Johnny Legend

Not to be confused with John Legend.

Johnny Legend (born Martin Margulies; 1948) is an American rockabilly musician, film producer, actor and wrestling manager.^[1][2]

Johnny Legend
Johnny Legend performing at Beat Kitchen, Chicago, 2012
Background information
Birth name	Martin Margulies
Born	1948 (age 75–76) San Fernando, California, U.S.
Genres	Rockabilly rock and roll
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1979–present

Career

In 1981, Legend and Linda Lautrec saw My Dinner With Andre.^[3] The two thought of spoofing the film and in 1982, the couple produced, wrote and, together with Mark Shepard, directed My Breakfast with Blassie, starring comedian Andy Kaufman and wrestling manager Freddie Blassie.^[1][4] Legend's sister Lynne Margulies, who also appeared in the film, subsequently became Kaufman's girlfriend.^[3]

In 1995, Legend co-founded Incredibly Strange Wrestling, a wrestling promotion active in San Francisco until the early 2000s.

In 2000, January 14 to 20, Legend did a week showing films at the Clinton St. Theater in Portland, Oregon. Among the features he presented were, The Sadist, The T.A.M.I Show, My Breakfast with Blassie, Two Thousand Maniacs!, and more.^[5]

Discography

Solo releases

1. Are You Hep To Me? (Honeymoon Bop, 1979).
2. Rockabilly Rumble (As Johnny Legend & His Skullcaps) (Rollin' Rock, 1981).
3. Soakin' The Bone (As Johnny Legend & His Skullcaps) (Rollin' Rock, 1981).
4. I Bite The Songs – Freddie Blassie (Produced by Johnny Legend) (Rhino, 1985).
5. Rockabilly Rumble (Rollin' Rock Switzerland, 1994).
6. Rockabilly Bastard: The Best Of Johnny Legend, Volume None (As Johnny Legend & His Rockabilly Bastards) (Hightone, 1997).
7. Bitchin' (Dionysus, 1998).
8. I Itch! (Bluelight Records, 2014).
9. The Rollin' Rock Recordings (Part Records, 2015)^[6]

Various artists compilations

1. Rollin' The Rock, Vol. 1 (Rollin' Rock, 1976).
2. Rollin' The Rock, Vol. 2 (Rollin' Rock, 1977).
3. Teenage Cruisers – The Cream Of California Rockabilly [Original Soundtrack] (Rhino, 1980).
4. Forever Gene Vincent (Rollin' Rock, 1980).
5. Wrestling Rocks (Rhino, 1985).
6. Turning The World Blue: A Tribute To Gene Vincent (Skizmatic, 1996).
7. Rollin' Rock Got The Sock, Vol. 1 (Hightone, 1997).
8. Rollin' Rock Got The Sock, Vol. 2 (Hightone, 1998).
9. The Big Monster Bash, Vol. 1 (Mouthpiece, 1998).
10. Stock Footage: Music From The Films Of Roger Corman (Worry Bird, 2000).
11. If These Walls Could Talk 2 [Original Soundtrack] (Jellybean, 2000).

Filmography

• The Secret Sex Lives of Romeo and Juliet (1969)
• The Cat Ate The Parakeet (AKA Pot, Parents And Police) (1972) (As Martin Margulies)
• Sexual Sensory Perception (1975)
• Young, Hot 'N' Nasty Teenage Cruisers (1977)
• Fantasm Comes Again (1977) (As Martin Margulies)
• My Breakfast with Blassie (1983) (With Andy Kaufman)
• Prison Ship (1988)
• Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
• Severed Ties (1992)
• Children of the Corn III (1995)
• Bug Buster (1998)
• Man on the Moon (1999)
• Skinwalker – Curse of the Shaman (2005)

References

1. von Busack, Richard (June 20, 2012) "He's a Legend," East Bay Express. Oakland/Berkeley. Retrieved on March 7, 2018.
2. Whiteside, Johnny (August 28, 2003) "The Ghastly World of Johnny Legend," LA Weekly. Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 7, 2018.
3. Hornaday, Ann (December 24, 1999). "Kaufman cohort recalls comedian; Film: Johnny Legend reminisces about his brother in spoofhood, a would-be 'washed-up star' with whom he filmed 'My Breakfast With Blassie.'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
4. Thomas, Bryan (January 21, 2017). "'My Breakfast with Blassie': Andy Kaufman meets outrageous wrestling legend Freddie Blassie in a downtown L.A. diner". Night Flight. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
5. Archives of Oddities Arriving at Clinton Street, Shawn Levy, The Oregonian, January 14, 2000
6. Johnny Legend. Discogs. Retrieved on March 7, 2018.

External links

• Rockabilly Hall of Fame
• Johnny Legend at IMDb