Friend of Che Underground Chris Mathis’ triumphant reappearance after reports of his demise dramatizes my favorite part of this whole blogging adventure: the opportunity to reconnect the people we knew then and lost track of since.
On Day Three of this blog’s existence, I posted a very modest list of folks whose whereabouts were unknown to the small circle of scenesters who were privy to our launch … Since then, we’ve located all the people on the list and many, many more besides. Even better, many of our friends have found us, thanks to the blog’s rising online profile.
So who else do you want us to track down? Let’s talk about other people who remain MIA and discuss how to connect the rest of those dots.
1. Rockin’ Dogs bassist Jane Bunting. Dave Ellison recalls she got married soon after and changed her name.
Very surprised DT (Exterminator) has never shown up here. I left him hanging out on OB in ’96?
Alive and well I believe. Terry X HAS been here, briefly.
They remain one of the first really different bands from SD.
Skeleton Club founder Laura Frasier.
Maureen Thomas
Kelly or Kerry Jones
John Warnock
anybody know anything about any of these people?
I’ll second Laura Frasier, again…(rock n roll nurse), and add Gene King and Bobby X.
Is Jim Wood in or out of Prison (Walls)?
All mentioned..never found.
D.B. Cooper.
Haha….Jimmy Hoffa!
Well, unfortunately we also need to think of a few people that aren’t gonna show up here because they left this world and so no longer bless our lives. These of course include illustrious names like:
Steve Epineter
Mad Marc Rude
Gary Vitalis and Ruby Ravel
Chris Gast
Armando
And sadly many more.We need a bio of these folks and others to tell the whole Che story… anybody?
Gary Vitalis and Ruby Ravel—I didn’t know about this…how?
>>Well, unfortunately we also need to think of a few people that aren’t gonna show up here because they left this world and so no longer bless our lives.
A few others we’ve mentioned who more recent arrivals may not have heard about:
• Shark Productions’ Renee Edgington;
• Emilio Velasquez, Tijuana activist and owner of Emilio’s Cafeteria Musical;
• Luis Güereña, Tijuana promoter and member of Solución Mortal and Tijuana No!
Dave Rinck: You’re definitely the man to do an obit on Wallflowers’ sax dude Armando.
I would hope that we could find the ever elusive Yer Momma.
I’ve heard about this person since my youth (“Yer Momma this, Yer Momma that”), but have failed miserably in establishing contact.
Many people seem to have met, or known this person intimately, yet our time has not yet arrived. Make it happen!
>>I would hope that we could find the ever elusive Yer Momma.
Eric: Isn’t Yer Momma a celebrated cellist?
Gary, I just heard about Gary and Ruby passing along a couple of months ago. I don’t know the details. Read about it in a photo caption on Harold Gee’s wonderful Flickr site. They were both wonderful people, and I have many fond memories of them.
Do you remember how Gary used to introduce himself as “Gary Vitalis, living legend”?
Once when I was about 17, I saw Gary and Ruby at Off the Record, and I was buying a copy of Johnny Thunders’ “So Alone” album. Well, Gary bought some album by John Lenon, and we all went back to their place in OB to listen to them.
When we got there, we listened to “Pipeline”, “Can’t Put Your Arms Around and Memory” and “Great Big Kiss”, and Ruby goes, “geez this is great, how come you don’t buy stuff like this Gary? Why’d you buy that hippy crap?”.
They were always talking to each other like that. A great couple, always wonderful to hang out with.
more of the dead:
Chris Smith
Barry Farwell
Loyd Massing (hope I got it spelled right)
geez
I’m sorry to hear of Gary and Ruby passing
were they still together?
How confident are we about Gary and Ruby? We have one reference here to Ruby passing in 2002, but I’ve found nothing about Gary … And I’m not sure Ruby’s death is confirmed, either.
Going forward, my slogan is, “Remember Chris Mathis!” 🙂
good point Matt
Ah, I think I found the comment on Harold Gee’s Flickr space that Dave Rinck refers to. It looks to me like it’s a 2006 comment from Tom Griswold, who’s a good source (and a visitor to our blog as well):
“Gary Vitalis (real name Gary Good) passed away about two years ago after a long bout with alcoholism. Ruby, his longtime girlfriend from back then, also passed away about a year ago. (They split up about 10-15 years ago.) They were about the sweetest couple you’d ever meet, always so nice. HUGE hearts, both.”
Nicest couple in the whole scene. They were at every show and party that I can remember.
If they’re gone, it’s way too soon……..
Gary and Ruby were some of the first people that came to shows…and the perfect example of the first rocky horror crossover to punk…sad to hear about this.
Yeah, we have to find Jane…
Dirk…he’s around but he’s a ghost here…
Dirk’s Dad Dr. Bill Westervelt RIP. Nicest guy on the planet. First words I ever heard him say were “Are you hungry?” I think he fed all of us.
He found out Paul Hokeness stole my Lambretta at his house. Out of respect for Dr. Bill I didn’t thrash Paul that very day. Dr. Bill almost did it for me. Crazy Kraut.
He got the SIDA.
Patrick Works
Sees your momma every night
Dirk was at the Reunion.It was great to see him.There was that strange feeling of “was it 2 weeks or 20 years ago we last saw eachother?”.I like it when that happens,it happened a few times that weekend.I wish you had been there,Pat,and Jerry too.You guys were definitely missed.
I second or third the Laura Frasier. I remember the Reader did an article in 1979 or 80 about the club. Now getting that archived would be a start. Of course a brief history of the Skeleton Club would be great.
Chris: Hear, hear! You’re no doubt aware of the Skeleton Club post we did more than a year ago, which did amass some great anecdotes from Harold Gee, Scott Harber, Peter Verbrugge, Dave Doyle and more.
But a real narrative is still in order. I’ve admitted that I never made it to the Skeleton Club myself … I’d embrace a better-qualified author who’d take this story on!
Kim Hideous
Wendy Pyro
gary and ruby!!!! wow…i still have memory-bits i’d forgotten i had.
MadMike, is that Chris Smith the artist from around the La Mesa area?
No Paul
it was Chris Smith, who was the lead guitar player for the Battalion of Saints
again i say, kevin lyons. he was a good egg. i miss him most. well, and pat, but he’s here, and on the facebook.
ava
who loves how pat puts a title to his name every time he posts
MadMike, Moureen Thomas is a ‘prison chick’ as my Mike would say, we saw her in 2000 she was built like a brick shit house but had no teeth--fresh out of the joint, she got some settlement because her grandma died and bought a car—-a grill is a must—priorities?
Lori Woods
Thank you Lori….
the last news I heard where that she had passed. But we never got confirmation or any further details
she had a pretty tough time of things…
I appreciate the info
best of wishes to you and yours
MadMike, Thanks