Andy Warhol transvestite Superstar Holly Woodlawn, acclaimed for her performance in ‘Trash’, photographed in 1970. (Photo by Jack Mitchell/Getty Images)

Holly Woodlawn, transgender Warhol superstar and the inspiration for one of the characters from Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side, has died in Los Angeles aged 69. Haroldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez Danhakl was born in Puerto Rico in 1946 and grew up in Miami. The line: “Holly came from Miami, F-L-A, hitchhiked her way across the USA”, refers to her.

Appearing in Andy Warhol’s, Trash (1970) Woodlawn spent her life in and out of small films and in and out of challenging circumstances that saw her do jail time and eventually move back to her parents home in Miami – the place she so famously left at the age of 15. In later years she found success in cabaret and performed in sold out shows in LA and New York.

Woodlawn died of brain and liver cancer on December 6th, may she rest in peace, condolences to friends and family.

Holly came from Miami F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

Candy came from out on the island,
In the backroom she was everybody’s darling,
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She sayes, hey baby, take a walk on the wild side
Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls go,

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City is the place where they said:
Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said hey Joe, take a walk on the wild side

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin’ for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should have seen him go, go, go
They said, hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, alright, huh

Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls say

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

Vanessa Paradis covered Walk On The Wild Side on her 1990 album, Variations sur le même t’aime otherwise a collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg and Franck Langolff. This version from around the same time sees Dave Stewart as Spiritual Cowboy soon after the Eurythmics had split and Vanessa Paradis promoting possibly her best album.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Woodlawn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walk_on_the_Wild_Side_(Lou_Reed_song)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_Paradis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Stewart