Martin Lickert, the guy who played/replaced Jeff Simmons in Zappa’s 200 Motels, has died.
Jeff Simmons, the Mothers’ bass player, had left the group and Zappa was unable to find anyone to play him. In exasperation, he told his entourage the next person to walk into the room would have the part. In walked Lickert, who had gone to buy cigarettes for his boss, Ringo. He was hired, and performed adequately, but became a better barrister than he was a bass player’s stand-in.
I thought his casting was perfect. It added yet another strange dimension to the already multidimensional “200 Motels” film. I loved the way he says “Playin’ the blooze” like he does. Whenever I’m in a conversation with someone and I find myself talking about the blues, I ALWAYS say it in my best Martin Lickert accent. Farewell Mr. Lickert. You’ve been immortalized.
DAMN YOU, Milosevic!
and Ivor Cutler too :-(
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1725211,00.html
WOW, I’VE BEEN REVISITING/RETHINKING BOTH ‘200 MOTELS’ AND ‘TRUE STORY OF…’ RECENTLY, AND WONDERING ABOUT MARTIN LICKERT. WHAT A STRANGE WAY TO STAR IN A FILM. ANYWAY, I WONDER HOW OLD HE WAS AND WHAT HE DIED OF…ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE INFO?
no…… shit! shit! shit! shit! shit! shit!
why he died of??