Fridays TV Show (02.27.81) [09 of 11] "The Andy Kaufman Apology"

[@5HlNOBI]

Troll Level: Black Belt

[@CiceroSolo]

Invented and perfected trolling

[@VeryGreatGladness]

No no. Samurai level ❤

[@brezzadestate5114]

The Man on the Moon recreation doesn't do justice to the brilliant satire in this scene. The movie played it far too seriously.

[@dustynesmith]

it's a difficult balance. Andy was playing it seriously. There were probably more people behind the scenes who were in on this specific part of the bit. The audience is going to struggle with reaction on something like this dealing with the conflict of whether or not it is a bit. There's the Michael Richards apology on Letterman which created tons of confusion and the audience was laughing as it was most certainly an inappropriate venue for the apology. Then there's the Chris Rock v Will Smith slap that had mixed reactions as lots of people thought it was a bit. Just because the audience is laughing doesn't mean they aren't dealing with that conflict. A lot of them are laughing in discomfort. That happened with Michael Richards, who oddly enough was on the Fridays bit with Kaufman. Plenty of times Kaufman had the crowd believing.

[@grawakendream8980]

along with everything else that happened tbh

[@HannibalOrJustRex]

It's like a standoff. The audience knows it's a joke from the get go, but he won't give up until they at least start to doubt if it's a joke

[@trollwithoutcontent2788]

No. Most didn’t know anything at all It was a MUCH different time

[@HannibalOrJustRex]

​@@trollwithoutcontent2788 Lame troll is lame

[@trollwithoutcontent2788]

@@HannibalOrJustRex okay. What year were you born?

[@HannibalOrJustRex]

@@trollwithoutcontent2788 2002 so I knew Johnny Nocksville and Ashton Kitcher and they're reality bending comedy from an early age

[@trollwithoutcontent2788]

@@HannibalOrJustRex Okay So you’re just a baby I’m old. Born in 71. Your problem is the same for all immature people. Ya think you know EVERYTHING. Think again boy

[@iamryanne]

When I was a kid, I fell for his antics and was upset that the sweet guy from Taxi was a jerk. As an adult, I see just how awesome he was and was so willing to take big risks.

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

Because you have been brainwashed to think he was a genius.

[@eduardodemoraescarvalho153]

⁠​⁠​⁠​When was a kid, I saw just how awesome he was and how he was willing to take big risks. As an adult, I fell for his antics and I am now upset that the sweet guy from Taxi was a jerk.

[@guyfawkes9951]

Kaufman wasn't a "comedian". Kaufman was a performance artist. Everything he did was part of a larger "project/object", in much the same way as Zappa's output. After all this time people are still talking about him. THAT, friends, is GENIUS,

[@MatteoPrezioso]

Guy Fawkes You're so absolutely right Guy Fawkes... lol (but yes, in all seriousness you're right)

[@numerodez6558]

Who's talking about him?

[@huh98]

Lots of people. Especially people into the history of comedy. While not mainstream, he's had a pretty damn large cult following for a very long time now. I can remember hearing about his antics during the early 90's. during the anniversary of his death.

[@blakesby]

"Who's talking about him?" Asking this in a conversation about Andy Kaufman! I think you know the answer if you think about it.

[@LesIsMoreFilms]

Shut up. You are so pretentious. If Kaufman was here he would want to slap you for calling him a performance artist. Get off your damn high horse you have no insight

[@NinjaDag1]

I cannot laugh at this, because it is so well done. Imo, he is such a mirror to society, it is beyond comedy.

[@mikepaluch6954]

he's pulling a double Kaufman....genius

[@Brandon-rq3ys]

The genius of the Friday's skit was that it _was_ in fact staged. But the thing was that it was basically staged to a point that was beyond _everyone_ . The actors involved knew that Andy was going to screw it up. But they did not know how far it would go. To them, it was "Andy plays a fool, screws it up, everyone laughs, skit's over" . But when the producer came out and almost hit Andy and they basically escorted him off stage, the actors did not know that was supposed to happen and they actually thought that part was real. Only a select few of the producers and crew knew anything at all about it, including the security, who forced Andy off stage. Which made it look 100% real, mainly because some parts *were* in fact very real. The amazing thing about Andy though, is that no one, not even the very producers who knew all about what was about to go down, were 100% sure what was real and what wasn't. Andy would do things that were not in the scripts, things that he more or less wasn't supposed to do. Making everyone else scratch their heads in wonder, every damn time. And making the audience laugh their asses off, real or fake, they didnt care. It was still fucking hilarious. It was Andy Kauffman.

[@richardwalterbee]

hey adx, Your summation is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ! i know, because, I am the guy in the Dark Blazer behind the other actors. He fooled me. read my comment of 6 30 18

[@METATRON_CUBE]

Your text shoud be in Andy's wikipedia page

[@bobspence5322]

there has never been any proof anyone on that stage was playing. it was one of the worst meltdowns in television history and should have been on the faces of death series. after the loser gets fired from snl he goes onto friday a show with NOTHING and cans it.. wont play wont do shit. and gets into it throwing things like when he threw eggs on dinah shore you think she was in on that. she wasnt.

[@gaywizard2000]

It is so funny to relive this! I forgot over the years but it's all coming back!

[@alastairsaint8723]

The women didn't know it was a joke

[@TimsFoyleHeadgear]

If you read the comment section, you realize that Andy is still fooling us. Brilliant.

[@BazzTriton]

johana77 yes, yes, as he did in those days

[@justusgoedhart5255]

Even after death. He did such a good job. We just keep going on. Good things never last long. Its live and death. We have to deal with it.

[@MrNuts70]

Or you just realize this is youtube and people think they know more than they actually do know without realizing they know nothing. Damn 6 years ago....

[@TimsFoyleHeadgear]

@Walrus Nostrils to each their own

[@bobspence5322]

@Russell Collier that one was staged. this wasnt. i saw it on pbs. he just simply sucked that time and would do the lame ass show. he died after declaring he found jesus on the show.. and they thought that was fake. the only people duped are you and your sock puppets.

[@MCO18]

Guys, it's a prank. He did something similar on Letterman. At one point he mentions being separated from his wife. He was never married.

[@huh98]

I was literally about post the exact same thing until I saw you had already said it. I think the wife part makes it funnier.

[@RealStealthyNinja]

I'm pretty sure Max Power is the only one who got the joke.

[@panagiotisdedes9695]

Oh is it

[@heggy_69]

Maybe the wife bit was just a way of letting his fans know it was a joke idk

[@mehermusic2154]

He did it over and over and over again, everywhere, not just on lettermann

[@BenCulture]

This made me laugh 'til tears squirted out of my eyes. It feels so painfully real, it's hilarious. But you KNOW he's joking. How do you know? LOOK IN HIS EYES! The lights are ON in there. No matter how sad he plays it, his eyes are still gleaming as he plays the audience like a violin. His timing is incredible. It's wonderful that the show's producers and director understood that you give Andy Kaufman all the time he wants. A lot of comedies are afraid to be slow. But sometimes slow is funniest. Everyone gets very tense and really _needs_ to laugh. Andy could have taken the easy path of his career. He could have played sweet-hearted simpletons like Latka Gravas in a succession of sitcoms. The general public would have been very happy to believe Andy _was_ Latka. That would have been easy. To make himself into a villianous character and still be funny, that was how he challenged himself.

[@87dramarama]

+Piontro Pechetrini yes u are

[@Brandon-rq3ys]

Piontro Pechetrini wow, your IQ must be up there! Im talking up there, like _at least_ 44-45!

[@xpez9694]

I dont think he was joking. Because he sounds this way when he was on David Letterman and was complaining about being broke and no money and (which he was) went around trying to hug people and take donations.. In a way he was very selfish to think he could just railroad the shows into his own art piece where no one understands where fiction ends or begins.. All of his work is provocative and urgent and he understands what existing in the present actually means but he kind of lost track of how to play along to get his paycheck...He would have loved life in 2018. He would have his own network of ridicukousness and self consciousness...and all of the funky folks whom cannot stay within lines would have been dying to be a part of his media empire of wackiness and non conformity...

[@edwardrogers7170]

Ben Culture Hey! You’ve posted on Brian Wilson/beach boys videos as well! Cheers! Small world🏝🎼

[@honeytlbadger4365]

@@xpez9694 in that same clip he also says "I am not trying to be funny right now." as well as complaining that his wife left him (he was never married), the same thing he does here, which clearly shows you he's joking and not telling the truth.

[@uk1988tb303]

Operation MindFuck in full effect

[@Staszu13]

uk1988tb303 Or is it?

[@marx007100]

With Andy, you could never know when he is trying to be funny. He had us all exactly where he wanted us to be, which is standing on the edge of reality...his reality.

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

Brother Kellymatthew Barnes All those people thought he was faking it his own death.

[@Jose-se9pu]

According to the movie, not even his family believed him.

[@bobspence5322]

@@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427 exactly. when he says i dont know why you are still laughing.. he meant it. he didnt try to lay it bare.. it just went there cause it sucked. i almost wanted to cry watching it. no talent. either way with or without safety net or things gone "awry" they couldnt make it work. it sucked. he really was the worst comedian. the honest worst.

[@maygeewalker5901]

such a brilliant guy he always kept us guessing ,

[@babyirene3188]

And he was always such a total asshole about it. Gotta love that!

[@halr.366]

The brilliance of Kaufman is trying . . . trying . . . . trying to separate him from his performance . . . . the grey area is a mile wide. That's part of his appeal . . . figuring him out . . . and just when you think you have . . . whammo! . . . . he pulls something like this "Friday's" apology or being on Letterman with Lawler . . . . leaving you twisting in the wind . . . Pure genius.

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

It’s not brilliant. But whatever.

[@PabloCruise91]

Maybe Kramer was trying to pull an Andy Kaufman at the laugh factory

[@Jose-se9pu]

Jokes aside, "Kramer" had a lot of "Latka" elements, so I think Richards did ripped him off...

[@Mitchell-sm7id]

PabloCruise91 hahaha

[@arkinrao6499]

Michael is obsolete: he is only kramer now

[@mcndogg]

That's what Patrice O'Neal first thought

[@MrBadgerbingo]

Andy Kaufman was a genius. He did something no one had ever done before, he made performance his life and his life a performance. Who else has ever been so committed? He turned comedy on its head and made everybody think differently about what you could do in front of an audience

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

Wow. I’ve never heard anyone say such a thing.

[@cheesitz007]

Andy kaufman, if you faked your death please fake your resurrection! Rebirth, reincarnation, anything. Just come back!

[@Brandon-rq3ys]

cheesitz007 How does one "fake a ressurection"? please, tell me.

[@828admin3]

ask jesus

[@leinnomas7414]

Still hoping he shows up outta nowhere

[@Frankincensedjb123]

cheesitz007 wouldn’t work. Way past his prime now

[@mehermusic2154]

@@Frankincensedjb123 you're an idiot

[@Frankincensedjb123]

Back in the day when TV was more art than the schlock we get today.

[@grawakendream8980]

this few minutes yea. the rest was as awful as now

[@Hipno702]

He is a genius. he understood the human mind and played to its weaknesses

[@leokimvideo]

The king of trolling

[@joetaylor3548]

Andy Kaufman was a GENIUS! I wish there was just ONE comedian today who has the balls, wit, and "turn the spotlight around" presence that Andy had.

[@Heirllionaire]

Allow me to introduce you to: Eric Andre

[@EFunkRock]

@@Heirllionaireno. He’s not even scripted funny.

[@Graterstuuf]

An untalented stooge is in no way in this genius’s orbit.

[@honeytlbadger4365]

3:38 That's such a perfect delivery

[@23v0lv32]

brilliant...in character the entire time. ahaha so good.

[@FutureHonest]

A comedic genius. Todays comedians will never be able to be on the same level as Andy - he was a true pioneer in a different style of comedy and that is the beauty of Andy - you never know what is real and what is not. He dared to blur the line all the time and even those who try to emulate him, they will never be able to come close to what Andy did

[@bobspence5322]

no talent. you really want to watch that firdayus sketch when michael richards gives up./. he wasnt in on it. he knew that andy sucked.

[@Aaron_Scissorhands]

I absolutely love how the audience is cracking up laughing at first because they know he's joking, but then they slowly stop laughing because they start to wonder if he is actually being serious. It's incredible how Andy ALWAYS played the audience for a fool no matter where he went. Friday's, Letterman, SNL, whatever.

[@bobspence5322]

he wasnt joking at all. there was no "in joke" that time. he just felt sorry for himself and would really do fridays. he said this skits stupid. it was. they set it up with a "safety net"..it failed too. not even that was funny., cause if he had done one really funny thing .. so michael richards got pissed and threw the cue cards at him.. cause they couldnt carry him anymore.. he left them hanging.. that show sucked and he was feeling sorry for himself after getting fired from snl and knowing he was gonna die soon. which he did. and that wasnt fake either.

[@thebigragu9952]

@@bobspence5322Andy worked the shit out of you

[@wildmercuryfilms]

@@bobspence5322 This is the best description for this entire scenario. But -- I don’t know if he knew his health prognosis at this point. Perhaps, he did, I’m just not sure.

[@spankynater4242]

I read it differently. It seemed like they laughed throughout.

[@bhenderson2725]

Andy was soooooo underrated and before his time, god bless his happy soul.

[@Ktonrider]

Good god he was f ing hysterical 😂😂😂😂😂, this is fantastic

[@SamsonCrosswood]

I remember watching this live. Didn't know what to think. Then he came to my hometown with the wrestling. An we hated him. He was a Mad genius. Yep. Freakin brilliant.

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

Sure thing.

[@KevinKolbGOAT]

No one familiar with Andy's act could think this was sincere.

[@bobspence5322]

it was sincere. his life was in the shitter. he did die. and no one beleived he was dead. he was. rip no talent hack andy wtf.. loser

[@raymondsolisjr.1262]

The movie said it best. He had to be one step ahead of his audience all the time.

[@insaneone4369]

Amazing!

[@ManicMechanic82]

It's amazing that he material still works to this very day. Technically it could last forever. I wonder if he foresaw that too. He was such a genius!!!

[@stevefrommi]

Brilliant!

[@Lottoman17]

You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@SpaceTimeManipulatorSTM]

This is probably my favorite Andy Kaufman piece.

[@shampoovta]

He was not doing this to entertain us. He was entertaining himself with us as the butt of the joke. He was amazing on bongos. He could be endearing but he loved to be the bad guy. When we were kids we loved him. Now adjust the vertical dial on your tv set and watch. "Andy Plays Carnegie Hall Pt 4" on youtube.

[@MissJuneBennett]

I so remember this.

[@panagiotisdedes9695]

No you don't

[@WoaNellie]

To this day I still don't know whether or not to laugh. But I laugh anyway. GENIUS.

[@bobspence5322]

no genius. geniuses dont get fired from fucking snl. he sucked. it wasnt fake. he just lost. then died. oh wow so smart. give up.

[@levimatthew8911]

It was so inspiring to see Andy stick to his principles and stay true to himself on this one.

[@vezner]

Andy was a performance artist more than a comedian. I frankly don't find him that funny but he was a brilliant performer.

[@nworbydnar]

This is pure genius.

[@rsz90182]

What he is showing is that if you are a person of one character, and then you change to another one perfectly without any mistakes or errors, you can fool everyone. He really did it so well that even now if you try to analyze this, you can go both ways, funny or serious, because he pulled this off so perfectly that you will be wrong.

[@gravityboxer]

This kinda reminds me of the apology clip of Michael Richards in Letterman, Andy was so ahead of his time it’s amazing

[@romulusnr]

ever decreasing circles when you consider who else was in the infamous scene

[@bobspence5322]

i think richards meltdown shows this thread bare. two no telent shmucks that couldnt finish one stupid sketch. he got fired faster from snl than anyone well maybe damon wayans but anyways he sucked. andy had no talent was boring tortured audiences with things he knew werent funny cause he couldnt be funny. he invented that stare into nothing cause im not funny none of this is funny we all suck kill us.. that no one cares about cause there are people with talent. look them up forget that loser. both those losers.

[@jameysummers1577]

He was a fucking genius.

[@steveparker5406]

Dishelved and unshaven, like he’s been up all night regretting his actions! brilliant touch! lol

[@albundy3765]

This man BLASTED through the Glass Ceiling....... Loved him... thanx for the vid bro

[@dagelask]

Looks like a freakin' hostage video. :|

[@TrollitaTV]

Good God. Imagine Andy’s meta today with Twitter brigades. His powerlevels would be unstoppable (if Jack wouldn’t ban him).

[@dondoyle8474]

What a genus 🤣😂🤣😂👍👍

[@KalOrtPor]

2:15 It would be hilarious if Michael Richards stormed in from offscreen and threw his apology notes in his face.

[@kndvolk]

I do miss the man. RIP dear Andy.

[@bonscott602]

He was the straight faced comedian in silent films. Chaplin. Keaton. Deadpan.

[@daverain1967]

brilliant

[@RichardKoenigsberg]

What a great actor!

[@sle2470]

Legend! 😂

[@julianhowl09]

So Damn Good !!! You didn’t know whether to laugh or not

[@carlospaulalfonzo6919]

The great Andy Kaufman! What an outstanding performer Andy was/is!

[@Declan50]

I remember seeing Andy Kaufman at a Water Slide Park in 1979, he was with a couple of his buddies. He was really just a regular guy. It was pre-stardom, yet I recognized him from talk shows. In reality, he was a normal person having a good time like everyone else.

[@ung427]

Reminds me of Michael Richard's apology.

[@MalnourishedGoat]

Pretty interesting comparison, especially since it was Richards with whom Andy had the fake fight with of which he is apologizing for here.

[@MalnourishedGoat]

Blake Carrington Yo, Michelle Tanner!!!! Waddup??!

[@MalnourishedGoat]

Blake Carrington Now you have more of a sarcastic Stephanie Tanner vibe working for you, lol. Keep it up! Can't wait to see what you say next!

[@Hipno702]

1. a. Extraordinary intellectual and creative power. b. A person of extraordinary intellect and talent: "One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius" (Simone de Beauvoir). c. A person who has an exceptionally high intelligence quotient, typically above 140. 2. a. A strong natural talent, aptitude, or inclination: has a genius for choosing the right words. b. One who has such a talent or inclination: a genius at diplomacy. Doesn't mention anything about improving mankind.

[@ypcypc7762]

Kind of similar to Michael Richards' apology on Letterman that time. "Stop laughing it's not funny"

[@ryanmilton2643]

Pure genius!

[@FuzzyDancingBear]

Lollll "I can't do it" holy shit I love the emotional toil he is portraying

[@Lyfzagamble]

Is this based on what happened after the commercial on Fridays in man on the moon?

[@ralphmacchiowannabe6960]

3:18 i just cranked up when he leaves

[@henrriettehueck2525]

He hated Taxi, of course this was another joke. He always had a one up on his audience. Though, I'm still wondering if the fight was real or not but I'm leaning more towards real... I think Kaufman knows how to make fun of himself so if the fight was real I think he'd use it to his advantage to play up a gag.

[@BenCulture]

The director warned the three actors in the sketch that Andy would break character, and they were told to react in character. The crew, however, weren't warned at all, so when it looks like Andy and the director might get into a physical altercation, they're completely serious about restraining him.

[@henrriettehueck2525]

Ben Culture Oh, thank you for clearing it up! I just realized that would make much more sense because Andy was not one to break character...

[@BenCulture]

Louise Metric You're welcome. I only just found this out from reading a few interviews.

[@thunderpeel2001]

I'm amazed, when you watch the actual original footage, that Bob Zmuda managed to persuade so many people that Kaufman was so "edgy" and that nobody "got him". Kaufman was a genius, and always fun to watch. He knew exactly what he was doing, and I genuinely believe that if the audience stopped laughing he would have believed he failed. He was an entertainer first and foremost.

[@raymondsolisjr.1262]

The producer was Bob Zamuda his best friend right?

[@albitcapinigro1107]

This guy was brilliant.

[@jonathanbush3659]

I’m from Hollywood. Not Memphis, Tennessee.

[@americand0lphin]

Genius.

[@jwalkin5123]

"Spontaneity is life." Federico Fellini

[@plorfblople]

Here is a real mind bender for you. The same people that voted Andy off of Saturday night way back in the 70's, are now senior citizens and are the same ones that are writing all of the nasty comments about Andy down below. Andy was not a comedian, he was like the Greatest, Muhammad Ali. Ali would mess with the mind of his opponent so brilliantly in the ring that he would con his way out of being knocked out. Ernie Shavers, who just passed away spoke about this in detail many times along with many other fighters that had the champ in trouble. Andy did the same thing to audiences. He simply solicited reactions from the audience. He wanted them to hate him, other times, to feel sorry for him. The point is that he would take them where he wanted them to go. Many people hated this because they didn't possess the intellectual acuity to understand that the man was just messing with their minds. Isn't it ironic that these same fools back in the 70's are the same people today that were so easily duped by a con man that laughed at them behind their backs? Yes folks, these are the same people that voted for and placed a clinically insane man into the white house...But they hated Andy. There it is.

[@wildmercuryfilms]

I agree with much of what you wrote -- but --- was Andy funny? No. When all was doing was “messing with people,” he wasn’t funny. In reality, it was actually annoying. That said, he was funny in Taxi, because that was edited, and he was controlled. When he was not controlled, he wasn’t funny.

[@uselessjoe]

Tony Clifton threatened him with his life if he read the fake apology.

[@Lottoman17]

That was the entire clip. The producers of the show purposely ended the bit right then & there!

[@sirgalahad3574]

I don't think there has ever been another like him... as long as you toss out politicians.

[@pooperscooper9176]

He was so funny I absolutely love him and his unique style brilliant

[@sweeabn6736]

Genius

[@jprz13]

He was a great performer 🤪

[@jonjonsin824]

He was a performer. If he was alive before film and media he would have been a king. On stage there have been few who could match his ability to go into character. To me he was an actor. Shakespearean type and such a fascinating soul. For some reason when I watch stuff on him, these old videos or when I watched man on the moon it's hard for me to not shed a tear... And at the same time it makes me wonder how all the best ones have to go so young??? Why in our culture do a majority of the best artists and most influential people die before 40?

[@wildmercuryfilms]

You’re right: Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, PJ Harvey, George Carlin, Keith Richards, Paul Thomas Anderson -- They all died before 40.

[@unheardprogrocksongs]

BRILLIANT

[@ratskid77]

He was one of a kind for sure.

[@justindelaney4142]

Why do I feel. If the 2019 movie "Joker" really did come out in 1980. Andy Kaufman would be the perfect "Joker"

[@danmartens8855]

At his funeral about half the guests expected him to sit up in the coffin midway through the service and claim a miracle.

[@swaninabox1488]

It's when he says.. I'm serious, before spouting his career jeopardy, that I lost it. Look at his appearance, you do a double take when he walks on like "Is that the same guy", he's worked on that, pretty clever.

[@paulsheringham9837]

I wish there was more Andy Kaufman material to look at, I have exhausted it all. He either had a lot of balls to do what he did or was a little bit crazy.

[@solsunson262]

classic Fridays skit!!

[@Krissy_Bunnie]

I was laughing at first but my poor bleeding heart started believing it was real lol I love him

[@appleblossom1401]

people are laughin but its hard to tell if he is serious...

[@RomDiddi]

It was nervous laughter. You know the kind you do when you're not completely sure if the person is serious or not.

[@zoewells3160]

He’s not serious, it’s Kaufman. And things he’s saying are ridiculous. He’s saying them sincerely, but that in itself is proof since Kaufman would never be this serious for this long. He doesn’t break character! In fact, you can see him trying not to if you look closely when he says "I don’t know where you’re coming from" at 3:38

[@joseizquierdo566]

Andy was able to make you laugh and cry at the same time...just watch him on SNL, introduced by Candice Bergen...It's my favorite Andy comedy bit. 😁😞😣

[@AhmadHamzabalad]

Comedic genius

[@robertlouisburns]

Will we ever know what was real?

[@mikehunt9884]

the show was horrible, moffett thought he was Lorne Michaels or something.. that thing with andy was probably the most interesting thing they had on Fridays, ever.

[@GreatPlanet-c7o]

There hasn't been anyone else like him.

[@seoulkidd1]

The first tv prank lol

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

So the audience just believed the other guy in the chair telling them it was fake and kept laughing despite him walking out

[@cards1985]

Damn I miss Andy.

[@gravityboxer]

I wish he would have lived longer, he would have loved KZbin

[@StonyRC]

Kaufman was a genius, and like so many others with that label he skirted on the edges of reality and sanity - no-one has ever managed to fill the void his passing left.