Leslie Cochran
Leslie Cochran | |
---|---|
Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
Died | March 8, 2012 Austin, Texas, U.S. | (aged 60)
Resting place | Cook-Walden Capital Park Cemetery |
Education | Florida State University |
Occupation | Activist |
Albert Leslie Cochran (June 24, 1951 – March 8, 2012) was an American homeless man, peace activist, cross-dresser, urban outdoorsman, and outspoken critic of police treatment of the homeless. Cochran was known in Austin as Leslie.[1]
Cochran was considered the man who personified "Keep Austin Weird".[2][3][4]
Early life
Cochran was born on June 24, 1951, and raised in the Redland district of
As an Austin fixture
Cochran was typically seen around
Cochran ran for Mayor of Austin three times, most recently
Cochran was featured prominently in the 2010 book
Merchandising
Cochran was featured in a set of collectible Leslie dress-up refrigerator magnets, with outfits like a leopard-print dress,
In 2009, Costa Systems created the "iLeslie" iPhone application, sold by the Apple iTunes App Store. The application contains an assortment of sound bites by Cochran and two interviews where he recounted select experiences in Austin. Half of all profits went to Cochran.[18]
Death
Around 1:00 a.m. on the Saturday morning of October 3, 2009, Cochran was found unconscious outdoors and was transported to
On February 27, 2012, St. David's South Austin Hospital confirmed Cochran was in their hospital in critical condition. The circumstances of his illness/injury were not known. Cochran had been in declining health since suffering his head injury in October 2009.[20] On March 4, 2012, he regained consciousness after undergoing brain surgery two weeks prior. However, that was not considered a sign of improvement in his overall condition. Cochran was then moved to a local hospice,[21] where he died on March 8, 2012, aged 60.[3]
Cochran's death produced an outpouring of strong emotion and condolences.[4][22] The Austin City Council observed a moment of silence in his honor.[7] Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell proclaimed March 8, 2012, and every March 8 forward Leslie Day in Austin.[3] The official proclamation called him "an icon in the Keep Austin Weird scene" who provided "an indelible image" in the memories of many Austin visitors and tourists over the years.[4] "He was an icon for the homeless in Austin, he represented them in so many ways. We will observe a moment of silence in his honor," said Leffingwell.[23] "He represents just so much that is good about Austin. We're going to miss it and that little part of Austin is now gone forever," said Austin City Council member Mike Martinez.[24] A "Love For Leslie" parade and public service march was held on March 8 from City Hall to 6th Street.[2][25] Public visitation took place on March 9 at Cook-Walden Funeral Home,[26] followed by a private funeral mass and burial.[27] A public memorial service in his honor was held on March 11 at Auditorium Shores, attended by hundreds.[24][28][29] Several editorials have since eulogized Cochran's death, painting a legacy that reflects upon his homeless advocacy as well as Austin's known tendencies toward eccentricity and tolerance.[30][31]
In 2012, supporters and friends of Leslie led by actor Brently Heilbron organized Leslie Fest to pay tribute to the Austin icon and raise money for Hospice Austin.[32][33]
References
- ^ Patrick Beach (March 9, 2012). "Leslie's friends say eccentric Austin celebrity had big heart". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ a b c Austin Icon Leslie Cochran Dead, KEYE-TV, March 8, 2012 Archived May 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Beach, Patrick. "Austin icon Leslie Cochran dies at age 60". Austin American Statesman. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Schwartz, John. "Austin, Proud of Eccentricity, Loses a Favorite". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ a b Wear, Ben (May 25, 1999). "The trouble with Leslie". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. A1. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010.
- ^ Banta, Bob (June 18, 1999). "Downtown fixture 'Leslie' arrested for public camping". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Local". KXAN. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ "Ten years after his death, Leslie Cochran still defines old, weird Austin". 8 March 2022.
- ^ "Cross-dressing homeless man gets celebrity party in Austin". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-06-15.
- ^ Clark-Madison, Mike (May 28, 2004). "Austin @ Large". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
- ^ Clark-Madison, Mike. "Austin @ Large: Austin at Large", The Austin Chronicle, March 14, 2003
- ^ "Paying Pizza Forward: Leslie Cochran". yearofthepizza.com. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ a b Nicole Raney. "Heaven just got a little weirder: Leslie Cochran passes away, publi... - CultureMap Austin". CultureMap Austin. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ Wells Dunbar. "In Memoriam: Leslie Cochran, 1951-2012". kutnews.org. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ "Austin's cross-dressing, often homeless icon dies" Associated Press, March 8, 2012.
- ^ Long, Joshua. Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas. University of Texas Press, 2010.
- ^ "Kelso's Cranky Corner". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- Apple.com, accessed January 7, 2011.
- ^ "Leslie thanks the community for support". News 8 Austin. 2009-10-25.
- ^ "Local". KXAN. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ Leslie is conscious, in hospice care (KVUE, March 4, 2012) Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Austin remembers Leslie (KVUE News, March 8, 2012) Archived March 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Local". KXAN. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ KHOU-TV Archived 2012-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Austinites remember local icon Leslie with memorial parade (The Daily Texan, March 9, 2012)
- ^ "Obituary: Leslie Cochran". Cook-Walden Funeral Home. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ "Leslie's friends say eccentric Austin celebrity had big heart". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- KVUE-TV, March 8, 2012 Archived January 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Hundreds remember eccentric Austin icon at memorial". WFAA. 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ Long, Joshua. Honor Leslie by Helping End Homelessness. Austin American Statesman (March 13, 2012).
- ^ Schwartz, John (March 9, 2012). Austin, Proud of Eccentricity, Loses a Favorite. The New York Times.
- ^ Graupmann, Michael. Friends throw 1st Annual Leslie Fest in honor of the Austin icon. Austin Culture Map (July 13, 2012).
- ^ Ura, Alexa. Friends of Leslie to organize fundraiser benefitting Hospice Austin Archived 2012-06-27 at the Wayback Machine. Daily Texan (April 20, 2012).
Sources
- Cinelli, Carla (2004). "Homeless Cross-Dresser - 'Leslie - The Queen of Austin'". Photogallery. Retrieved 2006-04-17.
- Clark-Madison, Mike (March 14, 2003). "A Little Respect: All hail Leslie Cochran, Austin's queen of political soul". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-04-17.
- Kelso, John (March 8, 2012). "Leslie's left the building, but we can't forget him". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
External links
- Photos of Leslie throughout the years, Austin American-Statesman
- In Memoriam: Leslie Cochran, 1951-2012 (KUT News)
- "'Leslie', Austin's icon of weird, dies", KXAN reportage