eric emerson

Growing up in New Jersey, Emerson trained as a classic ballet dancer. It was this talent that caught the eye of artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol. After seeing Emerson dancing at The Dom in April 1966, Warhol asked Emerson to be in one of his underground films. Emerson made his film debut in 1967's Chelsea Girls, and soon became a Factory regular. Emerson would go on to star in other Warhol films, most notably: Lonesome Cowboys, San Diego Surf, and Heat. Heat would be Emerson's last film.

Emerson began his musical career with the band, The Magic Tramps. The band, which began in Hollywood in 1969, relocated to New York City in 1971 after Emerson joined as lead vocalist. The Magic Tramps played under various names, including Messiah and Star Theater, and would go on to play gigs at Max's Kansas City, a favorite hangout among Factory regulars. Later that year, Emerson appeared in Jackie Curtis' play Vain Victory: Vicissitudes of the Damned, with Ondine, Holly Woodlawn, and Candy Darling.

The Magic Tramps, along with Lou Reed, provided the music.

Emerson's bisexuality was well known within Warhol's circle and he had relationships with many of the Factory regulars. When Emerson's father accused his son of being "a little sweet", Emerson responded by saying, "What he don't understand is that my generation can swing both ways". On July 21, 1969, Emerson agreed to marry transgendered Warhol star, Jackie Curtis. When Emerson failed to show up, Curtis married a wedding guest. The wedding, which was a publicity stunt arranged by Curtis, was covered by The Village Voice.

Emerson's first child was a daughter, named Erica after him, who was born in 1967. Emerson had a long relationship with Elda Gentile, founding member of the band The Stilettos, whom he met in 1968. The two had a son, Branch Emerson, in 1970. Around 1970, he began a relationship with model and actress Jane Forth, who appeared in Warhol's film Trash. Together, the two had one child which they named Emerson Forth.

At the time of his death, Emerson was living with Barbara Winter, ex-wife of musician Edgar Winter.

On May 28, 1975, Emerson's body was found next to his bicycle, near a highway he was attempting to cross in Manhattan. Emerson's death is listed officially as a hit and run. Eric Emerson was 31 years old. To date, no one has been arrested or charged in connection with his death.

After Emerson's death, various reports surfaced that Emerson was not killed in a hit and run accident, but rather overdosed on heroin in a different location, and was dumped as staged hit and run. These reports have never been substantiated, and Emerson's official cause of death has never been changed.

Following a weekend-long wake hosted by Max's Kansas City owner Mickey Ruskin, Emerson was buried in Wharton, New Jersey.

Some of those kids who were so special to us,
who made our sixties scene what it was, died young
in the seventies...



They found Eric Emerson one early morning in the
middle of Hudson Street. Officially, he was labeled
a hit-and-run victim, but we heard rumors that he'd
overdosed and just been dumped there - in any case,
the bicycle he'd been riding was intact.



~Andy Warhol