Brian Chic - Hollywood's premier whip artist.

Last time we spoke was when I received your CD with the music you recorded for me....I played it in my car on the way to Alan's place as it was a seldom time I could be alone and listen to the music.... We were talking and I was singing all those pieces for you....My favorite song "Lilly Marlin"...You found the original version with Marlin Dietrich and the accordion in the background..So I sang ....And I sang the other Russian and Gypsy songs...And you liked that...And you said that you see me in a long dress, singing in a nice expensive bar in Hollywood, leaning on the piano while you're playing...It was nice to give me all that support and encourage me to follow my heart....And I was having a glimpse of hope that it would really happen one day...And I was picturing us as a irresistible duo that touches peoples hearts with their music...

It was a fun talk with singing and reminiscence and I still remember....

I didn't knowthen that this would be our last talk....I called after and left a voice mail..I called few times and was wondering why you are not calling back...

I was thinking of you around the Thanks Giving ...And I was thinking about you around last Christmas...

I have heard today why you weren't able to call or write...I understand...

I do know you are still here with us....the master of arts somewhere in a Twilight Zone...

I told Jonathan todayand he was very surprised and sad...He wanted me to order the whip kit you recommended for him..I can't tell Nyomi yet as she is supposed to write a piece for her exam and I know this will really hurt her...So I will wait until she comes home, so that I can be with her when she hears.

We will continue the way you felt we need to...I will express my heart in singing and dancing where I find happiness and piece..Nyomi is following her heart and will do theater and music...Perhaps one day when she is able to find a way to publish her songs she will publish yours too..

I will always listen to your music that you sent..The one you wrote and the one you played and the one you gathered for me...

You will stay my dear friend...We have somehow immediately bonded from the moment we first spoke at your high school reunion. You had a very special amusing style that made me laugh and I enjoyed talking to you..You were a real refreshment and a fun spark...

All the best my friend...May God be with you...Nothing will change...For us you will always be as before...Out there having fun and performing ....

I was just trolling the web today, looking for info on bullwhips and I came across Brian's site. I am terribly sad to discover that Brian is no longer with us.

I worked at Paramount Pictures on and off during the 90's, and early on the oddest fellow and I would occassionally cross paths. I say "oddest" because this fairly young man always had a straight, deadpan face, walked with a Vaudeville waddle, and had the style of someone from another era entirely.

Soon we got to know each other and I would regularly sneak away to hang out with Brian in "shipping". He made me laugh, he made me walk funny, talk funny and try to pronounce the silliest words. We cracked each other up. He was a real inspiration to me.

I lovedto hear him recite stories, poems, songs--some his, some from others. He would sometimes just come into my room and do "The Little Wooden Boy" then bow, turn and leave me busting up. I loved his disdain for so much of the modern world. The way he clapped his hands over his ears and grimaced when he heard loud rock music was refreshing--so unhip, so authentic, so Brian.

I once told him that as a kid I had seen a scary movie on Saturday afternoon TV that haunted me with nightmares for months after. I described part of a scene and he immediately said "Dementia 13" Francis Ford Copolla's first feature". I rented the movie and, sure enough, that was it, not very scrary anymore. Thanks to Brian's encylopedic knowledge of old films a dark little sliver was removed from my memories.

And to see this gentlemanly and odd fellow suddenly wield a whip was startling. As if an alter-ego emerged, he suddenly became a dangerous, deft and macho master of the bullwhip. Wow!

Brian, I'm very happy to have gotten to know you and very sad that you have left us so soon. I will remember you with a smile on my face and a waddle in my walk.

Paul O'Bryan
San Francisco

I have 22 years of memories with Brian. I can't quite get that I will never hear that voice on the phone again.

My daughter has loved Brian since she was a tiny girl. They both love "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. He would send her posters and photos from the movie. They both loved Westerns. Sometimes he would call us and play the piano on the phone since we miss our friends and Los Angeles. He has shared many holidays with us and sent CDs and cards to my girls for years.

I took some publicity pictures of Brian in 1985. We decided to go to Joshua Tree for a dramatic backdrop. We spent one day together and from that day enjoyed a long friendship. We still laughed about several things that happened on that day trip...we wondered why there wasn't a kitty litter called," fraidy cat" to keep the cats out of the box. He marvelled at my love of all things Mexican , "Hon, I never saw anybody eat hot sauce with a spoon" . Brian didn't have a car then so it was a big adventure for him to go to a National Forest.

One thing I noticed about Brian from the beginning was that if you loved his stories you could never laugh at them too hard because then he would not tell you any more. But one of my all time favorites was when he was working at the local movie theater in Kentucky and while the movie played he snuck behind the screen on the catwalk...lost his balance ripped the screen all the way down as he fell and sort of rolled out onto the stage in front of a packed house. I also liked the one at the public pool in Kentucky when he wanted to show off for some girl he liked- he got up on the high dive, caught her eye, did some flexing for effect, then hit the concrete on the way down.

To be friends with Brian was to enjoy long standing jokes and a deep appreciation of his uniqueness. I will miss a friendship that could withstand all the bumps and changes of life.

We lost a real treasure.

Marcy Gibbens
Los Angeles
Baton Rouge

A bit of my soul is lost. The door to a more elegant time is forever closed. The stories I can't quite remember will never be told again. I'll want to call him and can't. There will be no more of his artistry and the world has lost the rarest of men all too soon.

Brian taught me many things and the most important was to be your true self and not what what you believe others want you to be. It was sometimes a difficult path, but the one he chose. I shall try to follow his example and I shall hold him in my heart for the rest of my life.

I lived in Brian's neighborhood as a child in Kentucky. We attended the Catholic school in Frankfort which did not have it's own buses. As a result the bus would drop us off about a mile from our homes and we walked the rest of the way home as a group. I mention this because, with the benefit of retrospect, even then, 2nd grade for me 3rd for Brian, he was a natural entertainer. He would , with our goading, tell us tales of his wild life, which were made up on the fly but kept us rapt enough that the mile was traversed in no time. Every day. If he was at a loss for material, he would recite movie dialog from memory, most of them from the classic horror movies.

His backyard in Old Cloverdale was the site of my having objects removed from my person by whip. He was impressive then. I remember his first year in the high school band was a year in which there was no incoming freshman class and the previous freshmen were looking for some newbies to haze. Brian gave an adequate defense using humor, but when that failed, his "go to" was the bullwhip. The band director had to get folks to stand down from that. He never hurt ANYONE with his whips that I ever was aware of.

He was never afraid of public speaking or being the focus of attention, he loved movies and ragtime music. Again looking back - I believe Brian should have been born at an earlier time.

The world will be less without the warm, witty, humor of Brian Chic.

Brian Chic was a man with a contagious love of the entertainments of a bygone age. A classy figure in an era that rejected class, he was an odd duck out of his element. He, nevertheless, gave us a glimpse into our cultural history in such a way as to make it seem current and even vital.
As friendly as Brian was, he was still a very private man. I had known him for over fifteen years and yet I still did not know him well. What I will remember are the stories: the songwriters, the vintage comedians, mowing Col. Sanders' lawn, and more. What more can I say but that I thoroughly enjoyed my time around Brian as I suspect we all did.

Byron Werner
Little Rock AR
July 2007

When I think of Brian, I think of:

braces and double breasted suits
Colonel Sanders
Hamm's Beer
"13 Ghosts"
and an unmistakable, unforgettable, ever-present laugh.

I actually don't think I knew Brian very well but ... what I knew of him was his best. I am certain he was a great friend.

I'm struck by the number of people who describe him as a gentleman .. because that is the perfect description ... He was a true southern gentleman and because I knew him ( and only because I knew him) I can say I know what that means. It seemed he was meant for another era which made his acquaintance a gift .. like a glimpse into another age.

When I saw him he was always with, at least, Josie and usually Oscar, Ron and Serge' . It was a marvelous thing to see how these friends and their effortless interaction, would produce hours of side splitting, tear streaming, face aching laughter. I would always arrive home having had the best time ...

My life is immeasurably richer for having known him.

rest well, dear friend ... our hearts are broken.
joan

I was Brian’s neighbor for the past year. He was the first person to stop by and welcome me to the complex.
We had a couple of long conversations regarding his love of whips and the entertainment industry.

Though I didn’t know Brian all that well, he definitely made a positive impact on me the short time that I knew him.

Rest in Peace my neighbor & God Bless.

Brian Chic will forever have a special place in my heart. I met him a couple of years ago at a Jolson Society show. I liked him then, but it wasn't until last year, after I teamed up with Rick Rogers to do vaudeville, that I met him again and again at small gatherings at Michelle Malik's apartment which allowed us to get better acquainted. Brian captured my heart and I his. Even though I had known him such a short time and knew nothing of his great ability with the whip, the comfort I felt in his affection gave me complete confidence when he whipped me--standing in the middle of the street outside Michelle's apartment. I couldn't wait to work him into the act and we were working on some hilarious ideas that will now never see the light of day since no one could possibly replace him.
My heart is breaking all over again as I'm writing this. I feel angry and cheated to have met him so late and lost him so soon. Kindred souls as beautiful as Brian do not come along every day. His wit, music and loving heart have deeply touched me. I am thankful to God to have experienced the friendship of such a wonderful and gentlemanly soul as Brian Chic.

And I'll never forget him.

He was on the bill for one of Augusta's variety shows as were my band. My band mates & I hounded the bar before the show started to take advantage of our drink tickets & I strike up a conversation with this fellow. I had no idea of his act or anything but he & I got to talking about Vaudeville & we spent a while talking about Brain's meeting with George Burns some time ago, of course. While my band got bored of the conversation quickly as they had no input on eight year old variety shows but Brian & I chatted right up to curtain call. By then I had learned about his whip skill, not that I was fast to believe him! He told me how he felt his other skills weren't getting the opportunities to display themselves but he told me that he had a non-whip reliant act in the nights show.

So the show is under way & he comes out for his animatronic presidential send up. Amazing! It had me rolling! Funny for many reasons, it was as close to I've got to being at a real Vaudeville show as I'll get. Later in the night he does his whip routine to more of the crowd & my amazement.

The night was just about done now & we're playing a few bars of 'The Sheik of Araby' & as he takes his walk down the catwalk he does this great little old-timey strut. Luckily, I have a little DVD of that night that got it all, right down to the strut. I'll put that on tonight. This guy would've killed at The Palace, if you're not sure what that means, he would know.

Wish we could of chatted again.
Marquis Howell
Hobo Jazz

Brian was a true gentleman, and hugely talented. His range of knowledge
was impressive and he had many gifts- talented musician, articulate
writer, amazing showman, gentle soul.

Not only were we dear friends, we were professional performing partners.

Brian and I worked together for eleven years, in a precision whip act
called "Lipstick And Lashes". I was "Lipstick", he was "Lashes".

We did years together performing with The Velvet Hammer Burlesque as well
as at parties and many other shows including Margaret Cho's "Sensuous
Woman".

We rehearsed constantly not just for safety's sake but because he was a
tireless perfectionist, and liked to get every nuance right... But our
rehearsals weren't just about work. We shared obsessions with clowns, movie
montsers, ventriloquist dummies, and of course, Lon Chaney, vintage movies
and the glamour of bygone eras.

He would always start our rehearsals off by showing me clips from old
musicals or horror movies and "Our Gang" shorts, or by playing me an
original music composition. We always discussed life, our problems,
triumphs... And we laughed together... A LOT. Onstage, our act always came
off as totally professional, but we would always try to make the other one
crack up. I would make crazy faces at him and even though I could tell he
was holding in his laughter, he kept his mean-looking scowl up perfectly. We
usually would meet in the wings right afterwards and laugh hysterically!

The loss of him on the mortal plane is devastating to many.....

I love Brian, and will never forget him.

Pleasant "Princess Farhana" Gehman

I've known Brian peripherally for over ten years now. We had mutual friends in the film industry, at whose dinners and gatherings we'd talk movies, real movies, not the rot they make now. I'd worked on a couple of feature films at Paramount, where I would run into him again. An extraordinary man and personality. He was the only guy I knew who could leave me in the dust when it came to quoting classic films. Like those films, and the great characters who live in them, he takes his place in the constellations, and we have only to replay the memories to know he is there.

Like Norma Desmond says, "The stars are ageless, aren't they?"

See you at the theatre Brian!

Take care,
Sean Menzies

I worked with Brian for 5 years at Paramount Pictures. Brian made each day interesting to say the least. Whether I was being amazed at his vast knowledge on early cinema or teasing him about his lack of knowledge on anything 21st Century or helping him with the birth of “The Junior Youth Guidance Councilor” he made my time at Paramount some of the best years I have had in this industry. At every studio I go to work I meet people who know and remember Brian. “He was a character!” people say and I always like to say “He was full of it too!”. I will always remember the summer I took him to Laughlin (Which he liked to pronounce Lockland) we took my boat on to the lake, try and picture Brian on a boat! We found a shore to beach the boat on and go swimming. I asked Brian to get off the boat and pull us on to shore. He stood up like a new born fawn and slowly got into the water. The lake bottom had rocks so he was unable to stand up do to his pale tender, sensitive feet. He flailed around for a good 3 minutes before I jumped in to help him out. It was one of the funniest moments in my life. Brian this town lost a great performer and we lost a good friend.

I am saddened and surprised to learn of Brian’s passing. I had the pleasure of attending two years of high school with Brian. I entered Franklin County High School in Frankfort, KY during the fall of 1974. As a new junior in town, the transition from my hometown to Frankfort was a major adjustment in my then young life. I have never forgotten how kind Brian was to me during these challenging times. In 1975 our senior play was You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Brian played Charlie Brown, I played Linus. I have fond memories of Brian and our work on the senior play. I had the pleasure of seeing him at our 30th high school class reunion in 2005. He was truly a gentleman and someone I will always remember and respect. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

David O. Hester – Crestwood, KY

A moment with a whip legend - Brian Chic
By Barbara "Scout" Deer & Gery L. Deer
Published in “Mach One” Magazine in February 2007

Most people in the whip arts community know the names of Mike Murphy, Alex Green, and John Brady. Those who have seen Mark Allen’s “The Art of the Bullwhip” video are familiar with many other names, such as Vince Bruce and Joyce Rice. But do you remember the guy in the suit who was slapped by his assistant after doing multiple body wraps on her? That well-dressed gentleman was none other than whip artist and entertainer Brian Chic of Burbank, California. (Photo Left : Whip Artist & Entertainer Brian Chic)

Brian says his favorite time of day to practice his craft is “in the sun, alone on a grassy bit of area in, maybe, someone’s back yard or a park. No paycheck, no pretty partner, no audience, and no low ceilings.” These words give lots of insight into Brian as a man who values his first childhood experiences learning to use whips as much as his distinguished career entertaining with them.

Born in April, 1956 in Louisville, Kentucky, Brian picked up his first whip at the age of 5 after a trip to the circus, and thus began his lifetime of pursuit of the mastery of the braid. The whip became his favorite pastime, and he played and practiced with the enthusiasm that other boys his age devoted to baseball, slingshots, or toy guns.

As Brian grew and learned, his skills progressed. Around 1978 he moved to Los Angeles to start his career, and was soon building a name for himself in the entertainment industry.

In a recent interview with the Mach 1 editor, Barbara 'Scout' Deer, Brian spoke about his lifetime of work in the whip arts.

Read the interview...

I was blessed to have had Brian as one of my closest and dearest friends for 34 years. How does one put 34 years of memories into a few paragraphs? I will try. We met at Eastern Kentucky University in the theatre dept. Since we both had a dry and strange sense of humor we quickly became friends. The many plays we worked on and in together, the many late nights watching old movies, the many graveyard adventures we went on and countless whip practices in the auditorium. I was often the girl with the lit cigarette, scarf in my hand or body to be wrapped. Our trip to New york City in '76 is particularly memorable. We went to see "The Wiz". I'll never forget our friend Richard Bitsko leaning over to Brian and saying "Yes Brian, they're all black". He didn't know the whole cast was black.

After Brian moved to California we kept in touch with letters, cassette tapes and phone calls. I still have all the letters and tapes. I remember the many times he would forget the time difference of three hours between there and here in Ohio. He would call me at 2 am my time and couldn't figure out why I couldn't remember what we talked about. We laughed, cried and worked out our frustrations with life.He came to visit twice in those many years. Both visits cherished and loaded with adventures from hiking on ice in the Hocking Valley, to graveyards to whip practice in the backyard.

He was going to visit again this summer at a whip convention in Greenville.

Yes I was blessed. Brian had a gift for life. He had a very old and gentle soul. And He left us way too soon. I just hope he's sharing a good stinky cigar with Groucho, George, and Jack.

I will truely miss him.

Laurie Hof-Johnson in Columbus Ohio

Brian was a dear friend of mine in high school. He was a comedian even then, and kept all of us laughing with his antics. He and I were on "The Bird" staff together, which was a magazine written by Franklin County High School students. He loved to write articles and poems to contribute to the magazine. I dug out my old copies of "The Bird", and would like to share a couple of poems he wrote, and one that was written for him.

My heartfelt sympthy goes out to his family. Brian... you will be sadly and greatly missed by your many, many friends from FCHS. Write On. Smiles to you , my friend...
Kim Erbeck

As brilliant minds are thinking up
Astronomical logics to scientific wonders,
There sits Chic with his musical numbers.
When Smoke Gets In His Eyes on the violin,
He recites o'er the phone scenes from Gone With the Wind.
While attending a party dressed as Groucho Marx,
The comedian in him shouts out witty remarks,
As Taylor's runs low on supply of black spray,
Our hero is dying his hair once a day.
While fantabulous movies simply boggle his mind,
He's seen Harpo's best film over 99 times.
So Ode to a Chic, this is tribute to you...
Because rarities like this are so enlightening and few.

When Kimberly Smiles At Me
by Brian Chic

My mind is like a puffy cloud
Or an island on the sea
I forget most material things
When Kimberly smiles at me!

All the girls are jealous
Since I have one love, you see-
And my face just grins so broadly
When Kimberly smiles at me!

My eyes are the greenest-green, you know,
And my face is heavenly,
But I get a whole lot better lookin'
When Kimberly smiles at me!

I'm dancing on a cloud at times
I'm light and fancy-free-
I'm just a handsome stud, I guess,
When Kimberly smiles at me!

The Sprightly Fingers
by Brian Chic

Sucking pencils by the day,
We poets ponder for hours,
There's just so much you can say about
A potato's love or flowers.
Inspired by beauty, we wince in awe
And write for hours at a time.
Sometimes many days are spent
To make these damn things rhyme.

My biggest beef, as it stands now,
Has got to be Robert Frost.
When "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,"
Immediately- I was lost!
Kilmer's poem, ironically,
Cut down our trees to ribbons-
"A poem so lovely as a tree"
Could only grab Ewell Gibbons.

Poe is nice, but morbid!
Didn't he carry those things too far?
If he left his mark in literature,
It must have been a bloody scar.
Sandburg's poems are quite reknown-
They're pleasing, but awfully thick.
Give me "Wreck of the Hesperas"-
It always does the trick.

I play on critics nerves by day
And put them to the test-
At night I may insult them,
But really , it's all in jest.
I'm but a humble scribbler
Of the "easy-sleasy" sort- It's not an art, I look at it
As more of a favorite sport.

I went to high school with Brian, and he was always the life of the party. When I saw him at our 30th year reunion two years ago in Frankfort KY, he was so happy. All of us knew he would find his dream job in Hollywood. No doubt everyone from his Franklin County class will miss him.

Regards,

Susan Sullivan

I am proud to have known and worked with an artist of such commitment, talent and good taste. From his elegant whip act to the comic genius of the robotic Gorman Bundt and if you were ever lucky enough to see this one ... "The Pussyfoot," his routines were rehearsed to perfection and always appreciated. I would introduce him as "Brian Chic .... A man who takes his comedy very seriously."
God bless you Brian. You were always a Mensch and a perfect gentleman. I hope there is a nice nightclub in heaven, you will be booked solid for an eternity.

Being an adolescent in Frankfort, Kentucky was without a doubt, the darkest part of my entire life. All I can say is thank God for Brian Chic!
We were great friends during our early teenage years, and shared a passion for classic horror films, mainly from the 30's and 40's. We were both "geeky" and weird, to say the least, but Brian had lots of talent to go along with it; so much, in fact, that I was sure -- even back then -- he would wind up either in Hollywood or on the New York stage.

Part musician, part comedian, part film historian, (and let's not forget Whip Master!!),
Brian was unique in our community, to say the least. He and I would memorize dialogue from various horror films, and would actually recite them to one another, then laugh hysterically. He had an old super-8 movie projector, and owned several old
classics, which we would watch over at his house, and sometimes mine. Such fond memories!

It is obvious from reading the many tributes posted on this website, that Brian touched and enriched the lives of many. I would love to meet some of you, and share "Brian stories."
Michelle, I wish I could be there when you guys watch Bride of Frankenstein. For me, that one REALLY conjures up memories of Brian! And Leslie, in Atlanta, thank you SO much for sharing the George Burns story.
I will definitely enjoy telling that one in the future. (I get to Atlanta a few times a year -- would LOVE to hear more of your stories, and I'm sure there's no shortage of them!).

David, Pat, & Chris, my heart goes out to each of you. I hope to see you at the memorial service this weekend. To all of Brian's friends in L.A., I will be at El Cid in spirit on Friday, celebrating Brian's life. So long dear friend, and God Bless. I know you're cracking your whip somewhere in the heavens, and chatting it up with Bela, Boris, Lon Sr., & Jr., Maria Ospenskaya, Una O'Connor, Eddie Cantor and all the rest.

Bruce Rankin Cole, Lexington, KY

Hello,

I will miss Brian terribly. Brian and I went to high school together and enjoyed many afternoons watching old movies and eating Tony’s pizza. My mom loved for him to come over and just play the piano. Brian and I got back up several years ago and have kept up with each other regularly. A few years ago, we went to California to see him and spent a week there. It was always a bright day when I got a call or letter from Brian. He was a very good friend. I will treasure our friendship forever.

We will miss you Brian. You were truly a remarkable man.

Evalynn Wheeler Mills

I woke up this morning to see a notice for Brian Chic in the local Frankfort paper. There will be a memorial service next Sunday. I was shocked. Several months ago I received a phone call and a letter from Brian. This was unusual because I had not heard from him in over 35 years. He asked about people and places in Frankfort Ky. the town he had grown up in. He said he was thinking about moving back. Looking back on our conversation I guess he was thinking about his life and trying to reconnect with the past. My best friend growing up was Brian's older brother Chris. We were in high school and Brian was a very unusual young boy. He would constantly amaze us with his knowledge of old show tunes and movies. We would be a part of his bullwhip practice by allowing him to snap sticks and cigarettes out of our hands and mouths. How many 10 year olds had Groucho Marx as a pen pal? Even though he was only 10 he made an impression on me that has stayed throughout my life. Many times I have related stories to others about that amazing 10 year old. I had always expected Brian to be a big star in Hollywood. Now I know that he was indeed a big star in the lives of those that knew him. Mike Grugin

I was the MC for many shows where Brian performed, including the last one at El Cid in June. I remember rushing to hug him backstage (being careful not to wrinkle his suit!) after he finished yet another amazing act, and he (as usual) was far too humble in accepting the compliments. His great comedic talent and skill were deeply impressive to everyone lucky enough to be in his audience, and the class he brought to every evening will remain unforgettable forever.

His memory will always be for a blessing.

Gary Shapiro

Last Saturday as I was sitting in the office of tour company I work for part time, my cell phone rang and my sister Laura said, Leslie, honey, I have some very bad news. Of course I thought it was concerning one of my family, but I wasn't ready to hear " Brian's dead". I suddenly was flooded with memories of Brian at Eastern Ky U and of course, his prized whips. I don't really remember how I met Brian during our freshman year, but we became good friends and had many adventures together. Sometimes if our budgets were just right, we'd go to a local steakhouse and dine. At the end Brian would light a big old cigar and blow the smoke in my face, hoping for some type of reaction. I grew up pipe tobacco smoke around my house, so it didn't faze me in the least.

He told me of how he got starting with the whip tricks; he was a bored kid in NM and a local boy showed him the magic of the whip. I'll never forget when he had just gotten a really fancy leather one and we went to the tech shop at EKU. It was about the only place that he could use it without hitting any thing. He whirled it around and CRACK! It sounded like cannon going off.

I always thought the he was born in the wrong era, because he was so comfortable and knowledgeable about old movies, who produced, director, did the scenery, etc. We'd go off to one of the music practice rooms and he would play all the old tunes that he knew.

I remember how he saved up for the 7 record set of Gone with the Wind, the whole movie on the records I can't tell you how many lunches he had of Mr. Pibb and Cheetos. We both had a fondness for popcorn and with just a dash of whitshire(I could never spell) in the oil, made it divine. He always complained that he could never get Paul Newman popcorn in a jar, just the microwave which was a sacrilege. He would write me a note that just said "Where's my damn popcorn"?!? I had a Apt off campus and we'd watch old movies. To this day, I still say "nibit, nibit,nibit" which is what the mummy said in "the Mummy" as he was thrown a curse on someone. Never try to talk or make comments when Brian was watching a movie. His focus was so that he just didn't hear you.

I could go on and on about the old days in Kentucky, but I do want to share a favorite story of mine about Brian: He got to met George Burns and for the occasion, he brought along a cigar rolled in Kentucky. He gave the cigar to Mr. Burns who said"Kid, I only smoke imported Cigars" Which Brian retorted "It is imported Sir, it's from Kentucky!". Apparently that amused George so much, he let Brian interview him atlength.

Brian was good friends with my bro-n-law Roger Stanton & Serge, so that is how I would keep up with him.I wish I could join you all on the 21st for the service, but Atlanta is just too far away. Please raise your glasses for me when you toast him.
God bless you Brian Matthew Chic, you were one of a kind
Leslie Truman

I met Brian in the early 80's. We worked on the phone lines at the Pantages Theatre. My cousin and I were 2 twenty-year-old "Greek" girls from the South. An intoxicating combination for Brian. As soon as he learned I was a fellow Gone With the Wind fanatic, we became instant, lifelong friends. We were very much like "an old married couple." He even nicknamed us "Willie and Ina"... names we kept until the end. We were not interested in ANYTHING, that was produced after 1955... with the exception of "The Andy Griffith Show" and all things Don Knotts. We would get together on Saturdays, go to Pavillion's, stock up on Chinese food and lemon drops and eat ourselves silly while watching some bizarre-o selection from Brian's video collection. After I moved back to my hometown a few years ago, Brian would call me and play my favorite songs on his little piano over the phone! He always got a laugh out of the fact that I couldn't remember what that damn thing was called. I kept calling it a "clavicle." Anytime I was feeling particularly homesick, my phone would ring and it would be Brian and we would spend hours discussing and dissecting various Andy Griffith Show episodes. I told him we needed to get a life, to which he would just laugh and say, "Now, now, Ina. You got no more sense than the hopper-grass." (a Gone With the Wind reference!). Needless to say, I could go on and on. I can't believe I'll never hear him call me "a dumb-ole-country girl!" To paraphrase Brian's hero, Barney Fife, "I just don't know if I can face a future with no Brian Chic in it!" I'll never forget you, Willie.

Helen Katopodis - Charlotte, NC and West Hollywood, CA

Count Smokula (Robert Miles) has written a beautiful song in Brian's honor.

The Ballad of Brian Chic

Brian Chic was such a good and decent man I performed many a show with this fine and talented gentleman. We were wrote up in the Los Angeles Times and it was one of the happiest moments in my life. He helped me through many a hard time as well I did him. We laughed so many times and even cried too. Brian Chic was an individual in his talents and numerous acts. People like Brian Chic come around once in a lifetime I am so Blessed to have known him for as many years as I did. His intellegence, guidence, comedy and vocabulary I will miss the most. He was old fashioned and Oh My God So Funny! I love you Brian Chic! I will mourn and miss you for the rest of my days. I know you are finally at peace. May God Rest Your Soul My Love.

Love Always
Your Funny Kristen Andreotti

Brian was one of my closest friends and the first live person I met after joining the Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society back in 1993. He called me one day in 1996 from his Hollywood home, and we quickly forged a fantastic friendship. Brian was the wittiest, most clever friend I think I'll ever know and had the uncanny ability to send me into hysterics, even when he was down. He thrilled at the idea of making me laugh. A few weeks ago, he was supposed to come over and we'd watch The Bride of Frankenstein. It never came to fruition. I think a group of us will still catch that flick sometime soon for Brian. The day I got the crushing news of his passing, I drank a Mr. Pibb, his favorite soft drink, and sent my love to him through the ether. Brian, you'll never know how much I'll miss you! You were a true gentleman, a gem, and a beautiful friend. God Bless!
~Michelle Malik, President of the Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society
(Check out www.myspace.com/libranpoet for my tribute to Brian)