Moment of silence, please. Leslie Cochran died today at the age of 60. Austin is, sadly, less weird without him.
Leslie Cochran, June 24, 1951-March 8, 2012
(Note: The original images from this post have been removed due to copyright concerns from the Austin American Statesman. Please visit their excellent photo gallery at http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/leslie-cochran/. The new image is from Creative Commons.)
15 comments
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JD
March 8, 2012 at 3:46 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
That picture makes me think, what an annoying funny-looking weirdo that doubtless has mental health issues – oh, and look Leslie’s in it too.
Kazim
March 8, 2012 at 8:44 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Sorry I had to ruin your comment by removing the picture, Jay, but here’s a link to what you were commenting on.
http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/leslie-cochran/#62841
Kazim
March 8, 2012 at 4:06 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
You win, sir.
John Kruger
March 8, 2012 at 4:07 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Was Leslie an atheist? I never met him in person or heard anything about his religious views.
The pic mocking the street preacher was just too good not to post in any event.
Kazim
March 8, 2012 at 4:09 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I don’t know anything about his religious views. He was just a rabble rouser.
Ezekiel
March 8, 2012 at 4:40 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Leslie was just Leslie. He was, for me, symbolic of the aspects of Austin I appreciated. Unkempt, off-kilter, tolerant.
He will be missed.
tyleroverman
March 8, 2012 at 5:52 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Who?
JD
March 8, 2012 at 6:48 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
boo. seriously, copyright is overrated.
Martin Wagner
March 8, 2012 at 7:53 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Yes, well, lawyers disagree.
Martin Wagner
March 8, 2012 at 8:19 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
It is a shame about Leslie. I was always of two minds about him. On the one hand, he really let his freak flag fly, and you have to smile at someone who so blatantly flips the bird at cultural convention and does so with a real sense of humor. On the other, you have to admit the Leslies of our world have more than a little narcissism going on. On balance, there was a real character here who made people smile. So, here’s a tip of the hat.
Besomyka
March 8, 2012 at 11:28 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Hey, local news on FTB!
Yeah, Leslie may have had a bit of a narcissistic personality, but he was always a good disposition and symbolized, in a non-trivial way, what made Austin, Austin. He was always at Eeyore’s birthday party, and posting (on cardboard) political rants downtown.
Austin is less weird for sure.
Roger
March 9, 2012 at 8:30 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
this is a video in which he came out. at 7:30
he was a happy man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8cJFD3lU02k
bonobogreen
March 9, 2012 at 11:21 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Barebones Orchestra Live @ Skinny’s Ballroom – “Armadillo (Ode to Leslie Cochran)” http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/94168866
Aquaria
March 10, 2012 at 7:12 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Ah, Leslie. I didn’t know his name, but I’d seen him on 6th street and its environs over the years.
He wasn’t quite the equal of the gorilla run for demonstrating just how weird Austin can be (when it doesn’t have a yuppie stick up its ass), but he was entertaining in his own way.
Eric126
March 13, 2012 at 10:53 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
“All Things Considered” just did a nice little piece on him as a lead in to a SXSW band profile.