Randy Turner
Encyclopedia
Randy J. "Biscuit" Turner (November 25, 1949 – August 18, 2005) was an American punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 singer and artist. He was born in Gladewater, Texas
Gladewater, Texas
Gladewater is a city in Gregg and Upshur Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 6,228 at the 2010 census. U.S. Highway 80 traverses the city....

. He was the lead singer for the seminal hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 band Big Boys
Big Boys (band)
The Big Boys were a pioneering band who are credited with helping introduce the new style of hardcore punk that became popular in the 1980s.-History:...

, formed in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

 in the 1970s.

Big Boys, along with The Dicks
The Dicks
The Dicks are an American punk rock band from Austin, Texas, originally formed in 1980. They initially disbanded in 1986 before reforming in 2004...

 and MDC
MDC (band)
MDC is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. The band were subsequently based in San Francisco, California, and are currently based in Portland, Oregon. MDC originally formed as The Stains before changing their name...

, are credited with the development of hardcore punk in Texas, while it was simultaneously emerging in other cities as well. They were one of the earliest skate punk
Skate punk
Skate punk is a sub genre of punk rock, originally a derivative of the West Coast hardcore punk scene, that is named after its popularity among skateboarders and association with skateboarding culture. Skate punk most commonly describes the sound of melodic hardcore bands from the 1990s with an...

 groups, were featured in Thrasher
Thrasher magazine
Thrasher is a monthly skateboarding magazine founded in 1981 by Kevin Thatcher, Eric Swenson, and Fausto Vitello. It regularly publishes articles , skateboard photography, interviews with professional skateboarders, interviews with and reviews of musical groups, skatepark reviews, and miscellaneous...

skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...

 magazine and videos, and had their own Big Boys skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...

. The group also is known for being the first punk band to introduce funk rhythms into hardcore, influencing later bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

. Turner was noted for outrageous stage antics, such as wearing a tutu
Tutu
Tutu may refer to:* Ballet tutu, a type of costume for ballet performances* Tutu , poisonous New Zealand plants of the genus Coriaria* Tutu , a 1986 album by Miles Davis* Tūtū, a composition by Liliuokalani of Hawaii...

 while performing. In 2004, in a song called "Ode", from the CD Complete Discography, the queercore
Queercore
Queercore is a cultural and social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of punk. It is distinguished by being discontent with society in general and its rejection of the disapproval of the gay, bisexual, and lesbian communities and their "oppressive agenda"...

 band Limp Wrist
Limp Wrist
Limp Wrist is an American hardcore punk band featuring members of Los Crudos, Hail Mary, Devoid of Faith, and Kill the Man Who Questions. Playing short, fast hardcore punk-styled music, the band touches upon themes concerning the LGBT community in their live performances and lyrics. They identify...

 pay homage to Randy Turner, along with Gary Floyd of The Dicks and Joshua Plague of Mukilteo Fairies and Behead the Prophet, No Lord Shall Live, for being pioneering gay punks in the hardcore scene who have paved the way for Limp Wrist. In his music career, he also played with Cargo Cult, Texas Biscuit Bombs and Swine Kings, who contributed the song "All Broke Down" to Outpunk Records
Outpunk
Outpunk enjoys the distinction of being the first record label entirely devoted to queer punk bands.The label was run out of San Francisco and began as an extension of Matt Wobensmith's fanzine, Outpunk. Outpunk ran for seven issues, from 1992 till 1997, with contributions from queer punks such as...

  seminal queercore
Queercore
Queercore is a cultural and social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of punk. It is distinguished by being discontent with society in general and its rejection of the disapproval of the gay, bisexual, and lesbian communities and their "oppressive agenda"...

 compilation CD Outpunk Dance Party.

Turner also took many turns in the theatre/performance realm. He was well known as a spoken word poet and was welcomed at many readings in Austins busy slam/poetry scene. He took several turns as the "penalty diva" for TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls around 2003 after the death of his friend Amberdiva who had held that position. He performed in 1992 in an award winning production of "Our Town" at Zachary Scott Theatre, playing both the professor and the reverend.

Biscuit was an avid collector, garage sale maniac, and found object artist. His house was a treasure trove of americana and he decorated the outside with all sorts of sculptural creations and lights during the holidays. Neighbors and kids often stopped to gawk at his amazing creations and "finds" that surrounded his South Austin home.

Death

Turner was found dead in his home in south Austin on August 18, 2005. The cause of death was reported to be cirrhosis of the liver due to a chronic, untreated hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...

 infection. He was preparing for a show of his artwork scheduled to open just a few days after he died. He was featured on the cover of the local independent newspaper, The Austin Chronicle, which was released the day after his death.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK