Webb arrived in New York in 1975 at the age of 16, the same year in which his future employer Trash and Vaudeville would open in St. Marks Place. Webb quickly acclimated to the East Village punk scene, becoming one of its most notable figures, in particular for his personal style of extremely tight pants, leather jackets, and bleached shaggy hair.
Following nearly two decades struggling with addiction, Webb would later become the manager, salesman, stylist, and face of the iconic rock and roll emporium. Trash and Vaudeville was notable for being the first retailer in the U.S. to carry Dr. Martens, as well as being a go-to for famous clientele including Tommy Hilfiger, Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, and Henry Rollins.
In a 2013 feature in the The New York Times, artistic director of Diesel Nicola Formichetti said “[Trash and Vaudeville] smells of punk rock. The store always has a solution. Every job, I start there. For my first ever Lady Gaga job, I went there and got her amazing stripper shoes and created an entire wardrobe for her dancers.”
In his later years, Webb remained a stylist to some of the music industry’s biggest names including Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and The Ramones, before opening his own boutique,”I Need More,” in 2017.
Duff McKagan (GUNS N’ ROSES), Slash (GUNS N’ ROSES), Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW), Nikki Sixx(MÖTLEY CRÜE), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY) and CRO-MAGS are among the rockers who have reacted on social media to the passing of Jimmy Webb, the iconic manager at famed New York clothing store Trash And Vaudeville, who died Tuesday morning at the age of 62. The cause of death was reportedly cancer.
“Jimmy Webb was a great friend of mine,” Bach wrote. “I bought every pair of Cuban-heeled boots that I wore from 1987 – 2011 at Trash & Vaudeville from Jimmy. Rest in peace brother, we will miss you. You came from the time of true rock and roll.”
McKagan added: “The sweetest man and pure punk f*cking rock n roll. Jimmy has SUCH a story, and my family and I feel honored and loved to be a small part of his triumphant tale. We love you Jimmy…we will miss you, brother.”
Punk rock legend Henry Rollins told the New York Post that he played Buffalo not long ago and an ailing Webbtook the train up to surprise him backstage. “He traveled four hours and came in with a bouquet of flowers,” Rollins recounted. “He said he just wanted to see me. That was a total Jimmy move. We put the flowers on the tour bus and hoped they wouldn’t get knocked over when we pulled out of a truck stop. Jimmy Webb was one of the sweetest human beings I ever met.”
Webb grew up in upstate New York and moved to New York City in 1975. He spent more than a decade and a half working at Trash And Vaudeville, which he dubbed “rock and roll heaven,” before opening his own boutique, I Need More, named after a song by Iggy Pop, three years ago.
In a 2013 article, Vogue called Webb the “reigning Mayor of St. Marks Place” and “punk rock’s unofficial shopkeeper.”
“Without a doubt, I have a dream come true life,” Webbonce said. “I live every moment and I taste everything in it. I taste it, I smell it, I feel it … Dreams do come true.”
Photo courtesy of Road Recovery
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