I can’t believe more people haven’t watched Nelson Sullivan’s amazing video document of Andy Warhol signing copies of his book Andy Warhol’s America at the Fiorucci store in New York (which was across the street from Bloomingdales on 59th and Lexington). I was actually there that day, Valentine’s Day of 1986, but I’m not in any of the footage here (probably a good thing, I’m sure I was wearing something hideous and very 80s). However, one of the people I was there with, my old friend and perpetual life of every party, Erich Conrad, is in the video (waving flags about 2 minutes in) and when you see him getting his book signed later, I was in front of the table taking flash photographs. I have photos of Warhol taking photos of me (they’re out in the garage). It’s wild to see this and to see so many young, well-known faces around Manhattan at that time like Raphael from the Cycle Sluts from Hell, the most beautiful rocker chick in NYC during the 80s, who I actually ate dinner with later that night; James St James—with hair; Phoebe Legere; Warhol’s then muse Billy Boy; a young Joey Arias (who managed the store, I think, or else worked the make-up counter) and many others.

Sadly there were also some present that day who are no longer with us, like Tina Chow and Nelson himself.