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Michael Angelo, The Man Behind The Legend by Derek Anthony aka Tutti Fruitti:

Hello all !! I am Derek Anthony, aka Tutti Fruitti, also later known as Lesbiana. I was a member of the group Michael Angelo formed in 1980 called "The Cosmetics".

I first saw Michael Angelo at the Odyssey Disco which used to be cattycorner from where the Beverly Center is now. It was mid October and Halloween was approaching. He was decked out in an outfit I can only describe as Las Vegas meets the Addams Family. His makeup is what was most impressive. Michael Angelo was one of the best makeup artists I have ever met. Why he never worked in the movies is beyond me.

He had a very interesting face. Turned up pug nose and almost asian eyes which when made up made him look even more exotic. I was instantly fascinated by him. He also had an aloofness which made him even more star-like. He always kept people at a distance.

So, for Halloween 1979 I ventured over to a club I had never been to before called Ginos on Vine Street. I was dressed as a French Maid. I entered the contest and lip synced a song called "Telephone Man". Truth was I was pretty ugly as a woman. People were laughing at me not with me. Fortunately after several months of this I figured I'd better turn to comedy as the feeble attempt at glamor wasn't working. I also met Viva for the first time this night. I will never forget her leopard pumps. At 5'4" and a 23 inch waist Viva looked like a girl even without makeup. I was also in "awe" of her/him.

After many months of entering the dance contests at Ginos Michael Angelo asked me if I would be interested in being part of an ensemble group and performing at Circus Disco in the back Trapeze Room. I was only 19 at this point but being part of the show I was NEVER carded. So, around March of 1980 Michael Angelo, Manuel, Lonnie, Tommy, Viva and myself started doing our show at Circus Disco. Our show became quite popular. Michael Angelo was the punk shock act, Manuel and Lonnie were professional dancers, Tommy did the black diva disco numbers, Viva provided the sex appeal and I was the comedy and occasionally chain sawing furniture or smashing TV's with an axe.

Michael Angelo had a falling out with the management at Circus. My experience is nightclubs NEVER have people running them that know what they are doing especially where a show-act is involved. Most of them care about nothing more than making money. The owner of Circus Gene was a semi-jerk back in the early
80's. He is a full blown ***hole now and I have not spoken to him in close to ten years. From what I have heard he still treats his employees like peons.

So in early 1982 we took out act to Peanuts, next to Franch Marketplace. Peanuts was a full blown dyke bar in those days. And I do mean dyke not lesbian as there were knives pulled during fights on more than one instance. But it was fun. To this day I view lesbians as some of the most partying, fun loving people on the planet. They usually don't have the pretentions that gay men do.

Michael Angelo usually perfomed songs like Lene Lovich, Nina Hagen or any other outrageous singer he could find. He was always very secretive with his music and would often black out labels on rcords so other DJ's couldn't buy their own record. Michael Angelo was a very complex person. He was extremely moody. He may have been manic depressive as his moods could switch back and forth between easy going, funny and talkative to arrogant and condescending within half a day. He was extremely intelligent but I feel bad he never developed his many talents. He was a clothing designer, makeup artist, painter and decorater. His apartment on Kings Road was beautiful. He was probably the most creative person I have ever met. He could take the cheapest piece of wall decoration from a discount store and turn it into a work of art overnight. He had so many talents I cannot even begin to list them all here. His mood swings could make you hate him and walk out the door totally pissed off but you ALWAYS came back for more. He was just that kind of person. I have never tolerated this from anyone in the last 25 years. He was a unique individual. He was quite often a lot of fun to be around. Witty and sarcastic, he could make just about anyone laugh. If you had a flaw he wouldn't hesistate to use it as a source of amusement and I have many flaws so I gave him lots of ammunition.

Myself being one of the only members with a car, I was typically asked after a show to give him and Lonnie rides home or to the local bathhouse which I now regret. Sadly both have passed away from AIDS, Lonnie in 1993 or 94, Michael in 1996. Many of the other guest performers I worked with back int he 80's are for the most part gone. Viva and I are both still around. Viva still performs, I quit nightclubs in 1997. It was fun, from 1980 to 1997 I never had to go to an ATM, I always had a few bucks from being paid under the table.

That was a fun era, you will NEVER see an era like that again. The world was more innocent, our nightclub act was different and shocking. Now you can turn on the radio or TV and be shocked by violence and sex and harshness but not in those days. Michael Angelo was way ahead of his time.

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