Austin Has Lost One Of Its Sparkling Stars
Hollywood has Angelyne, Beverly Hills has Quween on the Scene, London has Layla Flaherty, New York has too many to name and Austin had Leslie, a Texas icon who made the job of the local Parks and Recreation Department easier by bringing his twinkling charisma and priceless style to the streets. Austin is a little less weirder today, because Leslie passed away at the age of 60 in a hospice this morning.
KXAN (Thanks to Rachel & Anna for sending this in) reports that Albert Leslie Cochran was hospitalized last month before he was transferred to a hospice. Leslie's health was never the same after he underwent brain surgery in 2009 for an injury he suffered when he fell in front of a taxi late one night. That wasn't Leslie's first head injury. Before Leslie moved to Austin over 20 years ago, he busted his head something serious in a motorcycle accident in Colorado.
Leslie, who was married for a quick second, worked as a truck driver and a disc jockey before he entertained the masses in Austin by sashaying around in a nalgas-bearing thong. Leslie also ran for a mayor a few times and advocated for the rights of the city's homeless. One of Leslie's friends Christine Ann, a shop owner, had this to say about Austin's special rose:
"Leslie lived outside the box. He exemplified that, but also spoke ... passionately that we not take ourselves too seriously. And Leslie, of course, never did. He will be remembered as the icon of weird, the ambassador of weirdness, if you will. As an Austin icon."
Dlisted readers might know Leslie as the star of a few CAPTION THIS Contests. I thank Leslie for that. I couldn't find a place to send donations (if donations are needed) for Leslie's funeral services, so send one over if you come across one. I mean, Leslie has to have a tombstone shaped like a thong. I was about to tell you to put on a thong in Leslie's honor today, but I'm sure your ass is already wearing one. (UPDATE: If you're in the Austin area, you can drop off a donation at BookPeople.)
Rest in peace, Leslie. You are turning the angels on with a hip sway and making heaven a lot more weirder today.
(Pictures via Flickr)
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Thought of Mr. Bojangles, take your pick,
Sammy Davis Jr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvYmL5KsvYA
Neil Diamond
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c91kF2XjYDM
or the beautiful Nina Simone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86wME5d_yZM
RIP Leslie...
♥---♥---♥
"Kevin Keller will forever be a part of Riverdale, and he will live a happy, long life free of prejudice, hate and narrow-minded people." J. Goldwater
I love eccentricity. RIP.
You well be missed man Im from austin born and raised and every time i think of Austin les come to mind he is what austin is just odd and open and all around a good guy.He never did nuthing wrong to anyone.He touch your life in some way or a nother Even if you don't notice it.He died happy and free alot Of peaple cant say that.RIP brother Keep heaven weird!
Submitted by mamacita75 on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 2:08am.
Since the rich people of the state of California have decided to descend upon Austin like the vultures they are, our way of life has just started to suck, and prices have gone way up.
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THANK YOU! And I hate how the Californians try and say they aren't to blame for the rise in property, traffic, and LA-ish ness that has begun to smother the city in the last 5 to 10 years. STFU AND GTFO. Born AND raised Austinite!
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"I bet his crotch looks like an uncooked dough cigar lying on a bed of saffron" MK
Submitted by mamacita75 on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 2:08am.
Unbelievably rude comments from people that don't know what the hell they're talking about. Austin used to be a much smaller group of people, and those of us that have been here a long time know who and what he represented. Like it or not, seeing him on a regular basis gave me a sense of comfort. He was eccentric yes, but who the hell else has the balls to go out and wear what he did? He spoke his mind, and eloquently, I might add. He was not crazy, he knew perfectly well what he was doing, and excelled at it. Since the rich people of the state of California have decided to descend upon Austin like the vultures they are, our way of life has just started to suck, and prices have gone way up.
I have absolutely NO respect for any person that makes light of any individual that has passed. You don't have to like them, but you sure as hell better not dis em. Your karma will come back and kick you in da ass.
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THANK YOU! Some of the comments below are extremely insensitive.. It baffles me that people like that even read Dlisted. Thanks MK for your sincerity. As a fourth generation Austinite, it pisses me off... go the f*ck back to California or where ever you are from.
I remember Leslie from my Austin days.
Ah, good times.
RIP!!
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Unbelievably rude comments from people that don't know what the hell they're talking about. Austin used to be a much smaller group of people, and those of us that have been here a long time know who and what he represented. Like it or not, seeing him on a regular basis gave me a sense of comfort. He was eccentric yes, but who the hell else has the balls to go out and wear what he did? He spoke his mind, and eloquently, I might add. He was not crazy, he knew perfectly well what he was doing, and excelled at it. Since the rich people of the state of California have decided to descend upon Austin like the vultures they are, our way of life has just started to suck, and prices have gone way up.
I have absolutely NO respect for any person that makes light of any individual that has passed. You don't have to like them, but you sure as hell better not dis em. Your karma will come back and kick you in da ass.
I have to laugh to keep from crying.
Lindsay needs a shave.
Leslie died?!? I remember always averting my eyes from his balls hanging out of his bikini thongs several times. He really was an Austin icon. Going to the sixth street and Congress Starbucks won't be the same.
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"I bet his crotch looks like an uncooked dough cigar lying on a bed of saffron" MK
Submitted by Gardening Girl on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 2:55pm.
The world needs more weird people...less assholes. Bye Leslie!
exactly. from one weirdo to another, thank you leslie.
Doesnt every City have a character like that? Our little hometown hero looks alot like Leslie here, (sans the panties) and hands out business cards with Job description : Hustler , Player , Mac. Which i love. My favorite one will always be the "fucking is peace" lady from Berlin:
http://www.dradio.de/images/75410/landscape/
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Well, aren't you just the cosmopolitan Queen Bee of Cuntsville? No, I'm sorry, of "Cuntropolis". Please excuse us in all of our inbred grandpa fucking glory. Karen Flatts, 09/21/11
What the fuck
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Well, aren't you just the cosmopolitan Queen Bee of Cuntsville? No, I'm sorry, of "Cuntropolis". Please excuse us in all of our inbred grandpa fucking glory. Karen Flatts, 09/21/11
DP , sorry
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Well, aren't you just the cosmopolitan Queen Bee of Cuntsville? No, I'm sorry, of "Cuntropolis". Please excuse us in all of our inbred grandpa fucking glory. Karen Flatts, 09/21/11
i thought it said he was a tuck driver.
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Amnesty International
Shine a Light
@ Skurvid - I was clearly talking to Irish Fury -
it's quite obvious by my post. And I lived in Austin for a long time. You feel differently...it's whatever. I had an issue with Irish Fury being flippant about people caring about Leslie's death.
It's all good though...on to the next one.
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#KONY2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
Please watch, learn and share. 2012 is the year.
Dude, I dont care either and I live here. I dont want people seeing this and thinking this sad drunken alcoholic is what Austin is all about. It is an interesting beautiful and vibrant city.
Um, she was talking to me!
I'm have no probs with MJT at all, just stating my piece! And I'm not continuning with this as it's getting messy and I'm sorry to say that I just don't care enough, a comment or two was all I was interested in!
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Dark-sided!
Irish, I think MissJAneTexas got her over-sized granny panties in a knot over what I said..
Yea, I am from here. I know that he was an advocate for homelessness and would make thousands of dollars a year panhandling. But he was part of his own self destruction and rather than bettering himself he became a sad caricature for the homeless community. That is why they are congregate downtown like flies attracted to shit because he was their Messiah. They come here because this town is full of idiotic tourists and college kids and Christian do-gooders that would prefer to throw change at homeless people and feed their addictions rather than waste their time bettering them. Check the records, bitch. I have been a member of Dlisted for 3+ years and and avid reader. I have a very open mind, but this is something that I will not support. I wont treat him like a patron saint of homelessness. He is just a filthy waste of a human being that got exactly what he deserved after treating his body like shit. My brother works at Austin's Pizza and would frequently find him passed out on the benches outside of the restaurant clutching a bottle of alcohol. I am not coming here specifically to voice my opinion> I have brought my opinion about this all day to whomever has mentioned it. Im sure there are others out there that also feel the same way. Good Riddance to the filth.
i'm not being nasty at all (re-read what I said!, I said I'm sure he was a nice guy but wandering around the streets in heels and a thong bikini is ridiculous and nasty, as everyone here would say if it was a woman, especially a younger woman).
I'm delighted he was a campaigner and all around good guy, I never said otherwise.
Don't get overly dramatic over a post you don't like. There was nothing nasty about it, you just don't agree with it and that's fine! Calm down, dear! I came on a thread and commented because that's what people do. Maybe I'll remind you of this if you ever do the same and I have a little sniffle over something you said, LOL! It's a difference of opinion, no-one really knows any celeb type here but we all make comments anyway, as if we do!
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Dark-sided!
Submitted by IrishFury on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 3:29pm.
You have the right to your opinion but it just shows that you have no idea the impact Leslie had on Austin. He wasn't a crazy person standing on a corner people said hi too. He did a lot of campaigning and work to help the homeless. No he didn't help to cure aids (random ass reference but whatever) but he had his impact on the Austin community (which is quite small by the way). I don't know why you feel you need to come on a thread about someone dying and be nasty about it. But I know, it's the D right...
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#KONY2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
Please watch, learn and share. 2012 is the year.
Being from Austin, I certainly am not upset that he is dead. He was a mentally ill alcoholic that represented this city terribly. This city is vibrant. dynamic, and growing in a positive way and he symbolizes the trash that is thrown out to pave way for new wonderful things. GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!!
Submitted by sinjin on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 3:09pm.
Submitted by IrishFury : Well, I don't know him but sorry he'd dead etc. But people like this irritate the crap out of me. Head injury or not, put your fucking pants on.
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I'm glad you said it. I didn't feel like getting flamed over this today. :-(
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LOL! I don't mind! There are lots of these "characters" wandering around my town and just because people say hello to them everyday doesn't mean they know them or are friends!
I just don't think hairy, bearded guys walking around in thongs and bikini tops and heels add "personality" or quirkiness to a city. They are not an "institution" to me. I'm from Ireland, there's a crazy on every corner there!
I don't think they do anything to make a town more ecclectic or artsy and they need to cover up their asses. What's the diff between him and the shit you see at WalMart? I'm sure he was a nice man, etc. I'm sure the person who died last night who dedicated her life to cancer or AIDS research for little pay was nice too. But a city sad and in some kind of mourning? For realz? That's ok, takes all sorts to make a world.
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Dark-sided!
RIP leslie!
Austin needed Leslie to continue growing as a gay cultured city...
thank God for brain injuries
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http://tinyurl.com/69rcrqy
Austin grew to love Leslie and his dirty thong ! We love u and miss you !
If you never met Leslie or his nalgas then u prob shouldn't comment .. He was very gracious and had a sense of humor .. Plus made sitting in downtown traffic much more entertaining
.. Waah !! I hope heaven finds you wearing a sparkly pink thong .
PS - NICE MOOBS!
Submitted by IrishFury : Well, I don't know him but sorry he'd dead etc. But people like this irritate the crap out of me. Head injury or not, put your fucking pants on.
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I'm glad you said it. I didn't feel like getting flamed over this today. :-(
Submitted by MickeyHolland on :
May heaven be hospitable to you, Leslie from Austin, Texas.
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By way of FLORIDA which explains a LOT. But yeah.
*Bless his heart*
The world needs more wierd people...less assholes. Bye Leslie!
Awe....I saw him on one of my trips out there in about 2006. He was wearing bright pink undies, a black lace top, pink and black socks in kitten heels and a hairnet on his head. A big portion of Austin's weirdness died today, that is for sure. Poor guy.
Thanks for posting this. It's been a very sad day here in Austin.
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"You are fucking bitches, this is my prom!"
Ann Arbor is full of homeless jerks now who harrass people and the nice dude who sells all the handmade hats outside Starbucks on South Main charges $40+ a pop!
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Dark-sided!
Well, I don't know him but sorry he'd dead etc. But people like this irritate the crap out of me. Head injury or not, put your fucking pants on.
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Dark-sided!
Sads:( I'm from Austin. Thx for posing MK.
Kissing Ass and Cupping Balls. You're Welcome.
I never go downtown but my younger friends had many encounters with Leslie. He definitely did his part to Keep Austin Weird.
This reminds me of Gary busey, was in a motorcycle accident , hit his head, then began acting crazy...
b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b~j~b
"I'm doin hoe activities, with hoe tendencies. Hoes are my friends, hoes are my enemies."
May heaven be hospitable to you, Leslie from Austin, Texas.
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"We are here on earth to do good for others.
What the others are here for, I don't know."
W.H. Auden
One good thing. All those little Texan kids won't have to see his freckly asshole anymore.
He looks like an ancient Norseman who lost his way and decided to make the best of it. I admire that kind of chutzpah. RIP, Leslie.
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We worked hard for our money! So hard for it, honey!
OMG, someone else who remembers Shaky Jake! I spent about an hour talking to him once, I was walking downtown one night and he came up and walked and talked to me and one of my friends and I never forgot that conversation (very convoluted)...I saw him on and off for about 10 years after that, that was back in the 80's...I hope someone took care of him, he was an old guy back then, I'm sure he's gone now
RIP
Every college town has (or should have) someone like this. In Ann Arbor, it was Shakey Jake. RIP.
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2007/09/shaky_jake.html
RIP
Thank you (((((LaChaylo)))))
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Cure for cramps: weed. Weed for everything, really.- Bjork You
Submitted by MissJaneTexas on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 1:56pm.
Yes. Leslie wasn't crazy in the sense that he was screaming obscenities at the sidewalk or people when they passed by. He was eccentric and just had a different view of life. He was smart and knew a lot of shit. This makes me really sad :(
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*shares hugs with MJT*
I feel you. Austin will not be the same anymore.
Submitted by Captain America... on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 1:50pm.
Yes. Leslie wasn't crazy in the sense that he was screaming obscenities at the sidewalk or people when they passed by. He was eccentric and just had a different view of life. He was smart and knew a lot of shit. This makes me really sad :(
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#KONY2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
Please watch, learn and share. 2012 is the year.
"Leslie lived outside the box."
Kind of an awkward way of putting it.
You make me hate my hips! I hate my hips!
@Queeny - not at all. It'd be a great tribute to Leslie.
He really was one of a kind.
WHERE is Quween?! It's been forever since she protected Betty White from the annoying paparazzi.