Jimmy Webb, best known as the manager of New York boutique "Trash and Vaudeville," and a New York rock scene staple, passed away at the age of 62.
Condolences and tributes have poured from artists who have worked with Webb, who, in turn, spent a long time serving as the manager and primary buyer for the East Village clothing store. While there has been no official statement about his passing, Webb was apparently battling cancer.
Joan Jett, lead of the Blackhearts, called Webb a St. Mark's street legend and a "stylist of the punks" on Twitter. Jett also added that he's "so very sad, and we'll all miss your energetic, warm soul. The city will not be the same without you."
Josie Stevens, model, TV personality, and wife to rock icon Steve Stevens, also expressed their grief over Webb's passing, remembering him as "the coolest, nicest guy" and saying farewell "to a real rockstar and NYC fashion icon."
Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach also wrote on Twitter about his friend, saying that "every pair of Cuban heeled boots that I wore from 1987 - 2011" came from Jimmy Webb's "Trash and Vaudeville."
British actor and rock veteran Michael Des Barres also paid tribute on Twitter and said that Webb "lived and breathed rock 'n' roll" like no one he has ever known throughout his career. He also added that while Webb did not play any instruments or sang any songs, he was "a profoundly important element in the history & mystery" of the New York rock scene.
Earlier this year, in February, Webb held an exclusive event reserved for the who's who of the rock 'n' roll scene at his shop, "I Need More," which was named after a 1980 Iggy Pop single. Webb removed two tiles from the store floor to have both Iggy Pop, and Debbie Harry's hands imprinted on plaster, just like their own Hollywood stars. Among those present in the event was Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, New York Dolls lead David Johansen and Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins.
In an interview with the New York Post, Rollins said that he flew out of Los Angeles. He also shared that the rock personality "was not doing well, and I had no doubt that it would be my last time seeing him. Cancer is a hell of a thing."
His career included providing wardrobe for MTV as well as publications such as Vogue and Rolling Stone. Jimmy Webb's tenure at the "Trash and Vaudeville" has seen regular visits from punk and rock icons of the 80s and 90s - Debby Harry of Blonde, Slash of Guns n' Roses, Joan Jett, and Iggy Pop are among his customers.
Jimmy Webb opened up his own rock 'n' roll boutique "I Need More" in 2017. His last post was in his Instagram account: a video of his friend Nico unboxing Webb's Easter presents, which included a Slash Funko Pop and an Iggy Pop shirt.
Aside from being the stylist of the New York rock 'n' roll scene, Jimmy Webb was also an eccentric and ever-present character in the city's rock industry. Rollins recounts how Webb once took the train to surprise him. "He traveled four hours and came in with a bouquet," Rollins said in the same interview with The NY Post. The musician and radio show host went on to share how Webb traveled because "he just wanted to see [Rollins]" and recalled the rock fashion icon as one of the sweetest human beings he ever met.
