Claude Bessy (singer)

Claude Bessy (1945 – 2 October 1999), also known as "Kickboy Face," was an iconic founder of the Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s.^[1]

Biography

Born in Normandy, France, Bessy moved to California in 1973 where he worked as a waiter and founded Angeleno Dread, L.A.'s first reggae fanzine.^[2] In May 1977 he launched the monthly punk rock magazine Slash, which he edited until it ceased publication in 1980. As Kickboy Face (a pen name adopted from a Jamaican dub artist), Bessy was the lead singer for the band Catholic Discipline and featured prominently in the film The Decline of Western Civilization. Bessy fled the United States in November 1980 because of the U.S. Presidency being awarded to Ronald Reagan.^[3] He then moved to England where he divided his time between London and Manchester, continuing his work as a music journalist and contributing sleeve notes for releases on the working for Rough Trade record label. During his seven years in England, Bessy also worked as a club DJ and VJ and produced music videos and films for The Virgin Prunes, The Fall and William S. Burroughs.^[4] In 1987 Bessy moved to Barcelona, Spain where he took to painting and earned a living teaching English. He died of lung cancer in 1999.

References

1. ^ Heylin, Clinton, From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World. Penguin Books, 1993.
2. ^ The Dead Musician Directory: Claude Bessy/Kickboy Face
3. ^ Young, Rob. Rough Trade: Labels Unlimited. Black Dog Publishing Ltd., 2006.
4. ^ Mullen, Brendan. "'Thees Ees Zee Reel Shit!' Remembering Claude Bessy, a.k.a. Kickboy Face/" L A Weekly, 22–28 October 1999.