Goodbye to the Hotel Chelsea (For Blixa)
Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 4:33 pm
My friend Adam/jAz who lived at the Hotel Chelsea (prior to new management being smarmy capitalists and kicking out tenants in order to turn the historic hotel into a upscale boutique/spa) had a small “farewell concert” in his room.
A woman who lived at the hotel named “Stormee” became close friends with Adam, and sang a little blues for the small get-together. Stormee, from what I remember, used to go to the various clubs around town cross-dressed as a white man. She spent a night in his room about a year ago, and just talked and sang while my friend recorded her. I can’t wait until he puts the experience on CD as it was one of the most fascinating autobiographical audio sketches I have ever had the privilege of hearing. At one point after she talked about the many beatings she had suffered because of her race (and cross-dressing) during a time when civil rights were still in the stage of being a dream, she simply ends with: “G-d don’t like ugly.”
Here is a clip of her singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSNxKVGjYVI
Also, while my friend was still living in Las Vegas, he had a group called “Jaz and the Notes.” This is one of my favorite songs that he wrote during that project… “Peaces of Soul.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-W6s31u9Sk
And finally, the anthem of Vegas. The city with a short memory… “My City.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IztO1rMh-4c
A woman who lived at the hotel named “Stormee” became close friends with Adam, and sang a little blues for the small get-together. Stormee, from what I remember, used to go to the various clubs around town cross-dressed as a white man. She spent a night in his room about a year ago, and just talked and sang while my friend recorded her. I can’t wait until he puts the experience on CD as it was one of the most fascinating autobiographical audio sketches I have ever had the privilege of hearing. At one point after she talked about the many beatings she had suffered because of her race (and cross-dressing) during a time when civil rights were still in the stage of being a dream, she simply ends with: “G-d don’t like ugly.”
Here is a clip of her singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSNxKVGjYVI
Also, while my friend was still living in Las Vegas, he had a group called “Jaz and the Notes.” This is one of my favorite songs that he wrote during that project… “Peaces of Soul.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-W6s31u9Sk
And finally, the anthem of Vegas. The city with a short memory… “My City.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IztO1rMh-4c