On June 18, 1981

Lance Loud, famous for being Lance Loud, lead Mump, journalist, AIDS activist, and the man who inspired me to move to NYC


On this date in 1981, the AIDS epidemic was formally recognized by medical professionals in San Francisco, California. AIDS - an acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome - was first identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that same year when five men in West Hollywood, California presented identical symptoms of the disease and died because of it.

Without going into politics or science, I just wanted to acknowledge and remember some of my friends in the punk rock population whose lives were cut short by this disease... these people should not be forgotten


Above - Bradly Field of Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, and Joseph Fleury, Mumps Manager
at Duke's at the Tropicana, Los Angeles, CA


Kevin Kiely, Mumps bassist


On the right - Black Randy, RIP - with Paul Roesseler (still very much with us)


Jeffrey Lee Pierce's poor health at the end of his short life included HIV, cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis. He died from a brain hemorrhage when he was just 37

Craig Lee of the Bags, Ricky Wilson of the B-52s, Klaus Nomi...