Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

The Duchess of Warhol: The Estate of Brigid Berlin

If you are a fan of pugs, and a fan of Chelsea Hotel characters, Wednesday’s auction of items from the Brigid Berlin estate will ring all of your bells! 

Check out the pug portraits.

A couple of Billy Name monographs might be more to your liking.

Or maybe buy a music book or two.

The auction begins Wed, Apr 27, 2022 at 10am EDT.

 

Ciaran Dwyer and Band on an Island Send a Tribute to the Bards from the other side of the pond

Irish musician Ciaran Dwyer writes to the blog, "Recently i wrote a ballad that we will be including as a b-side on a 7" single that will be released in April (The song Back Disco from our record will be the A-side), Its an acoustic tune called "Chelsea Bards" and i have included a verse in the tune about the Chelsea and Stanley. Its very rugged and raw. We spent the guts of that day in front of the window drinking beer in the Whitehorse tavern. Then after a short visit to Village wines, we made our way back to Room 325 and laid this down in one take." You can listen here: http://www.mediafire.com/?wgdt1xmzgzy

The Mighty Stef is also on the ballad.

"Chelsea Bards"

Blisters on my feet signal another night, that I should have stayed at home, shouldnt have gone outside Theres murder in my local, wanted posters on the wall, Have you seen this man?
I shouldnt have come home at all.

Avenue A, What happened today? Its true what they say, that you only appreciate something, when you are far, far away.

To Crazy Village nights, under New York City lights, All the times we fell,back to the Chelsea hotel To the sights we never see, The things we'll never be, Tonight my friends we're free, On stools in the bowery.

Lying on an unmade bed, whistling Tom Waits, In a Chelsea hotel room at 23rd and 8th Keep up the good fight , put Stanley back behind his desk Because a home without a fire, is a cold, cold place at best

Avenue A, I walked you all day.
And then In Doc Hollidays, we put Hank Williams on the jukebox and drank the rest of the night away.

To Crazy Village nights, under New York City lights, All the while we fell,back to the Chelsea hotel To the sights we never see, the things we'll never be, tonight my friends we're free, on stools in the bowery.

We Cant find the Whitehorse, you know we never can, but when we get there eventually, We'll have a whiskey for Dylan (Thomas) One for Liam Clancy, one for Ronnie Drew, one for her who cant be here, and one for me and you.

Avenue A, I'm leaving today. Its true what they say, That you only appreciate something, when it gets taken away

To Crazy Village nights, under New York City lights, All the times we fell,back to the Chelsea hotel To the sights we never see, The things we'll never be, Tonight my friends we're free, In New York City.

Band on an Island - facebook

Eartha Kitt Entertained by George Kleinsinger’s Menagerie

I guess it should come as no surprise to fans of the Chelsea Hotel that the recently departed Eartha Kitt had close friends at the Chelsea Hotel.   Jazz.com writer Arnold Jay Smith recalls talking to Ms. Kitt at former resident George Kleinsinger’s memorial service at Judson Memorial Church.  Smith had earlier met Kitt at Kleinsinger’s apartment and they both fondly recalled Kleinsinger’s famous menagerie which Smith remembers included birds, monkeys, reptiles and a kola bear.  We’ve never heard the one about the kola bear before but it sounds like it would be right at home in the Chelsea.  We kinda doubt that Kleinsinger or Eartha Kitt for that matter would find the Chelsea Hotel so welcoming these days.