Carl Anderson (a.k.a. The Black Judas) Dead at 58

If you were growing up in a liberal church in the '70's, the opening guitar riff to Jesus Christ Superstar is embedded in your DNA. The church I went to (which easily could have won the title "Church of the Performing Arts" and spun off a Fame-style movie) put on its own version of the show one year. I think I've heard the complete score hundreds of times from live exposure, the movies, the soundtrack, and the touring Broadway version (note that I'll never, ever say "touring Broadway version" again in this blog.) which I saw twice (nor will I admit to seeing a Broadway show once, let alone twice). One of those times was in Santa Barbara during the '70's with my family. We had a friend performing in the show, and he took us backstage where we met most of the cast, but most notably the ebullient Carl Anderson. He energetically shook my hand, and gave both of my older sisters kisses. His charisma could only be topped by his amazing voice. The man simply had pipes. He had one album that made the Billboard top 50 (no. 21) in Jazz Vocalists, but other than that this man made a career out of being Judas (although he did, amazingly, have a role in the incredibly so-bad-it-ruled Cop Rock TV show), hanging himself hundreds of times at the end of each performance. In the beginning of the movie, a black Judas on the rock, screaming his doubts at Jesus was a powerful political statement. When I think about it in the context of 1973 I have to rate it as a fine cinematic moment, far removed from the obvious (and deserved) cynacism, irony, parody and religiosity brought to it over the years. His delivery in that song gives my secular ass goose-bumps every time. Carl Anderson Obit [blogofdeath.com] Where we saw it: we didn't | We deign to rate it: In Memorium outta 100
Posted by Martin at 07:50 AM | Comments (0)