Johnny Legend(1948-2026)

Actor, director, rockabilly singer, trash film historian, wrestling manager and promoter -- modern-day Renaissance man Johnny Legend has truly done it all and then some in a remarkably rich, eclectic, and impressive career that has spanned over four decades and shows no signs of stopping in the immediate near future. He was born Martin Margulies on October 3, 1949 in San Fernando, California. His father Bernard Margulies was a doctor and his mother Betty was a nurse. Legend is the older brother of Lynne Margulies. Johnny was initially a country music fan who practiced Hank Williams songs in his bedroom and watched Ernest Tubb on television. He attended Sylmar High School in San Fernando, California. Legend formed the folk-rock group the Seeds of Time and first started establishing his singularly outrageous rock'n'roll wildman persona in 1966. In 1970 Johnny began playing 50s rock'n'roll songs with the band Blue Midnight. He recorded numerous songs for Ronny Weiser's Rollin' Rock Records and fronted the band the Rollin' Rock Rebels in the 70s. In 1977 Legend co-wrote and produced the popular novelty song "Pencil Neck Geek" for wrestler Fred Blassie. That same year his crude porno comedy "Teenage Cruisers" was released. In 1983 Johnny co-wrote and co-directed the offbeat comedy feature "My Breakfast With Blassie" with Blassie and legendary avant-garde comic Andy Kaufman. Legend created both the Sleazemania and Teenage Theater series for Rhino Home Video in the late 80s and played an instrumental role in rediscovering and re-releasing countless obscure cartoons, low-budget horror flicks, and groovy exploitation pictures that otherwise might have vanished into oblivion. Among the movies Johnny has acted in are "The Cat Ate My Parakeet," "Prison Ship," "Bride of Re-Animator," "Bug Buster," the Kaufman bio film "Man on the Moon," and "2001 Maniacs." He released the album "Bitchin'" in 1998. Moreover, Legend has promoted wrestling matches and managed wrestlers on the West Coast. Johnny now runs the DVD label Legendhouse and continues to tour and perform music on stage all over the world.