| 22 years ago, Andy Kaufman, costar of the hit | | | | funded a welcome back home party for the Man |
| ABC comedy series "Taxi" was | | | | on The Moon at |
| diagnosed with Large Cell Carcinoma - the most | | | | The House of Blues, in Los Angeles, California. |
| deadliest form of lung cancer | | | | Andy wanted |
| known to man. Kaufman, ever-optimistic, was | | | | to do something big. Something gigantic, |
| determined to annihilate the | | | | according to Bob |
| ungodly disease that was mercilessly attacking | | | | Zmuda and Lynne Margulies - Kaufman's last |
| his lungs with the aide of | | | | girlfriend.Andy was so obsessed with the concept |
| psychic surgeon, Jun Labo. Accordingly, Andy | | | | of his "death," that |
| flew to the Phillippines accompanied | | | | he couldn't contain himself. He disclosed his |
| by girlfriend, Lynne Margulies, to vist "Dr." | | | | sinister plan |
| Labo.Andy Kaufman, 35, underwent a grueling 6 | | | | to at least five people: Bob Zmuda, Lynne |
| weeks under the hands of | | | | Margulies, brother |
| Mr. Labo. He came home changed. He thought he | | | | Michael Kaufman, Alan Abel, and finally, John |
| was cured, friends | | | | Moffit - producer |
| and family members recalled. Indeed. Kaufman | | | | of "Fridays." (Fridays, despite some of its young |
| thought the "operations" | | | | talents, |
| were a success, and that he'd be back to work | | | | was a miserable show, and apparently, Andy, |
| in no time. That was, | | | | sensed this and |
| of course, before his body proceeded to function | | | | decided to perk it up by breaking character and |
| in excruciating pain; | | | | wreaking |
| Consequently, He had no other choice, but to go | | | | havoc onstage. America went wild. Once again, |
| see a real doctor....Unfortunately, all of Andy | | | | you couldn't |
| Kaufman's attempts to cheat death were in vain. | | | | tell what was real....May 16th, 2004, marked the |
| And he died on May 16, 1984, at Cedars-Sinai | | | | 20th aniversary of Andy Kaufman's |
| Medical Center, in Los Angeles, | | | | demise. The day was significant for |
| California.Above is the standard conclusion | | | | Kaufman-freaks world |
| regarding the death of Song-and-Dance-Man, | | | | wide because this was the day he told friends |
| Andy Kaufman. The prospect of Andy being, in | | | | and acquaintances |
| fact, alive has fascinated | | | | he would "reappear." Precisely 20 years later Bob |
| me for quite some time now. That's why I have | | | | Zmuda summoned |
| decided to do some make-shift | | | | comedian Andy Dick, Jerry Lawler, Lynne |
| detective work. To delve a little deeper inside the | | | | Margulies, Tony Clifton, |
| ground, and see, with | | | | and others, to The House of Blues on Sunset |
| the assitance of one of his friends, if he's really | | | | Strip, in Los Angeles |
| gone.The question most frequently asked by fans | | | | CA, to tell some jokes, recite some amusing |
| invariably is: "If he faked his death, don't | | | | stories, and |
| you think he'd come back by now?" My | | | | hopefully, greet the entertainer back from the |
| assesment: No. His goal was never to entertain | | | | dead.I first heard about the event about a month |
| anyone but himself. For instance: When the Andy | | | | before it happned. |
| hates [Jerry] Lawyer saga | | | | My friend, Joe, called me. "Hey!" he said frantically. |
| was in its prime, Kaufman made Jerry Lawler | | | | "There's |
| and (best friend/writer) Bob Zmuda | | | | going to be an Andy Kaufman tribute at the |
| swear on their lives that they'd never reveal the | | | | House of Blues in |
| truth - that all the animosity | | | | LA." "Excellent," I said, "who'll be there?" "Jerry |
| between Kaufman and Lawler was, in truth, | | | | Lawler, |
| bogus.Before his death, Andy Kaufman felt angry | | | | Bob Zmuda, Rodney Dangerfield, and maybe |
| and rejected: "Taxi" had been canned, | | | | Andy Kaufman.""You're busting my balls, aren't |
| he was booted from his Transcendental | | | | you Joe?""No. I'm not.""Where did you hear this |
| meditation courses on account of his | | | | from?""The Internet.""The Internet?" I laughed. |
| wrestling act being too risky. And, most notably, | | | | "Don't believe everything you |
| being voted off "Saturday Night" | | | | read on the net, Joseph. That's your |
| Live", (the same place he lip-synched the Mighty | | | | problem--you're |
| Mouse theme song years earlier,) by | | | | too damn gullible. How many--""Would you shut |
| the Iscariot-esque Dick Ebersol.It's quite plausible | | | | up for one minute? I'm not an idiot, Jack! |
| that all of these painful situations provoked Andy | | | | This is 100 percent authentic. You can even |
| Kaufman | | | | preorder tickets |
| to start a new life. A life Far away from | | | | on Ticket Master.Sure enough, he was telling the |
| Hollywood. A place where he could eat choclate | | | | truth. Tony Clifton was even |
| ice cream and meditate consistently. A place like | | | | sheduled to play last, accompanied by his |
| Aruba....Not long ago, I had the privledge of | | | | dancers, the Cliftones.As a long time |
| interviewing one of Andy Kaufman's old friends, | | | | Kaufman-Freak I felt I was destined to see |
| Alan Abel, | | | | the show. Besides, I thought, even if Andy |
| via telephone. Here's the transcript:JB: Hi, Alan.AA: | | | | doesn't show I'll |
| Hello, Jack.JB: How are you?AA: Very fine, | | | | still have a good time. But, of course, there was |
| yourself?JB: Good. Ok. Let's start with the first | | | | a huge obstacle |
| question: Where, and when, did you | | | | in the road: I was completely broke. Had no |
| meet Andy Kaufman?AA: I met Andy in the | | | | money whatsoever.... |
| summer of 1980 when he was introduced to me | | | | I wanted to go so bad I even tried selling my |
| in | | | | Harley FXRT, but |
| NY by a mutual friend, Bob Pagini. Bob had | | | | unfortunately, no bites.At least four days before |
| interviewed Andy on a cable access | | | | Dead or Alive, I received an email |
| TV show where they became friends.... Andy and | | | | from my friend Stephen Maddox - mastermind |
| I hit it off immediately and I | | | | behind one of the |
| hooked up with him in NY about a dozen times | | | | most famous Andy Kaufman sites on the net: |
| we walked on Broadway for several | | | | He told me that he had two spare tickets, and, if |
| hours....he stopped to talk to everybody....and had | | | | I wanted |
| dinner, often at the Hilton | | | | them (which of course I did), they were up for |
| Hotel with room service so he wouldn't be | | | | grabs. He sent them |
| interrupted by fans.JB: [Coughs] excuse me. What | | | | promptly (and expensively). I received them |
| was that story you told me a while back, about | | | | within a day.The exterior of The House of Blues |
| that girl?AA: He once told me about the time he | | | | was swarming with Kaufman-fanatics |
| received a call in LA from a high | | | | world wide. One guy was even flashing around in |
| school girl's mother who said her daughter was | | | | a shirt that read: " |
| dying in a hospital in Mat- | | | | If Andy doesn't return, I'll kill him."I arrived a little |
| oon, IL from leukemia and wanted to talk with | | | | late on account of the long line outside. |
| Andy, her favorite TV person- | | | | Bob Zmuda was on stage wistfully recollecting |
| ality. He called her one Sunday afternoon, talked | | | | amusing |
| for several hours and she | | | | never-before-heard anecdotes about Andy. He |
| asked him if he would visit her.... Andy hopped on | | | | then brought out |
| a plane that night to ch- | | | | Jerry Lawler, who reflected about Andy and their |
| ichago, rented a car and drove to Matoon in a | | | | wrestling |
| raging snow storm. He stayed | | | | days together in Memphis. Jerry looked about the |
| with the girl for several days and nights until she | | | | same as |
| died. Meantime, "Taxi" | | | | in the early 80s - with the exception of a few |
| was without him, had no idea where he was and | | | | wrinkles. |
| had to write him out of that | | | | He emerged on stage with a Superman t-shirt |
| week's script. When he returned to LA he | | | | tight on his |
| explained everything to the producer | | | | back.After Jerry, the always-outrageous Andy |
| but he was still docked $10,000 for that week he | | | | Dick zipped onstage. (Andy [Dick] |
| was absent. I was rather mo- | | | | was profoundly hooked on Kaufman after seeing |
| ved by that episode that has never been | | | | him pour water water over the |
| revealed publicly, but I did confirm | | | | head of a young Micheal Richards on |
| it with one of the staff on his show.JB: | | | | "Fridays.")Needless to say, the other Andy didn't |
| Awesome.... What did Andy think about your fake | | | | show. The show |
| obituary?AA: Andy was extremely fascinated by | | | | was fun and moving and a tribute to a comedic |
| my obituary in January | | | | genius the |
| 1980 and insisted on knowing every single detail | | | | world had never seen the likes of. Andy Dick |
| of my plan | | | | didn't play his portion of |
| that worked so well. I became a bit annoyed at | | | | the show sober, but what the hell? After his |
| his persistence | | | | epitaph I was |
| and teased him that he had probaly never done | | | | quite moved and the sight of him moving back |
| anything signifi- | | | | and forth to |
| cant except his role on "Taxi."JB: What was your | | | | the restoom didn't bother me at all.... Was he |
| reaction to Andy's untimely death? Do you think | | | | consuming |
| he's | | | | crank? LSD? Or merely suffering from a bad |
| still alive?AA: When Andy "died" I was indeed | | | | bout with the flu? |
| shocked. Then, in retrospect, | | | | The world shall never know.One thing I know is, |
| I remembered all the questions he had about my | | | | once entering Kaufman's old apartment - |
| own departure. | | | | accompanied |
| So I retain a bit of doubt; but not enough to lose | | | | by Tony Clifton - who was no doubt Bob Zmuda |
| any sleep | | | | that night - I noticed two |
| over it. I would certainly be ecstatic if he turned | | | | Ventura beach postcards. One that read: Keep |
| up on some | | | | up the work. It is not over. |
| island or on "American Idol" as a contestant.JB: | | | | And another one with a link to is not all. There |
| Hey, thanks a lot for taking my call and providing | | | | have been many other experiences that night - |
| me with | | | | and around it - that have truly |
| the new information!AA: I hope this information | | | | shocked the hell out of me. Not to make me go |
| helps your article.JB: It does, take care.AA: Bye.On | | | | out of my mind - but to make me think. And that |
| May 16th, 2004, Bob Zmuda [Kaufman's best | | | | it |
| friend and writer] | | | | did. |