The 27’s – Jean-Michel Basquiat 1960 - 1988

Part 25 in a series on “The 27’s” – notable musicians who have passed away in their 27^th year.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was more known as an artist than a musician.  He was born in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, the first of three children to Matilde and Gerard Basquiat.  His mother was a Puerto Rican and his father was a Haitian immigrant to the United States. At an early age, Basquiat displayed an aptitude for art, and was encouraged by his mother to draw, paint, and to participate in other artistic activities.

When Basquiat was seven years old, his parents divorced and his mother suffered severe bouts of bipolar disorder due to the separation. She was deemed unfit to care for children, so Basquiat and his younger sisters, Lisane and Jeanine, were raised by their father in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. His father was alleged to be a violent alcoholic, and Basquiat would later claim that he endured physical and emotional abuse by his father.

When Basquiat was 15 years old, he ran away from home in order to escape his father.  He slept on park benches in Washington Square Park, supported himself by panhandling, drug dealing, selling T-shirts and homemade post cards, and working in the Unique Clothing Warehouse in the West Broadway district of Manhattan. Searching for a home, Basquiat was legally adopted by a friend's parents as he refused to be returned to the care of his father.

While a high school student, Basquiat and Al Diaz started spray-painting graffiti on buildings in Lower Manhattan, working under the pseudonym SAMO. The designs inscribed messages such as "Plush safe he think.. SAMO" and "SAMO as an escape clause.” In December 1978, the Village Voice published an article on the graffiti. The SAMO project ended with the epitaph "SAMO IS DEAD," inscribed on the walls of SoHo buildings.

In the late 1970s, Basquiat formed the punk rock band Gray with Vincent Gallo, Shannon Dawson, Michael Holman, Nick Taylor and Wayne Clifford. Gray performed at nightclubs such as Max's Kansas City, CBGB, Hurrah, and the Mudd Club. Basquiat starred in an underground film Downtown 81 which featured some of Gray's recordings on its soundtrack.

In June 1980, Basquiat participated in The Times Square Show, a multi-artist exhibition, sponsored by Collaborative Projects Incorporated and Fashion Moda. In 1981, Rene Ricard published "The Radiant Child" in Artforum magazine, which brought Basquiat to the attention of the wider art world.  He briefly dated then-aspiring performer Madonna in September 1982. That same year, Basquiat met Andy Warhol, with whom he collaborated from 1984 to 1986. He was also briefly involved with artist David Bowie.He was a successful artist in this period, however increasing drug addiction began to interfere with his personal relationships.

After Warhol died on February 22, 1987, Basquiat became increasingly isolated, and his drug addiction and depression increased.  After an attempt at sobriety during a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, Basquiat died due to a heroin overdose in his SoHo studio on August 12, 1988.

* fun fact > WHO IS ZIGGY STARDUST?

The name Ziggy Stardust comes from two places, Ziggy’s – a tailor’s shop in London and a country singer, Norman Carl Odam, aka, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy. But who is the character of Ziggy Stardust based on? Many have speculated that it was Jimi Hendrix based on the lines in the song, “He played it left hand.” and “jiving us that we were voodoo.” However, Bowie says that the inspiration was Vince Taylor.
Who is Vince Taylor?

Taylor was the front man for the band “The Playboys” and was successful primarily in France and the England during the late 1950s and early 1960’s. Vince suffered from drug and alcohol abuse and his erratic behavior made it difficult for him to continue with the Playboys or have a solo career. ... See More

The title “Leper Messiah” comes from an incidence in 1965 when Vince opened for the Rolling Stones in Paris, and then returned to London where at a party with Bob Dylan he tried LSD for the first time. When he returned to Paris he was filthy, unshaven and out of his head. Going on stage wearing only a sheet and clutching a bottle of wine he insisted that his name was Mateus, the Son of God. He persuaded his audience to follow him and together they paraded across Paris, preaching all the way.

After that, things went downhill for Vince, for a while he was hiding in Switzerland and he attempted many comebacks during the years, none successful. In the early 80’s Vince became increasingly paranoid, telling people that the Duke of Windsor was out to kill him. After a spell in a mental hospital he finally moved to Switzerland where he worked as an airplane mechanic. He said it was the happiest time of his life. Vince died in 1991 from lung cancer.