Jesco – The Dancing Outlaw
Several years ago, Squirrel Queen came into possession of a documentary called “Dancing Outlaw.” Shown on PBS, it spotlighted a young man named Jesco who lives (and still does from what I’ve read) in Boone County, West Virginia.
I think his wife can sum up the world of Jesco better than I can
“Jesse can be three people: He is Jesse, he is Jesco, and he is Elvis. Jesse is the most beautiful man that I could’ve ever loved. But Jesco, he, – he’s somebody else. He’s the devil in hisself. Uh, nothing satisfies him – he can’t be happy. Nothing you do for him makes him happy.”
The documentary shows the world of Jesco and his family. We are talking adverse poverty and some mental illness. But there are moments in it that are so surreal that, in all honesty, I just couldn’t look away. Stuff like this just can’t be made up. As Elvis, he would sing from an antiquated women’s electric razor hanging from a piece of yarn from the ceiling. His wife, who’s name is Norma Jean incidentally, would be called Priscilla. There was a mudding party outside of the family’s trailer set back in an honest-to-God holler. The constant battle in him over Jessie and Jesco, and sorta who’s in charge was absolutely amazing.
And on top of it all, Jesco was a mountain dancer (the second-greatest mountain dancer ever, with his father being the first. Yeah, there are huge daddy issues going on with Jesco.)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so bizarre.
It’s engrossing. It’s something that I think David Lynch would be proud of but it didn’t come from the recesses of a clever scriptwriter’s mind.
It was real. And the controversy as this low-budget documentary started to garner cult attention there was debate about it being exploitative of Jesco White and his family. I’m not in that crowd. I think the filmmakers just hit what was going on.
Last night, sitting with friends outside with a fire pit burning green fire, the topic of Jesco came up with our friend, Stephanie. We began talking about the documentary and how it was like driving by a car wreck. You just couldn’t look away.
I haven’t had a VHS player in years and the tape of the documentary probably didn’t make it through a variety of moves. However, I’m going to buy it again. Seeing Jesco with Jesus and two firecrackers (I have no idea) tattoed on his chest is something I need to see again.
And hearing snippets of lines like this:
And I took the butcher knife and put it up to her neck. I said if you want to live to see tomorrow, you better start fryin’ them eggs a little bit better then what you a fryin’ em – I’m tired of eatin’ sloppy, slimy eggs!
Yes. he can be pretty scary. And the conversation about Jesco and Norma Jean’s sex life boggles the mind.
A website on Jesco was updated for awhile on what he’s been up to. He had his fifteen minutes of fame even going to Hollywood for awhile. He no longer lives with Norma Jean/Priscilla. He’s fought huge battles with depression.
I recommend seeing “Dancing Outlaw.” It’s one of those rare things you will see that focuses on so many issues and, I’m almost embarrassed to say it, you will laugh and your mouth will drop watching this. You will feel completely uncomfortable.It’s amazing.
Reality Television before it ever existed.
And I end with another quote from Jesco:
“Anyone will say anything, under the influence of madness.”
OMG, Jesco! At my last gig (the music technology gig), we used to quote Jesco all the time. At one point, when we’d hired this new guy and it was one of his first meetings there, one of the Jesco quoters started busting out Jesco quotes, and the new guy said “Is that Jesco?” and then immediately started quoting right back at him. We all about fell out of our chairs — talk about a perfect fit! (Although actually that guy only lasted two months there, but for completely different reasons.)
“Marriage is a wonderful thing… Sure there’s love in it, there’s happiness, but there’s also sorrow, hatred and madness.”
Kate,
The “devil in hisself” is a line used constantly in my vocabulary. One of two things happen, a person will blurt out “Jesco” or they look at me if I was nuts.
Jesco can bring people together, I’m telling you.
It’s amazing.
Jesco is alive and well in 2007.
You can read about the origin of Jesco’s Jesus & Firecrackers tattoo plus a lot more
in a recent new years day interview I did with Jesse in my blog at
http://www.myspave.com/cousinwildweed
You can also see Jesco himself performing a new song he wrote at
http://www.youtube.com/jescomania
Jesco also had an entire 2 day music festival benefit held for him in Aug 2006.
30 bands from all over the country and fans from all over the world all converged
on the tiny remote mountain town of Hinton, WV and had a double super buzz!!!
There are 50+ video clips from Jescofest up at youtube.com/jescofest
and http://www.jescofest.com
If you’re a Jesco fan, check out all this stuff,
plus also check out the new Hank III (that’s Bocephus’ son) Hank Williams III
cd “Straight To Hell”, Jesco performs with Hank III on the song “Louisiana Stripes”
and Hank III also does a song about D.Ray and Boone County!!!
Gone but not forgotten!!!
Thanks cuzn.
This is more than awesome.
Seriously.
Sorry about the typo in the previous post.
The Jesco White New Years Day 2007 interview is in the blog section at
http://www.myspace.com/cousinwildweed
there is also another holiday 2006 Jesco interview too in the blog at
http://www.myspace.com/cousinwildweed
see Jesco live at Jescofest 2006 at http://www.youtube.com/jescofest
and also http://www.myspace.com/jescofest
Cuzn,
Already been. Those interviews were friggin’ fabulous.
Yay for you. I think this is just incredible.
Seriously.
Jesco is the man. He was on Roseanne one time.
Yup. I never watched Roseanne but I watched when Jesco was on.
Ok, I’m way out of the loop on this but have to see it now…wow.
Saw that at the Knoxville film festival a few years back. I was torn about whether I was entertained or uncomfortable.
I think that it’s a combination of the two.
Jaw-dropping and so different for the time period that it came out.
Jesco does spark different emotions.
Watching Jesco usually reminds you of how lucky you actually are in your own day-to-day circumstances.
[...] 3 06 2008 As you guys know, my fascination with Jesco is all-encompassing and has been long before the tubes took our [...]