I just read on the Democracy Now site that in December 2003, Lenny Bruce was pardoned. Yes that's right, his obscenity conviction has been overturned.
Thirty-seven years after his death.
If you don't know who Lenny Bruce was - for god's sake look him up. Listen to his album The Sick Humour of Lenny Bruce. Read his autobiography, How To Talk Dirty and Influence People. (Coincidentally, I'm re-reading it right now.)
He's largely remembered as a potty-mouthed comedian, but he was oh so much more. Bob Dylan wrote a song eulogising him. Bill Hicks wanted to be him. Dustin Hoffman played him in a movie directed by Bob Fosse (but Hoffman made him too nice, and the movie tried to make him a saint - it's still pretty interesting, and an unusual movie, and it's fun seeing Hoffman do Bruce's routines even if he's not in the same comedic league as Bruce).
People like Jello Biafra and Henry Rollins and even Billy Connolly owe a lot of their spoken word chops to Lenny Bruce.
And now he's pardoned. Take that needle out of your arm and get up off the toilet floor, Lenny, you're free to go.
Posted by pearce at February 11, 2004 2:44 PMYay, Fuck yeah!!
Rejoice and break out the electric chairs!
Much better than Dylan's was Tim Hardin's earlier "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce" found on Nico's Chelsea Girl LP. "After every last shot why was there always another..."
Posted by: Bad Politics at February 11, 2004 11:17 PMSonic Youth's "NYC Ghosts and Flowers" is quite good too.
Posted by: Bad Politics at February 11, 2004 11:20 PM