This summer ended with successful Kickstarter campaign to make a film about one of those strange characters, darks brains and extraordinary author as the Viking of Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, Moondog. To New Yorkers, Moondog was a mystifying street performer who dressed up in Viking apparel: robe, sandals, flowing cape and a horned Viking helmet. From the 1940s-1970s, Moondog lived on the streets of New York as a musician and poet. His territory was 53rd Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. An image hiding one of the most interesting and influential mid-twentieth century composers.

Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman hung out with him. Philip Glass lived with him, Janis Joplin covered his music, Allen Ginsberg stuck it on his fridge, Diane Arbus took his picture and Andy Warhol’s mother designed one of his album covers. Merv Griffin interviewed him, Lenny Bruce shared the bill, Phillippe Starck named a building after him, Elvis Costello brought him to London and fashion designers have created entire collections around his look.

Louis Thomas Hardin, a.k.a. Moondog, was born in Marysville, Kansas, 1916. His musical career began at the age of five when he started playing a set of drums that he fashioned himself. His father took him to an Arapaho Sun Dance where he sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom-tom; the Native drum rhythms would inspire the musician for the rest of his life.

At the age of 16, he was blinded in a farm accident that involved a dynamite cap. After learning the principles of music in several schools for blind young men across Middle America, he taught himself the skills of ear training and composing.

Moondog moved to New York in 1943. He established an outpost outside the stage entrance of the Carnegie Hall and met some of New York’s Philharmonic Musicians. Moondog met Artur Rodzinski, Leonard Bernstein, and Arturo Toscanini, and through them met Jazz greats Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman.

Moondog’s remarkable life spans much of the 20th century and takes him from Black Foot ceremonies in Idaho to living homeless on the streets of New York to being honored by European royalty. His unique musical career has Moondog appearing with Salvador Dali, recording a children’s album with Julie Andrews, conducting Johnny Carson’s orchestra and performing across Europe with Goldfrapp's Will Gregory.

 

When Moondog stopped performing on the streets of New York, New Yorkers assumed he was dead. Moondog surprised America with his return in 1989 when he was invited home to conduct a series of concerts given by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Moondog recorded his last album in 1997, “Sax Pax for a Sax,” before his death in Münster, Germany in 1999 at the age of 83.

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Published on: October 5, 2014
Cite: "MOONDOG. The Viking of Sixth Avenue. " METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/moondog-viking-sixth-avenue> ISSN 1139-6415
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