Victor Hayden (August 16, 1948 – December 7, 2018), also known by his stage name The Mascara Snake, was an American painter and musician.

Biography

Hayden was a cousin of

Don Van Vliet Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON * Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a ...

, better known as Captain Beefheart. Hayden joined Beefheart's

Magic Band The 6-meter band is the lowest portion of the very high frequency (VHF) radio spectrum internationally allocated to amateur radio use. The term refers to the average signal wavelength of 6 meters. Although located in the lower portion of t ...

as guest bass clarinet player in 1968, but is heard only on the 1969 album ''

Trout Mask Replica ''Trout Mask Replica'' is the third studio album by the American band Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, released as a double album on June 16, 1969, by Straight Records. The music was composed by Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) and arrange ...

''. He can also be heard on one of the sections of dialogue interpolated between the album's tracks, in which he and Beefheart agree that some unknown thing is "fast and bulbous". He appeared on stage with the band at the Amougies Festival in

Mont-de-l'Enclus Mont-de-l'Enclus (; nl, Kluisberg ; pcd, Mont-éd-l'-Enclus) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It consists of the districts of Amougies, Anserœul, Orroir and Russegnies. The municipality is locat ...

, Belgium, in October 1969, where they were recorded playing two compositions in the film ''Music Power''. In

Pamela Des Barres Pamela Des Barres (; born Pamela Ann Miller; September 9, 1948) is an American rock and roll groupie, writer, musician, and actress. She is best known for her 1987 memoir, '' I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie'', which details her experie ...

' memoir '' I'm with the Band'', she mentions that Hayden befriended her while she was in high school, introducing her to his cousin Beefheart and asking her to be the president of the local chapter of the Beefheart fan club. Also, Des Barres and Hayden worked together at a factory in Van Nuys, California, to support their love of rock music (especially

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

, whom they eventually met). Des Barres described Hayden as "living among the Redwoods", dropping out of mainstream society completely, while also citing him as an important influence on her life. Hayden co-founded Alchemy Records in 1986 with

Mark Deutrom Mark Deutrom is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and producer, best known as the guitarist for the punk rock band Clown Alley in the 1980s, and as the bassist for the multi-genre rock band Melvins from 1993 to 1998. Career In the ea ...

, and worked there through 1991. From 2007 to 2018, he was the A&R Director for PIG Records. He produced records for Ever Rat Records, Subcore Records, and PIG records. While holding these positions, Hayden also created cover art for the Melvins, Poison Idea, Potbelly, and the ''Senseless Death Compilation''. After having met the Mascara Snake,

John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...

named a track "Mascara" on his first album, '' Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt''. Hayden produced the painting that was used as cover art for the 1974 Beefheart album ''

Bluejeans & Moonbeams ''Bluejeans & Moonbeams'' is the ninth LP by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, originally released in 1974. Despite its uncharacteristically mainstream sound the album failed to chart. Production and legacy Having no musical training or in ...

''. After designing an advertisement for

Absolut Vodka Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 from the Swedish state. Absolut is one of the largest brands ...

in 1991, Hayden exhibited his paintings periodically. His most notable shows were in New York City, New York in 2001; Seattle, Washington in 2004; Austin, Texas in 2011 (as part of the SXSW festival); and 2019 at Lisa Derrick Fine Arts in Los Angeles. Hayden died on December 7, 2018 from complications after being struck by a van.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mascara Snake 1948 births 2018 deaths Place of death missing American clarinetists GMTV presenters and reporters The Magic Band members Road incident deaths in the United States Nicknames Nicknames in music