmosphere of Oklahoma, he moved to California in 1988, residing first in Riverside and then Costa Mesa. He got a job writing liner-notes for Universal Studios laser-disc releases. But it was his discovery in late 1988 by Catalina Video that made him a gay porn star. He'd do a whopping 15 adult films in 1989 -- one every five weeks. His break-out hit was Billboard for Catalina, and it was quickly followed up by Cousins Should Do It (1989, HIS Video), Heat in the Night (1989, Huge Video), Sex, Lies and Video Cassettes (1989, Sierra Pacific), and Some Men Are Bigger Than Others (1989, Tiger Media). These were mind-blowing performances. When he throat-rapes his co-star in Heat in the Night, it's one of the most erotic performances of the year. Lesser films included an amazing auto-fellatio performance in Blow Your Own Horn (1989, Vivid Video), a star turn in Cowboys and Indians (1989, Vivid Video), a performance so cool that he blew out the film's star in Davey and the Cruisers (1989, Fine-Line Prods.), a stunning oral-only show in International Guide to the Fine Art of Fellatio (1989, Vivid Video), and the steamy Ten is Enough (1989, Sierra Pacific).      He moved to the gay ghetto of West Hollywood in 1990, and made a whopping 22 films that year. That's one every two weeks! He made four must-have, absolutely stellar appearances. Anyone would be proud to have just one of these in their career; he did all four. They included Big Bang (1990, Falcon), More of A Man (1990, All Worlds Video), Plunge (1990, Falcon), and Sex Shooters (1990, Sierra Pacific). A-minus films included the superb California Stud Pups (1990, Video 10) and Mystic Museum (1990, Infinity Video).      By now, Lon Flexx was one of the biggest stars of the gay adult firmament. He was universally recognized throughout the sex industry as one of the nicest people anyone would ever meet. He was funny, gentle, open, honest, and cared very deeply for the people he worked and performed with. He was well-known for being a settled person, wanting to make a home for himself while enjoying the sexual blessings God had given him. And he cooked. Boy, could he cook! Performers talked about how he'd bring home-made baked goods to the set, or how eating at his house was like going to a tasty local diner.      He also had the superstar status to allow his body to be more masculine. He had naturally dark skin and dark brown hair, and his legs were always unshaven and extremely hairy. But during the first years of his adult film career, Lon Flex trimmed most of his pubes down and completely shaved his upper body. He now began extensively working out, packing muscle onto his chest and allowing his natural, somewhat furry body hair to grow back. Although he'd sometimes shave his stomach and create a stronger pubic hair line, he was downright hairy-chested in the last three years of his career.      And he had time for fans. A full six-footer, and strikingly handsome, he was recognized practically everywhere he went. But if someone wanted to talk to him, or asked for an autography, he was quick with a smile and a chat. He loved fans, and wanted them to feel like he was approachable. Once, while in a West Hollywood market, he was mobbed by six or seven gushing fans. He talked with them at length, even hanging around until the last fan had gotten through the check-out. He was so beloved, that he'd be approached on the street. He'd flash that boyish, eager smile and sign whatever they wanted.      But there was a downside. Although nearly all gay porn studios had begun using condoms all the time on all sets, Falcon Studios would not do so until 1992. Falcon was, at that time, the biggest and wealthiest gay porn studio in the world. Its films cost nearly $70 each. Its Jocks and Mustang lines were $35 each. One of Falcon's biggest stars -- indeed, one of the four biggest adult film stars in the whole world -- was Joey Stefano. By 1990, Stefano was HIV-positive. Just how Stefano seroconverted is not known, but he was an intravenous drug user, male prostitute, and engaged in an extensive amount of unprotected anal sex in his private life in addition to having mostly unprotected anal sex on the set of adult films. Stefano was so fucked up, he didn't even know he had HIV; once he learned he had seroconverted, he told no one. Lon Flexx wasn't a drug user or male prostitute, but he was having a significant amount of sex in his private life, some or all of which may have been bareback. And on the set of Plunge in 1990, Lon Flexx had unprotected anal sex with Joey Stefano. Looking back, it's hard not to find the scene disturbing.      His health began deteriorating in 1991, and he did just six videos in 1991, only one of which (Lunch Hour [Catalina]) was any good. In 1992, he made just two films. One of these was the excellent Trade-Off (All Worlds Video) for Jerry Douglas, who had directed his eye-popping performance in More of A Man in 1990. But Lon was increasingly sick. While visiting his family in New Mexico over the Thanksgiving holiday, he fell seriously ill. He was diagnosed with AIDS, and spent several weeks in the hospital. He did not return to Los Angeles until March 1993.      He was hospitalized frequently in 1993 and 1994. David Lee Anderson finally entered into rest on at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, California, on September 15, 1995. His entire family was by his side, as was his partner, Rob McCaffree. He was cremated, and his ashes scattered at Slide Rock State Park in Arizona on September 30. He himself had selected the site some time earlier, one of his favorite places in the whole world.      His FindaGrave site is here. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Matt Gunther (Steven Matthew Lang) 28 May 1963 (Garden Grove, CA) - 27 May 1997 (Huntington Beach, CA) 33 years old - congestive heart failure resulting from AIDS. His ashes were scattered at sea 38 career film credits, 118 including compilations His Find A Grave site is here      In 1990 Gunther moved to West Hollywood at the age of 27 and made his first gay porn film, To The Bone. He appeared in a total of 38 movies. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Mike Henson (Kenneth M. Seymour) 4 October 1963 (Salinas, CA) - 6 September 2002 (Philadelphia,PA) 39 years old - heroin overdose 17 career film credits, 36 including compilations      In 1994 he graduated from the UCLA School of Computer Sciences, and later helped set up computer operations for David Forest's business enterprises. Drug problems continued to plague him, however, and a comeback attempt in 1998 failed when fans reacted negatively to the toll drug use had taken on his once youthful good looks, though his body remained in remarkably good shape. He eventually settled in Pennsylvania with a former army buddy who was also his lover. After four years of sobriety, he died from a heroin overdose. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Rod Phillips (Gregory Leslie Patton) 23 August 1960 (El Centro, CA) - 24 May 1993 (West Hollywood, CA) 33 years old - complications of AIDS 14 career film credits, 30 including compilations      Rod Phillips (born Gregory Leslie Patton, August 23, 1960, in El Centro, California - died May 24, 1993, in West Hollywood, California) was an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay pornographic films from 1982 to 1993.      His neighbors while growing up owned a jewerly business, and Phillips was fascinated by jewelry at a young age. He learned basic gem polishing, and was knotting pearl necklaces by the age of 12. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1978. After graduation, he moved to Paris, Texas, where he studied jewelry making and gemology at Paris Junior College. He left school and moved to Midland, Texas, but returned to Santa Barbara in 1980.      In late 1982 or early 1983, Ryder met Rod Phillips at the Boom-Boom Room, a popular gay bar in Laguna Beach. Ryder was 24, and Phillips 21. They were deeply attracted to one another, and spent a few months commute-dating before Phillips moved to Los Angeles. At Ryder's urging, Phillips began performing in gay porn films. The two appeared in several of the same films, with Ryder even fucking Phillips in Biggest One I Ever Saw and Winner Takes All. But problems set in. They became jealous of one another when one got paid more, and sometimes accused one another of "enjoying" the sex with a co-worker more than the sex at home. Ryder later admitted he was still in love with "Glenn from Massachusetts", and never really fell in love with Phillips.      By 1985 or so, Phillips and Ryder separated. Phillips kept working in adult film, however. In 1986, Phillips moved to Philadelphia, and then to Wayne, New Jersey (just outside New York City). But by 1988 he was back in Los Angeles, and in 1990 was back doing adult film again. He did two films that year, the first of which was Guess Who's Coming? Phillips dated gay adult film star Joey Stefano for a few months in 1990, and fucked Joey in the 1990 film Hard Steal. Phillips got out of adult film again, but returned in 1993 for Hologram.      It was the last thing he ever did. Phillips was struggling with HIV-related lymphatic prostate cancer, with which he'd been diagnosed in 1992, and undergoing extensive chemotherapy. It was taking a huge toll on him, physically. He could no longer ride his motorcycle to work, Diamonds on Rodeo Drive. He had to take a freelance position at The Gauntlet, which was two blocks from his apartment in West Hollywood. This enabled him to walk to work.      Greg died on May 24, 1993, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He had been in good shape until early 1993, filming his last adult video in February and continuing to go to the gym every day. Rumors that he committed suicide are only rumor. His health had rapidly declined in the three weeks prior to his death, and while his passing was sudden it was not due to suicide by an overdose of drugs. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Rydar Hanson (Wolfgang Praegert) 14 February 1957 (Bremerhaven, Stadt Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany) - 18 October 1989 (Ventura County, California) 32 years old - complications from AIDS 22 career film credits, 45 including compilations      Born in Germany as Wolfgang Praegert in 1957, of an artist father, and the young Wolfgang apparently exhibited acrylic paintings at exhibitions in both France and Germany. He lived in Paris (to which all artists gravitate at some point), and then emigrated to New York City. He studied opera there briefly. He then got into gay porn, making his first appearance in Chain Reactions after moving to Los Angeles. Known Aliases / aka Ryder Hanson, Radar Hanson, Rydar Hansen. Like so many gay porn stars of the era, succumbed to complications from the AIDS virus in 1989. Before he died, he did much traveling, and he even made a feature-length biographical video showcasing the places he visited and his reactions to them. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Scott O'Hara (John Robert Scott) 16 October 1961 (Grants Pass, Oregon) - 18 February 1998 (San Francisco, CA) 37 years old - complications from AIDS 24 career film credits, 54 including compilations      He was the 5th of 7 children. His literary and personal papers are housed in the Gay and Lesbian Literature Collection of the John Hay Library, Brown University. He is credited in 38 films. While he was short at 5'3", nobody called him short. His cock was 11 inches and was promoted as the biggest in San Francisco. He could easily suck himself off and did it for the camera in Head Over Heels.      John wrote an autobiography, Autopornography: A Memoir of Life in the Lust Lane. It gives a backstage look at the world of pornography, revealing why he loved it, what he got out of it, and why he left it. In an autobiographical style, he considers and poses answers to some fascinating questions: What is sex? What makes a porn star? And why does pornography really upset people?      In spite of his famously large dick, he preferred bottoming, putting his ass in the air for all takers at many a bathhouse. Started his porn career doing J/O for the audience at the Savages theater in San Francisco. Toured the country with his j/o auto-fellatio show. The pornophile's intellectual. Author of 4 books: SeXplorers: The Guide to Doing It on the Road, Do It Yourself Piston Polishing (for Non-Mechanics), Autopornography: A Memoir of Life in the Lust Lane, and Rarely Pure and Never Simple: Selected Essays of Scott O'Hara. Edited and published the magazines Steam and Wilde. Wrote a musical, Ex-Lovers, that ran for a month in San Francisco.      John's body was cremated, and his ashes distributed among all who wanted any. In his self-written obituary, he announced that he had "croaked" and asked that people make a donation to "their local sperm bank in lieu of charity." *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Sparky O'Toole (Donald Keith Paton) Also Known As: Don Larson / Donald Keith Paton / Sparkey O'Toole / Sparky 8 June 1967 (Long Beach, CA) - 1 August 1999 (Mechanicsville, PA) 32 years old - complications of AIDS      Donald Keith Paton, who appeared in thirty-nine gay adult videos as Sparky O'Toole, died of AIDS complications in August, 1999 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where he had been living with his mother and step-father since July, 1995. After he retired from films, due to poor health, and dropped out of sight, premature rumors frequently surfaced that he had died. His parents have now confirmed his death, however, and said that his body had been cremated.      Born on June 8, 1967 in Long Beach, California, Paton frequently said that his career in videos was probably the major accomplishment if not the high point of his life. According to friends, he often told of being dropped on his head as a six-month-old infant, and thereafter he suffered from grand mal seizures and epilepsy. Because of poor reading skills, he dropped out of the Anaheim, California, school system and left home at fourteen.      By his own admission, he was nicknamed "Sparky" at the age of thirteen because he smoked pot. By 1995, he had tested HIV-positive from sharing infected needles. This brought an end to his video career, which began in 1987. His final tapes, among them Sparky O'Toole's Excellent Adventure, featured him in solo performances.      During the last four years of his life, spent in Mechanicsburg, he did landscaping at his mother's church and continued playing backgammon, at which he was a whiz.      Source *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Steve Fox (Rommel E. Hunt) 4 July 1966 (Alabaster, Alabama) - 23 October 1997 (Atlanta, Georgia) 31 years old - suicide      Adult film actor. He committed suicide. Rommel E. Hunt, 31, who has appeared in a number of gay-oriented adult films, died Oct. 23 in Atlanta after a two-year struggle with mental illness, according to his life partner, Jim Brams. The DeKalb County coroner has ruled the death a suicide.      Under the stage name "Steve Fox," Hunt acted in seven adult films and starred in four, Brams said. His credits include "Secret Shore Leave," "Flashpoint," "Compulsion" and "Buttbusters."      Hunt was born July 4, 1965, in Alabaster, Ala., and moved to Atlanta at age 6 with his family. A graduate of Druid Hills High School, he attended Oxford College of Emory University.      A memorial service was held Oct. 26, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. In addition to Brams, Hunt is survived by his parents, a sister and a brother.      Thanks to Steffidiana for the information. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Tim Kramer (Douglas Murrell Cooper) 2 February 1958 (Milton, WV) - 16 April 1992 (Columbus, OH) 34 years old - complications of AIDS      Upon graduation from high school in Columbus, he moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he modeled for Target Studios, later moving to San Francisco where he continued his career working for Falcon, before branching out working for other studios. In the mid eighties he began working as an escort in Hollywood.      In a 1988 Advocate interview, Cooper spoke openly of the escort service he ran in Hollywood for many years: "That's where I made most of the money. I don't do drugs or liquor, so I used the (film) business to build up my name, so I could charge more money on the side in my escort service." His earnings were invested in a solar installation company, and in time parlayed into a partnership with fellow skin star Ron Pearson to found Pegasus Productions. The partnership produced only one film, Pegasus which featured the founders. By the late 1980s, Cooper made fewer films and concentrated most of his energy on a health food store in West Hollywood. It was during this time he was diagnosed HIV+, and he commented thus: "I'm in a business now that's health oriented. We're an AIDS support group, promote safe sex, and are here to try and give something back to the community and help people who are HIV+ or have AIDS. So I can't be involved in unsafe sex in front of a camera, because that says it's okay. It would make me look like a hypocrite."      Douglas died on 16 April 1992 at Doctors Hospital North in Columbus, Ohio. The cause of death was listed as AIDS complications. He is buried in the Chestnut Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Cabell County, West Virginia. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Tommy Wilde (Douglas Todd Dinkler) 12 October 1961 (Circleville, Ohio) - 1 April 1994 (Los Angeles, CA) 32 years old - car wreck      Doug attended Chaparral High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, shortly after graduation Doug moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue careers in both acting and modeling. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * William Higgins, Director/Producer 19 December 1942 (USA) - 21 December 2019 (Amsterdam) 77 years old - heart attack      With 423 credits as director, he is the undisputed king of twink porn More to come

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