Gay Porn Star Cole Tucker Passes Away

[Irish69]

Via XBIZ >> http://www.xbiz.com/news/195593

 

http://www.xbiz.com/images/news/195593_r3.jpg

 

 

R.I.P. Rick Karp

 

 

Irish69

RentMen Rick

[anotherjohnindupont]

Sad!

[bigvalboy]

It's a damn shame. God bless him, and those that knew and loved him. Rest in peace.

[mike carey]

From the link, it's a reminder that HIV and AIDS are still out there. They are not some sort of left over from the past.

[+ Charlie]

I read the obituary in this morning's Desert Sun, and was surprised to learn that he was 61 years old, and had been living with AIDS since he was 26.

[jcmiami1]

I remember some of his movies (on VHS lol) he always played macho characters on all his porns. I didn't know he had HIV either. No one talks about HIV/AIDS anymore because you dont see people literally dropping dead weekly like in the 80's but it's still there. Thanks to the antiviral meds, people are *almost* living a normal life span. You dont die from HIV/AIDS but from the opportunist infections/diseases that a damaged immune system can't fight completely. May he rest in peace

[rvwnsd]

Very sad news, indeed.

 

I read the obituary in this morning's Desert Sun, and was surprised to learn that he was 61 years old, and had been living with AIDS since he was 26.

 

Interesting note: Unzipped magazine featured him in 2007 and stated he began doing gay porn in 1994 at the age of 43. Thy showed a pic of him getting a tattoo and mentioned he looked great at age 57. That would make him 64, not 61. Wonder where the mistake lies?

[+ Robster]

I loved his scene with Rob Steele in "Marine Father, Navy Son". RIP

 

Rob

[Nvr2Thick]

I read the obituary in this morning's Desert Sun, and was surprised to learn that he was 61 years old, and had been living with AIDS since he was 26.

It's interesting to learn that. In an interview late in his porn career Cole Tucker had said that he led a fairly "normal" life including a traditional company job until he was diagnosed with HIV. That diagnosis was the catalyst for him to live a more adventurous life including porn and escorting. At the time of the article the statement cause a bit of controversy over the idea that someone with HIV would be a porn performer. Seems a little bit naive these days. When I read the article it made me wonder how many other men were escorts or did porn because they were HIV positive.

[rvwnsd]

I...That diagnosis was the catalyst for him to live a more adventurous life including porn and escorting....When I read the article it made me wonder how many other men were escorts or did porn because they were HIV positive.

 

Several years ago I met a guy who told me he had been mis-diagnosed as being HIV positive. Upon receiving that diagnosis, he started escorting. He stopped escorting when he learned that he was not, in fact, positive.

[caliguy]

It's interesting to learn that. In an interview late in his porn career Cole Tucker had said that he led a fairly "normal" life including a traditional company job until he was diagnosed with HIV. That diagnosis was the catalyst for him to live a more adventurous life including porn and escorting. At the time of the article the statement cause a bit of controversy over the idea that someone with HIV would be a porn performer. Seems a little bit naive these days. When I read the article it made me wonder how many other men were escorts or did porn because they were HIV positive.

According to rvwnsd he started in 1994 which was a pretty bleak time. Him doing porn and escorting was probably a bucket list thing.

[Phil_musc]

I read the obituary in this morning's Desert Sun, and was surprised to learn that he was 61 years old, and had been living with AIDS since he was 26.

 

Now wait a minute here - that would mean that he had AIDS in 1980 - before the epidemic actually hit. I had read somewhere a while back that he had AIDS so that doesn't surprise me - only the chronology.

 

I was a fan of his work - he was always the tough-talking, uber-butch macho guy and carried it off quite well. I was surprised to hear that he was actually quite short - always projected a large, overwhelming presence. Must have been quite an actor. I too loved his segment with Rob Steele - thanks for a walk down porno memory lane.

[+ Gar1eth]

I'm sorry he has passed. I hope it was peaceful and without much pain. I remember looking at his escort ads. I looked at the ads for about 7 years before I first hired. So I don't remember if he was still advertising at the time I started hiring.

 

Gman

[rvwnsd]

Now wait a minute here - that would mean that he had AIDS in 1980 - before the epidemic actually hit. I had read somewhere a while back that he had AIDS so that doesn't surprise me - only the chronology....

 

Good point. See my earlier post below:

 

Interesting note: Unzipped magazine featured him in 2007 and stated he began doing gay porn in 1994 at the age of 43. Thy showed a pic of him getting a tattoo and mentioned he looked great at age 57. That would make him 64, not 61. Wonder where the mistake lies?

 

If he was in fact 64, not 61, he would have been living with AIDS (or HIV) since 1983, which was a year or two after the start of the AIDS crisis.

[+ Charlie]

The first cases of AIDS in the gay community appeared in the late 70s, but were only recognized retroactively. I personally knew one person who died in 1980 after months of bizarre infections, and only later did we put everything together--he fit the demographics of the first persons who became infected exactly--and realized what he had. My best friend was convinced he became infected in 1980, when he shared a needle at a party in SF with three other gay men, all of whom were dead of AIDS within three years; it was one of the only things he ever did that was clearly a vector for transmitting the virus. Another friend of mine already had KS in 1982. The "epidemic" officially started in 1983, because that was when the disease was named AIDS, but it is quite possible that Tucker traced his infection back to something that happened in 1980.

[playwrestler]

My partner of 16 years traced his infection back to 1978 and a hustler he was briefly involved with (before finding out he was a hustler) -- we found out in 1988 about my partner's status (full blown AIDS at the time and a surprise to both of us since we'd been together and monogamous since 1979 and thought we'd lucked out.) He died early in 1996 while trying to get into the experimental trials for the new protocols. Some of the people we befriended during those last years -- and were in as desperate a condition as my partner -- happily went on the new protocols when they were quickly opened to the public and are still alive and thriving today. For those that remember it was truly living in a war zone day to day. I'm eternally grateful that it's over... though eternally sad that some hard learned lessons seem to be forgotten.

[+ honcho]

My partner of 16 years traced his infection back to 1978 ... He died early in 1996 while trying to get into the experimental trials for the new protocols..... For those that remember it was truly living in a war zone day to day. I'm eternally grateful that it's over... though eternally sad that some hard learned lessons seem to be forgotten.

 

My heart goes out to you. I can't bring myself to click the "Like" button because it is so sad, but I'm grateful you posted it and concur with your sentiments.

[+ friendofsheila]

I remember seeing him in a documentary about the porn biz. I think he was last shown in the film moving with his lover to another country.

 

So it looks like he wound up back here.

[bigvalboy]

 

One of the all time greats...and apropos.

[Steven_Draker]

My partner of 16 years traced his infection back to 1978 and a hustler he was briefly involved with (before finding out he was a hustler) -- we found out in 1988 about my partner's status (full blown AIDS at the time and a surprise to both of us since we'd been together and monogamous since 1979 and thought we'd lucked out.) He died early in 1996 while trying to get into the experimental trials for the new protocols. Some of the people we befriended during those last years -- and were in as desperate a condition as my partner -- happily went on the new protocols when they were quickly opened to the public and are still alive and thriving today. For those that remember it was truly living in a war zone day to day. I'm eternally grateful that it's over... though eternally sad that some hard learned lessons seem to be forgotten.

 

My condolences, PW. A truly sad story.

 

Thank you for posting.

[Steven_Draker]

Via XBIZ >> http://www.xbiz.com/news/195593

 

http://www.xbiz.com/images/news/195593_r3.jpg

 

 

Rest In Peace

[+ purplekow]

The first cases of AIDS in the gay community appeared in the late 70s, but were only recognized retroactively. I personally knew one person who died in 1980 after months of bizarre infections, and only later did we put everything together--he fit the demographics of the first persons who became infected exactly--and realized what he had. My best friend was convinced he became infected in 1980, when he shared a needle at a party in SF with three other gay men, all of whom were dead of AIDS within three years; it was one of the only things he ever did that was clearly a vector for transmitting the virus. Another friend of mine already had KS in 1982. The "epidemic" officially started in 1983, because that was when the disease was named AIDS, but it is quite possible that Tucker traced his infection back to something that happened in 1980.

As a medical student at St Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village, we were seeing all sorts a infections and cancers which would now easily be identified as AIDS related which were confusing and frightening. 1975 or so. There is anecdotal evidence (perhaps hard evidence too, I do not know) which shows infections back decades before that.