Holly Woodlawn, actress and and one of the last Warhol Superstars, dies age 69

Holly Woodlawn was a Warhol Superstar, and starred in his films Trash and Women in Revolt — garnering a campaign to get her an Academy Award for the former.

After the collapse of Warhol’s Factory, Woodlawn never gained the same level of success, though she tried: she starred in a musical with Bette Midler (Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers), and played the protagonist in Jackie Curtis’ Vain Victory. Her main export in these years would be scandal — she impersonated the French Ambassador’s wife, shoplifted in Puerto Rico, and violated parole by appearing on a talk show.

She cut her hair, moved back to her parents’ house, and worked as a busser for five or so years.

This would not last — as they say, you can’t keep a good woman down. In the 80s, Woodlawn was a featured singer in the Downtown Divas revue. This was only the beginning of her renaissance; in the 1990s, she acted in a string of independent films and repeat-off-many-times-Broadway shows.

The pattern of indie films would continue until 2013, when she became unwell. She died yesterday, at the age of 69.

It seems she will be remembered for her role as a “muse” in Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side — the first few lines (“Holly came from Miami, FLA…”) are about her. It’s worth noting that she achieved so much in her lifetime, and that she didn’t meet Reed until after Walk on the Wild Side was released.

But at least she’ll be remembered.