Remembering Randy “Biscuit” Turner 1949-2005
Randy Biscuit Turner at home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
The art of Randy Biscuit Turner at his home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
Randy Biscuit Turner at home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
The art of Randy Biscuit Turner at his home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
Randy Biscuit Turner at home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
“Randy J. ‘Biscuit’ Turner (November 25, 1949 – August 19, 2005) was an American punk singer and artist. He was the lead singer for the hardcore punk / skate rock band The Big Boys, which formed in Austin, Texas in the late 1970s. The group was known for being the first punk band to introduce funk rhythms into hardcore. Turner is also regarded as a pioneer gay performer in the world of punk rock, and was well-known as a spoken word artist in Austin’s busy slam poetry scene.”–Wikipedia
The art of Randy Biscuit Turner at his home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
Randy Biscuit Turner at home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
The art of Randy Biscuit Turner at his home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
The art of Randy Biscuit Turner at his home in Austin Texas, circa 2004. Photo ©2004 by Rich Jacobs.
“Biscuit was one of a kind. He was just as colorful as the clothes he wore or paintings and assemblages he hand-made from plastic toys and knick knacks he got at garage sales or thrift shops, dollar stores and reclaiming yards. Biscuit would send me packages with super random stuff in them, and funny notes and stuff he thought I would like or laugh at. We talked a lot about art and New York and Texas and weird food from the ’60s and ’70s. He sent me collages he made and alphabets, poetry zines and lyrics–often multiple copies. He also sent flyers, photocopies, etc. Sometimes, he would call and we would joke around and make fun of stuff. Biscuit was sharp, funny, wacky and sort of shy and serious underneath all that, too. He had a quiet sadness on occasion, yet usually tried to keep it upbeat and positive. His house was wild, a Texas tradition filled with crazy colors and his art all over the place. I miss that guy sometimes. He was such a powerful burst of energy with a lot of humor and down home gentleman-style graciousness. Biscuit wanted to be taken seriously as an artist, but wanted it to be fun, zany, and far out. He gave me some things I will try to always hold onto–little things that remind me of him, like a wrestler mug and a happy face fridge magnet. He knew some things–lots of things, actually.”—Rich Jacobs, 2018
More: The Austin Chronicle, Discogs, Legacy
Words and photos ©2004, 2018 Rich Jacobs.
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