Nelson Sullivan

jessetorres358
Sep 2, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jul 23

Who was Nelson Sullivan and what were his achievements in life?

Nelson Sullivan served as an inspiring role model for many, particularly within the LGBTQ community In New York. He was Born on March 15, 1948, in Kershaw, South Carolina, he eventually moved to New York. There, he started documenting the party scene to showcase the perception of the LGBTQ community.

He studied film and music at Davidson College in North Carolina. Coming from a wealthy family that owned a large cotton plantation, he developed an interest in art and music early on, learning to play the piano and paint.

In 1971, he relocated to New York City with the aspiration of fulfilling his artistic ambitions. He was exempt from being drafted for the Vietnam War due to an injury he sustained as a child when he fell into an abandoned gold mine. He found work as a hairdresser and ran his own salon on Fire Island during the summer months.

Photo From the Internet. Michale Musto, Michael Alig, Ru Paul and Nelson Sullivan.

In the early 1980s, Sullivan became heavily engaged in the Downtown scene, a vibrant and diverse subculture consisting of artists, musicians, performers, club-goers, drag queens, and celebrities who frequently visited the nightclubs, galleries, theaters, and streets of Lower Manhattan.

He became friends with several notable figures in the scene, including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Sylvia Miles, Michael Musto, Susanne Bartsch, Ethyl Eichelberger, John Sex, and Michael Alig. Additionally, he met a young RuPaul Charles, who ended up moving into his apartment at 5 Ninth Avenue.

Michael Musto, Ru Paul, photo from the Internet

Sullivan started capturing his daily life and adventures with friends using a large video camera that he took with him everywhere. He filmed everything from parties, performances, art exhibitions, protests, parades, interviews, conversations, trips, and even ordinary moments.

He crafted a distinctive filming technique by pointing the camera at himself and sharing his thoughts and emotions. Additionally, he edited his footage directly in the camera by strategically pausing and resuming the recording. This resulted in a personal video diary that foreshadowed today's vlogging trend.

Sullivan aimed to launch his own cable TV show to present his videos to a broader audience. In June 1989, he left his position as a receptionist at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program to concentrate on this project. By that time, he had collected over 1,800 hours of footage.

Nelson Sullivan and Michale Musto photo from the Internet

On July 4th, 1989, Nelson Sullivan passed away from a heart attack. The night before, he had been filming at different clubs and events with friends. He got home around 5 am and went to sleep. A few hours later, he felt unwell and called his friend, Dick Richards, for assistance. Richards hurried to Sullivan’s apartment but found him unconscious on the floor. He called 911, but it was too late. Sullivan was declared dead at St. Vincent’s Hospital at the age of 41.

The announcement of Sullivan's passing left his friends and fans in shock and sorrow. Although there was speculation that his death was due to AIDS or drugs, the autopsy showed he had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. His funeral took place on July 7th, 1989, at St Peter’s Church in Chelsea. The cause of death was a heart attack, but he left behind an invaluable legacy for future generations.

Following Sullivan's passing, his friend Dick Richards received his video archive and committed to its preservation and promotion. He worked with other friends and fans of Sullivan to digitize the tapes and create shorter clips for online sharing. In 2012, Richards contributed the archive to the Fales Library & Special Collections at New York University.

Sullivan’s videos have been showcased at numerous festivals, museums, galleries, and events globally. They are also available on YouTube under the channel name 5NinthAvenueProject, where they have garnered millions of views and comments from both longtime fans and newcomers.

Sullivan’s videos are both captivating and fascinating, and they also carry historical significance. They capture a time and place that has been transformed by gentrification, the AIDS crisis, and cultural shifts. These videos offer a glimpse into the lives and personalities of some of the most influential and creative individuals of the 1980s. Furthermore, they showcase Sullivan’s skill and charm as a videographer, storyteller, and friend.