Rotten news.
Saw Borbetomagus maybe a half-dozen times, the first as an unsuspecting 15- or 16-year-old at CBGB. Mouth agape, for sure. An old, short-lived band of mine actually shared a bill w/them a few years later. Which was quite an honor.
Donald was by far the most "bohemian" of the three of them, as the sax players were family men who lived out of the city. But Donald and his lady were a little bit wild. Good memories of him. Will always picture him making some ungodly noise, seated, w/a Rickenbacker in his lap and maybe a metal file on the strings. But you know, the guy also had serious ears, and you could tell he was always listening carefully to what his bandmates dished out, despite the volume and surface-level chaos.
I think he worked at La Monte Young's Dreamhouse for a spell, as well, although I might be mistaken. Last I'd heard, he was splitting his time btw. New Orleans and Mexico. I lost track a long time ago, although we do still have one mutual friend to whom I probably owe a phonecall.
RIP.
Someone should put the Sick Dick and the Volkswagens stuff on vinyl, although I don't think Donald was in the lineup that recorded their cassette.
