Nelson Lyon (February 28, 1939 – July 17, 2012) was an American writer, actor, photographer and film director, known for his directorial debut ''
The Telephone Book
''The Telephone Book'' is a 1971 American independent sexploitation comedy film written and directed by Nelson Lyon and starring Sarah Kennedy, along with Norman Rose, James Harder, and Jill Clayburgh. The film follows a solitary but lustful w ...
'' (1971). He started working in advertising and later as a writer for ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' during the early 1980s. He attended
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. In the 1960s he was an active member of the counterculture movement and was friendly with several key figures, like
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
and
William Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultu ...
.
[
In 1983 he became known as the last person to see ]John Belushi
John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his ca ...
alive. He took part in the three-day binge that killed Belushi and later testified against Cathy Evelyn Smith before a grand jury in exchange for immunity from prosecution. According to his account, on March 2, 1982, Belushi showed up at his home with Smith, who injected him and Belushi with what appeared to be cocaine. The next few days were a bit of a haze, going from Lyon's home to a private club on Sunset Strip and finally to Belushi's bungalow at the Chateau Marmont. There Smith continued giving the two men injections. Lyon said he left the bungalow on March 5 at around 3:30 a.m., Smith staying behind with Belushi. Belushi was found dead there later that day.
After Belushi's death, Lyon's character was stained by his association with the case and he struggled to find work. According to Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead singer and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 2 ...
, a close friend, "in his later years he was dependent on the largess of his friends."[ He died of liver cancer on July 17, 2012.
]
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
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1939 births
2012 deaths
American writers
Columbia University alumni
People from Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
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