Hardy Fox of The Residents seriously ill

[ConnyOlivetti]

[Sneelock]

Very sad news.

[Darkness_Fish]

Can't say it's much of a surprise, since leaving The Residents, he's largely dropped his anonymity to complain about the challenges of old age and ailing health. One of the greats; never consistent, but never happy to retread familiar ground.

[driftin]

I hope the rest of his days are as weird and wonderful as the music he gave us.

[algroth]

Damn.

[sloopjohnc]

A bunch of sites are saying he's passed.

[Snarfyguy]

Very sorry to hear.

[Sneelock]

this sad news has me looking back on a lot of that stuff and how much it once meant to me - how much it means to me now.
I once had a friend come over when I was playing "Walter Westinghouse". He was an understanding and adventurous listener but he didn't like The Residents at all. He asked me, sincerely, "can you explain to me why you like this ugly music?" At the time, I took exception to the label but, looking back, it seems perfectly fair. Part of me thought Walter Westinghouse was a thing of beauty - part of me still does.

years later I would see the Albert Brooks movie "Defending Your Life". I often think of the scene where, in the afterlife, all the food is indescribably delicious. Rip Torn works in the afterlife and he is eating something that looks very unusual. Albert Brooks asks to taste it and winces when he does. Rip Torn smiles "tastes like SHIT, doesn't it?" Rip explains that since he uses so much of his brain that he likes to manipulate his senses. Now, anybody who knows me knows I don't use nearly enough of my brain but I do think I liked that music because it had unusual qualities that other music didn't have.

I knew "good music" and still like it - always have. I'm not saying that the Residents is "bad music" only that most people who would call it ugly didn't get why anybody would like it. it's out of tune sometimes. sometimes it's scary or funny or all of those things at once. I first heard them when Jed the Fish on world famous KROQ played "the laughing song" it absolutely nailed me to the wall. it sounded like a wonderful nightmare. I later read a review that described the EP it was on as sounding like "Disney music on acid" LOL.

I don't return to the Residents often nowadays - I think my taste has ossified in a lot of ways. still, when I do return to them it is with the same sense of astonishment that somebody took the time and care to put this stuff in the world. it was a Noble effort.

[ConnyOlivetti]

A bunch of sites are saying he's passed.

there was a post on Hoffman, yesterday, resident thread, that quoted his sister
" The reports of my brother’s death are greatly exaggerated.
Photo taken today...he is still here.

posted 3 hours ago by his sister Diane"

but who knows.... I cant find anything official yet
guess some sites goes by the end year on his site/page, or something

[ConnyOlivetti]

Found this lovely photo of the two giants of Residents.
Must be very recent

[sloopjohnc]

when I do return to them it is with the same sense of astonishment that somebody took the time and care to put this stuff in the world. it was a Noble effort.

Good way of putting it.

[joels344]

Crushing news.

[pcqgod]

While I don't have any great emotional attachment to the band or their music i certainly enjoyed their weirdness, and I'm sad to hear this.

[Goat Boy]

Found this lovely photo of the two giants of Residents.
Must be very recent

Ahhhh man. Life.

[bobzilla77]

I was perfectly happy not knowing who they were in real life, but at a moment like this, it's good to put a face to the no-name. I wish him well and have nothing but love for that music.

[naughty boy]

I was perfectly happy not knowing who they were in real life, but at a moment like this, it's good to put a face to the no-name. I wish him well and have nothing but love for that music.

My thoughts exactly.

[zoomboogity]

Duck Stab was released as an EP during my final year of high school. In the '70s, anyone with the slightest bit of adventurous taste in music was greeted with, "Oh, you're into that WEIRD music!" (Back then, David Bowie was considered "weird" - yeah, things were that provincial.) But something about that Residents EP just got under everyone's skin, in a good way. I guess people looked past the "weird" part and got the humor of it. I remember people who normally wouldn't be caught dead with stuff like this would sing "Bach is dead" or "Here I come Constantinople" or "Laughing Song" as you'd pass them in the hallway. It was just so fucking funny that you'd feel silly to not let yourself in on it. Good times.