Dead Rebel Of The Week

~ Wendy O Williams ~

I thought it was time for a hot Dead Rebel for a change. So here’s Wendy O’ Williams, former singer for the punk/metal outfit The Plasmatics and her own solo band.

Wendy was born in Rochester, New York on May 28, 1949. She dropped out of school and left home when she was still in her teens, determined to live life to the fullest while rejecting the popular idea of how you have to live your life that’s shoved down our throats. She worked as a stripper for some time and applied for a job at “Captain Kink’s Sex Fantasy Theater” in NYC’s Times Square. That’s where she met Rod Swenson, a controversial conceptual artist who was producing sex shows and videos for acts like The Dead Boys, The Ramones or Patti Smith at the time.

He had this vision of creating the ultimate outrageous rock n’ roll band and he built that idea around the charismatic Wendy O’ Williams.

The Williams fronted Plasmatics hit the scene in 1978 and quickly built up a reputation for their wild stage shows including the destruction of cars, TVs and everything else on stage with chainsaws or jackhammers. Another trademark of the band was the provocative appearance of Wendy O’ Williams who was basically nude by the time a show was over which lead to several arrests and obscenity charges, the most significant being after a show in Milwaukee when she was beaten unconscious fighting with the police.

Wendy recorded several albums between the years 1978 and 1988 which are all worth listening to this day, such as The Plasmatics’ “New Hope For The Wretched”, “Coup D’Etat” or her solo effort “WOW”, just to name a few.

She also appeared on the big screen in 1986 in a movie called “Reform School Girls”, which is a must for every pervert who likes to see her wearing nothing but a thong and bra throughout the entire movie.

At the peak of her career, she retired from the music business and moved to Connecticut in 1991. She spent her time advocating health food and workout as well as enjoying the great outdoors and working as an animal rehabilitator.

Wendy died on April 6, 1998, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head, taking her own life in a manner that matched the uncompromising kind of life she lead.

Her suicide note read like this: "The act of taking my own life is not something I am doing without a lot of thought. I don't believe that people should take their own lives without deep and thoughtful reflection over a considerable period of time. I do believe strongly, however, that the right to do so is one of the most fundamental rights that anyone in a free society should have. For me much of the world makes no sense, but my feelings about what I am doing ring loud and clear to an inner ear and a place where there is no self, only calm. Love always, Wendy."

Seriously, as gay as it sounds: listening to Legends Never Die after her death brings a tear to my eye every time. That’s one of the greatest songs she ever sang on and the lyrics fit her perfectly. If she had known she was going to blow her brains out back then she couldn’t have made it any better. I actually don’t know if this song is about a specific person but I can’t help thinking of her when I listen to that beautiful song.

R.I.P. Wendy...

By

Sebastian Bullhorn