Blood on the Clownsuit
I’m gonna take a break from celebrating my movie and complaining about chicks to honor a good friend of mine who recently left us.
John Hallum.
I met John through my Hetero life-mate Sam Landman at Children’s Theatre in Birmingham, and I knew right away that this man was an original. John could convince you you’d done things you knew damn well you hadn’t. He had an infectiously malicious sense of humor, and a laugh like an evil drag queen.
John had been sick for a while.
Diabetes took his leg some years ago, and recently his health began to decline dramatically. i saw him the day before Christmas eve 2005, and he was, as always, in good spirits.
We talked about 70’s horror, local chicks who suck, and drank. One of the best times i ever had with him was watching “Amatuers across america 27″ one of those 18 hour, low rent porno tapes, and making fun of how the women didn’t really want to be there, and how bad their hair looked.
John made it okay to be an ass, cause you couldn’t out-ass him. i knew i was in good standing when he’d bellow “J’mel, you are just not right…”
Here is another memory…Sam and i thought it’d be funny to ride around Vestavia changing the letters on marquee signs so they said things like “assercize” and “gays welcome” and all the while, John was in the backseat of Sam’s Saturn cracking up. Those were the good times.
I hate that he won’t be here to see that i wasn’t all talk, but I know he knew it.
he came out to my shows when he could, and you couldn’t miss his laugh. You want to impress your friends and heros. John was both to me.
I feel like i’m too young to be dealing with the mortality of my close friends, but isn’t this what it’s all about?
we only get a short while on this rock, and if were lucky we gat people to love while we’re here, and people who miss us when we leave.
having said all that, i’m sure john is sitting somewhere calling me a Fag in that effeminate voice of his for making such a big deal out of his passing.
but this whole thing makes you think.
It gives new meaning to the punchline of one of John’s favorite jokes…
“You think you’re scared, i have to walk out of here alone…”
world without end…Amen
April 25th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
Pally,
I just forwarded you a little bit ‘o’ the shit. There’s apparently a get together tomorrow at BCT. Just thought if you, Brad and/or 3Way could make it, you’d keep it from getting faggy. Find a way to get SOME damn body to go just to tell John’s joke (sadly, one I forgot until you mentioned it).
As usual, you’ve struck me to the core, sir. Don’t know if you read MY Hallum expose, but you could bookend these fuckers between the TPBs and the foot fetish books, they’re so damn alike.
It’s a fallen world.
April 25th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
J’mel,
Ouch… I can’t tell you how saddend I am by this. I didn’t know he was gone until just now.
Sam and J’mel? Know that there is a moment of silence and a beer being had in Hallums honor this very night.
Keep fighting the good fight in Ole Bama.
Sean
April 26th, 2006 at 8:40 pm
Now I remember who he is. He came to my birthday party a while back. I went to his Halloween part a few years back. I remember cause I didn’t know anyone there, I was sitting alone smoking and he came up to me and said “So are we getting you drunk, high, off or anything?” He talked to me for an hour about miscellaneous things. He was a cool cat. I wanted to get to know him more, but I never saw him after my birthday party. Rest in Peace John.