tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658202452707400073.post3595154490185427523..comments2023-12-27T05:20:26.800-05:00Comments on BAM blog: Who is Benjamin Smoke?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658202452707400073.post-62437768386967380972013-10-21T14:42:47.779-04:002013-10-21T14:42:47.779-04:00I met benjamin when he was 16 or 17 yrs old in ca...I met benjamin when he was 16 or 17 yrs old in carrollton, ga.... he rolled into town with Crook, who was a childhood friend of my brother-in-law... Crook was a drama queen asshole.... we loved to party and dance to Patti Smith... He loved Horses..we had such good times and I still love and miss him to this day..... we would drink tequila and dance on counter tops or wherever.... i'll never forget the night he put a maraca in his pants and we were dancing to "take a walk on the wild side" and some of those backwoods folks from Bowdon, GA didn't know what to think... we would throw these parties each weekend.... folks would be waiting on coming back or we never saw them again..... LOL.... those were the best days of my life.... I was so proud of him when he opened for Patti Smith... I cried tears of joy for him.... was so blessed to be there to see him.... she was our idol, and she is still mine!!!!! wished I could have one more dance with my dear friend......................laura green parkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658202452707400073.post-78385893216093893442013-10-16T16:58:55.303-04:002013-10-16T16:58:55.303-04:00Benjamin was not ever in Nature Protein Biscuit. ...Benjamin was not ever in Nature Protein Biscuit. But he was in Freedom Puff. His name was never Benjamin Smoke. That is the name of the movie. Lots and lots of 40+ musicians ex-musicians and artists here in Atlanta knew him well and, like me, are very surprised by people saying how hard it is to get information. https://www.facebook.com/groups/51991646477/?fref=tsjdhatlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06633767172325342469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658202452707400073.post-24750527920219550172013-10-16T16:39:59.065-04:002013-10-16T16:39:59.065-04:00Correction. That early band was Medicine Suite. Na...Correction. That early band was Medicine Suite. Nature Protein Biscuit was another project made up of affiliated Atlanta musicians, related to, but not including Benjamin. dblplushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03040481443053220989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658202452707400073.post-3508787783459413642013-10-16T16:27:10.620-04:002013-10-16T16:27:10.620-04:00I knew Benjamin through friend Chris Verene, Grace...I knew Benjamin through friend Chris Verene, Grace Braun, Zak Sitter. He was part of Nature Protein Biscuit - a noise band formed in the early-mid 80's in Atlanta. There's a good amount of info among those of us still alive. A one-off recording called Beatrice with members of DQE, NPB, and Cabbage, an early member of Butthole Surfers. <br /><br />I recall a particular festival "Destroy All Music" where Benjamin showed up dressed in just a Jesus tapestry as a skirt and a "crown of thorns" made up of used condoms filled with semen tied in his hair. <br /><br />In 90 or 91 I dated a guy Joseph who lived with Benjamin and one or two members of the drag troup The Singing Peek Sisters. I remember when I'd call for Joseph and tell Benjamin to tell him I'm coming over, he'd reply in his signature cigarette-rasped voice "You better start stretchin' your mouth!"<br /><br />Later on Benjamin would feature in photographer (and drummer from DQE) Chris Verene's award winning photo project "Camera Club." The exhibit was published in a limited book http://www.chrisverene.com/books.htmldblplushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03040481443053220989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658202452707400073.post-87100811894372163912013-10-16T02:03:47.338-04:002013-10-16T02:03:47.338-04:00A dear, funny friend and coworker. Real and genero...A dear, funny friend and coworker. Real and generous with his love and time. Knew Benji before he was Opal and adored him forever. He told many funny stories when we would just sit for hours. Then we would remember crazy funny stuff that happened to us and our friends.Angelnoreply@blogger.com