The King of Austin Characters (Cactus, Chester: home, celebrity, assault)

[scm53]

One of the biggest differences in Austin today, and Austin of thirty years ago, is the absence of "characters" -- people that were proud to be out of the mainstream, who weren't afraid of a little notoriety. Folks like the mayor of S Austin (and washboard player at Cornell Hurd's regular Thursday gig at Jovita's), Danny Young. Or Molly Ivins, Cactus Pryor, Sam Allred. Madelyn Murray O'Hair, or Gerald Mann, or Harold O'Chester. County Commissioner Ann Richards, to pre-councilman Max Nofzinger.

But nobody -- nobody -- was, or will ever be, in Crazy Carl's class.

[TexasHorseLady]

You've forgotten to mention Zelma O'Riley, the Indian Princess, aka Bicycle Annie!

[SmartGXL]

There was also Leslie (RIP), a transvestite who would hang out on the streets and was well-known to the locals, because in Austin, such a thing really was considered to be 'weird' at the time - although people like him are a dime a dozen in other cities. I believe he was murdered (he died after some street thugs beat him up and put him in a hospital).

Actually, I always wondered about the characters, and what was it about Austin that brought out the wierdness? And why are people not "weird" anymore, like that? I have a feeling most of these people were well-meaning former LSD users. Once LSD went out of style as a drug, these types of characters seem to have gone away in today's culture.

[ScoPro]

Some folks today are trying too hard to be "weird".

Bicycle Annie, Hands, and the newspaper "boy" ("paaypah?") were originals from the pre-druggie hippie era.

Not to mention Miss Hattie, Charlie Partlow, Willie Kocurek, Oscar "The Big O" Snowden, and Harry Akins.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Not to mention Miss Hattie, Charlie Partlow, Willie Kocurek, Oscar "The Big O" Snowden, and Harry Akins.

I was going to mention The Big O, as well as Virginia, of S First St's Virginia's. She was irascible (kinda like John Mueller, when he was still in short pants), and would toss you OUT if you complained about how long it took. The fact that we lost her, and replaced it with yet another homogenized, standardized Torchy's, is just a microcosm of what has transpired.

[RunninJT]

Glad somebody remembers Leslie. The weird died with him, or at least caught the Hep from him and is slowly fading.

[just_because]

Yeah I remember leslie too. Although I remember him being popular, it seems he got to a much more celebrity status since I left (and of course, before he died). A real shame to read that he died and so did a part of Austin.

But maybe celebritizing Austin's unique people is part of the problem. Maybe they should be appreciated for what they add to the city without being turned into celebrity cultural icons and symbols of how 'weird' austin is supposed to be. I also vaguely remember some air guitar players on 6th street ('Mixed Nuts' I think?) and I believe they wore Burger King cardboard crowns. then one day a new bar opened and gave them a permanent home in front of the place - complete with neon crowns in the window that they could stand under. From that point it was pretty pathetic and too much like Disneyland to be any fun.

[centralaustinite]

Leslie was beat up and ended up in the hospital in 2009 but that attack did not kill him. He recovered and then died later in 2012. The assault might have played a role in his eventual death but he was not murdered.
Leslie Cochran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I used to see him often. We always had pleasant conversations.

I am still stung by the death of Jennifer Gale as well.

[handycowboy]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

There was also Leslie (RIP), a transvestite who would hang out on the streets and was well-known to the locals, because in Austin, such a thing really was considered to be 'weird' at the time - although people like him are a dime a dozen in other cities. I believe he was murdered (he died after some street thugs beat him up and put him in a hospital).

Actually, I always wondered about the characters, and what was it about Austin that brought out the wierdness? And why are people not "weird" anymore, like that? I have a feeling most of these people were well-meaning former LSD users. Once LSD went out of style as a drug, these types of characters seem to have gone away in today's culture.

Bicycle day is 11 days away, help yourself. Literally.

[Westerner92]

In my humble observation, I don't think there's an absence of characters so much as the "counter culture" prevalent in Austin just took on enough aspects of said characters that they no longer stand out.