whitneymcn:

I remember reading his obit the first time around: I was the NYU graduate journalism program and we were actually discussing obituaries at the time.

Sadly, while Adam Purple was out and about all over my neighborhood when I was growing up, I don’t think I ever saw Moondog.

machinetext:

Moondog, aka the Viking of 6th Ave, is a street character from New York’s past. Often seen on the streets of New York dressed in his home-made clothes, viking helmet, and carrying a spear - a colorful character but no mere crackpot. He was also a prolific avant-garde composer (he was blind and composed in braille) with 18 albums to his name. The Band named an album after him, Janis Joplin covered one of his songs, he collaborated with Steve Reich and Philip Glass, who wrote, “We formed a music group, Moondog, Steve Reich, Jon Gibson and myself. For a time, we had weekly sessions playing Moondog’s compositions. We took his work very seriously and understood and appreciated it.” His obit in the times is fascinating. [photo by Walter Karling]