“In my movies, everyone’s in love with Joe Dallesandro.” – Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol ‘Superstar’ and premiere male sex symbols of 60s/70s Underground cinema. With that said, it can be summed up as this; today at age 61, Joe Dallesandro is an iconic living legend.
For those not familiar with Warhol-lore, here’s a quick crash course. Born in Florida, raised rough in NYC. He first supported himself as a teenage prostitute and nude model.
Sometime in 1967 Joe met Andy Warhol and filmmaker Paul Morrissey. Together they cast Dallesandro immediately in “The Loves of Ondine.” The rest is underground cinematic history. His turn as a hustler in 1968’s ‘Flesh’ introduced him to the mainstream as well as the underground.
In addition to being photographed by Francesco Scavullo, Jack Robinson, Richard Avedon, he has graced two famous album covers. One was the Rolling Stones’ ‘Sticky Fingers’ and later on in the early 80s with The Smiths’ self titled debut.
After finishing Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein and Andy Warhol’s Dracula (both 1974) Joe decided to stay in Europe. For the next ten years he acted in a variety of Italian films. During the 1980s, Little Joe and his crude tattoo made his U.S. comeback. The best known of the current wave of roles; Francis Ford Coppla’s ‘The Cotton Club’ and John Waters’ ‘Crybaby.’ During the 1990s, Joe modeled for a Calvin Klein fashion ad. According to Wikipedia, Dallesandro is married for the third time, and currently lives in Los Angles.
If all else, Joe Dallesandro will always be immortalized in the Lou Reed song “Walk On The Wild Side.”
Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City’s the place where they say,
Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said, Hey Joe
Take a walk on the wild side
I just found out that Joe Dallesandro has a documentary about himself making the rounds, titled ‘Little Joe.’ In promotion of that film, here’s a link to a video, Joe being interviewed by onetime club kid (Party Monster/Disco Bloodbath) James St. James:
http://www.dailyfreakshow.tv/episodes/81-james-interviews-joe-dallesandro
Research Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Dallesandro
WitchesBrewPress's Blog 
I saw Trash when I was 18. (Trash was art-house fare back then.) The movie rocked my world. I mean, a suburban kid in 1970? And we were just plain unexposed back then. I didn’t flee to NYC to become a street-hustling junkie, but Trash rocked my world. Anyway, I idolized Dallesandro (along with Janis Joplin, whom I saw at Woodstock in ’69.) The combined effect of both artists totally liberated me as a gay teenager. I never became a hippy, because, as free as they were, hippies generally hated gays. Add to this, watching Pink Flamingo in 1972 convinced me that the whole world was, well, bent.
I just had to say that I was with Joe when I was 18 right around then 69 I was his girlfriend for awhile I would not mind saying hi to him I left him and went out to Cali that was my dream at the time was to get out of NYC I was born in Manhattan in 51 I’ve always worked on my music and art and Joe would remember when we went up to Manny’s who also was my dads friend Manny that is he owns a very well known guitar store uptown on 48th st. I’ve been to the old store and he moved to the new store just down the st a bit, yes I can remember a bit of those times I really haven’t thought a lot about it over the year’s cause I was not a groupie I worked on my music folk and rock, any one want to share those times I knew Hendrix before he was Hendrix in 65 I was 14 and my hang out was the Cafe Wha what a time it was My name is Sherri Carter Costa mesa on facebook I also used to go to the Cafe Bazaar in the west village was any one there I am glad to know Joe is still around he was a very nice person he wondered what happened I had a ride to Cali and I went that was the last time I saw him we had some great times there in the east village I started out in the west village I was there 1965 I was a 14 year old runaway and my dad did not live far at all the place was so crowded GREENWICH VILLAGE my dad was living right there on Waverly Pl at.the very old Earl hotel My dad lived and worked there at that hotel in 65 and longer lived there 5 years after my parents split up Joe, me, his brother and other friends from Queens used to stay up all night at Andy’s factory on 17 st right across the st from Maxes Kansas City
Sherri, thanks for sharing your memories with us. You lived through such an amazing time in American history, especially with art and music.
Have you spoken to Joe on Facebook? I know he has an account.
Reblogged this on digger666 and commented:
And why should Joe have ever given it away? The face and that body represented his meal ticket and he knew it…
Little Joe always gave it away. LOL