Page 22 - AVN November 2015

IN MEMORIAM
WHO’S WHO
RIP: Veteran Adult Producer Larry Field Larry Field, a 33-year veteran
of the adult industry, passed
away September 9 after a
13-month illness, according to
his son Scott. The cause was the
combined effects of lung cancer
and kidney failure, which had
been diagnosed in August of
2014.
“The last 13 months have
been a really bad year for him,
but today was the day; enough
was enough,” Scott Field said
yesterday. “My dad was a big
part of this industry for many, many years, and he
loved this industry, so right now, I just want to
let his friends know that he’s gone, but he lived
a great life and he’s in a better place now. I think
he’d really enjoy knowing that his friends have
been informed that he’s gone.”
Larry and Scott Field began in the adult
industry in January of 1982, when Larry first
joined Arrow Productions as their sales manager,
working directly for Butchie Peraino. After
leaving Arrow, Field joined production company
RSVP, then worked at Essex Video before joining
Russ Hampshire at VCA Pictures in 1988, again
working in sales.
“He loved it there because of Marty Turkel and
Ed Kail; he loved working with them and there
was always something going on with the three of
them,” Scott Field said, describing the late Turkel
and Kail as “my father’s very best friends.”
Field left VCA after a couple of years to start
Pipeline Video, but within a year, Pipeline and
two or three other adult production companies
were burned to the ground under what have been
described as “mysterious circumstances.” But
Field salvaged what he could and, in 1991, opened
Fat Dog Productions, Field’s final stop in the adult
entertainment business, where he again worked
with Scott.
“I talked to my father every day,” Scott recalled.
“I’m 54 years old, so let’s be realistic: from
the time I was 10 years old, I would probably
remember that far back, there was probably not
one day that I didn’t talk to him, even if only for a
minute. I am really going to miss that.”
Fat Dog released a new video roughly every
Danny Wylde
(Continued from page 20)
Removed from arousal, I’m sitting at home editing
a video of a penis going into someone a thousand
times an hour. It’s like watching someone
hammer nails into a wall.
When someone writes to me about how much
they love porn, I think to myself, “We have
nothing in common.” At the same time, I would
be nobody without people like that.
I don’t think that I want someone, like a
partner, to be disgusted with me. But it helps if
22 | AVN.com | 11.15
six weeks until Field sold the
company in 2004 and retired.
It was during Field’s tenure at
Fat Dog that he became ill and
received a heart transplant in
roughly 1998.
Besides Scott, Larry Field is
survived by his wife of 52 years,
Sheri, as well as Scott’s wife Sue
and their son Anthony.
“Larry was a pioneer in the
adult business,” recalled longtime
friend Bruce Mendelson, one of
the founders of Legend Video.
“He was a true friend. He would always stand
by his word. I will always remember him at the
Sahara Hotel at the trade shows. Everyone knew
him; he was a fixture there and we still talk about
those good ole days in Vegas. He was well liked by
all his customers around the globe and his peers
especially, and I know they also will remember
Larry as a true gentleman with a keen business
sense. He will be greatly missed by us all. My
deepest sympathy goes out to Scott and Sue and
the rest of his family.”
Another veteran who knew Field since the
1980s is Kevin Beechum, founder of K-Beech.
“He was just a great guy all the way around.
He was into sports and softball,” Beechum said,
recalling how Field orchestrated a softball league
for various adult companies. “He had a team for
Century Distribution and I had a team for Visual
Entertainment. Caballero had a team, VCX—eight
or ten companies had teams. He got everyone to
get a team together ... we played after work and on
the weekends.”
Beechum said wistfully, “That was one of the
most fun times that we in the industry all shared.”
“I have known Larry for 30 years,” said industry
veteran Howard Levine. “He was one of the
originals. He loved life, he loved golf, he loved
this business and most of all, he loved his family.
He was an example of doing it the right way. My
condolences to his family. He was much loved.”
A memorial for Field, held September 26 at the
Porter Valley Country Club, was attended by more
than 100 friends and family members. Read more
about the memorial on AVN.com.
—Mark Kernes
they’re not a fan.
As for me ... Yes, I crush out constantly on
those who are completely unattainable. I think
that’s how a lot of us work.
Order The Wolves That Live in Skin and Space at
RareBirdBooks.com and keep up with Zeischegg’s creative
endeavors at TrveWestCoastFiction.blogspot.com.
Read more by Shawn Alff or contact him directly
through ShawnAlff.com.
RIP: Industry
Salesman Rick
Wells
Rick Wells, a former salesman for Caballero Home Video and
industry veteran of almost 30 years, died September 9 at City
of Hope Hospital in California.
According to longtime friend Bruce Mendelson of Legend
Video, Wells had a degree in physical therapy and worked in
healthcare for a time, but his true passion was music, and he
became an accomplished guitarist who performers with some
of the biggest bands of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
“He was best known as a Super Salesman for Caballero
Home Video in the early ’90s,” Mendelson said. “His
customers adored him, claiming he was one of the most
honest and truthful sales representatives.”
Wells entered adult as a salesman in the 1980s, when
business was booming, and he quickly was able to fund a
lifestyle that allowed him to pursue music.
“Music was Rick’s gift, his life, his magic,” said Dick Lane
of Caballero. “Rick was a professional musician, a super
musician, a super guitarist; he could play anything from rock
to Bach, [and] often taught young people to play. He had a
band, and once was managed by Van Halen’s manager. Rick’s
favorite group was Jethro Tull, and could play it and sing it as
well as Jethro. Unfortunately, medical problems cut short his
professional musical life at an early age. He became a video
salesman to pay the bills. It was his ‘day job.’”
Mike Kulich of Monarchy Distribution and Stunner PR also
shared his memories of Wells.
“Having worked out of the Caballero building for the past
eight years, I had the privilege of seeing Rick every day,”
Kulich said. “He told me stories from back in his rock ’n’ roll
days. Rick always sold porn but sometimes he would take time
off to do studio guitar work.”
“He built rock solid relationships over the years leaving a
positive mark on anyone who knew him,” Mendelson said.
“He was a loving human being and there is no denying that
Rick Wells was one of the ‘good guys.’ He will be missed.”
Joe Walla, senior sales manager for National Video Supply/
Universal Distributor, recalled meeting Wells “probably back
in 2005 when I was playing with my band and recently had got
an endorsement with Minarik Guitars which Rick was a rep
for. We started chatting about the guitars; some knew Rick
was a wild man for guitar, as well as I am. So this was our
budding bromance, as they say; we talked guitars for hours.”
Walla added, “I know to people who knew Rick he was an
all-around great guy who deserved to live bigger than he did.
I hope he has his guitar in hand and playing away happy from
the pain he may have suffered here. All I know, I will miss
him chatting about guitars and saying ‘yep yep,’ hearing his
excitement about music.
“Let me say this to you all; every day we live is a day that
won’t come back and if you love your friends and family don’t
take ’em for granted, say ‘I love you’ more. Live your dreams
and go beyond them. Sometimes we feel there is no way to
achieve the impossible, but remember reality starts in the
dream. Rick dreamed, I know he faced his days with a dream
to play everyday ... thank you for letting me share this piece,
my last is Godspeed, Rick Wells, till I see you on the other
side! Dream big, live bigger.”
—Sherri L. Shaulis