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Hardy Winfred Fox, Jr. (March 29, 1945 – October 30, 2018) was an American musician. He was co-founder of the band The Residents as well as their primary composer.[1][2] From 1982 to 2016 he was the president of The Cryptic Corporation.[3] During his 44 years with The Residents, and after leaving the band in 2016, he recorded as a solo artist under many names, such as Charles Bobuck, Combo de Mechanico, Sonido de la Noche, Black Tar, and more. His newer solo albums were published by Austrian record label Klanggalerie.

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Hardy Fox
Fox in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Hardy Winfred Fox, Jr.
Also known as	Charles Bobuck
Born	March 29, 1945 Longview, Texas, U.S.
Died	October 30, 2018(2018-10-30) (aged 73) San Anselmo, California, U.S.
Genres	Experimental rock avant-garde
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1969–2018
Labels	Klanggalerie

History

Early life

Hardy Winfred Fox II was born on March 29, 1945, in Longview, Texas. His parents, Hardy Wilford Fox Sr and Lillian Idell Fox, were Baptist and Methodist Christians, respectively, and so was raised Protestant. Fox was emotionally distant from his father and took after his mother, who his future husband described as "a creative, poetic soul" who "understood him better than his father and his sisters."[4]

He developed an interest in music at the age of 6, after hearing selections from his grandfather's jazz 78 collection. It was through this collection that he was exposed to Stan Kenton's "Artistry in Tango", as well as the music of Jimmie Lunceford and The Dorsey Brothers.[5] His earliest experiences with playing music came from describing his nightmares to his mother by bashing on a piano, and talking in strange voices.[6] For part of his childhood Fox's father became a missionary, and moved the family to the Southern Philippines, where a young Fox was exposed to Kulintang music, a style he would imitate for his entire career. The family later returned to Texas after his father 'lost his faith'.[7] At the age of 18, Fox enrolled in Louisiana Tech University, where he became roommates with later Cryptic Corporation member Homer Flynn. The two bonded over their shared musical interests, and became fast friends. They graduated four years later with a major in art and a minor in business.[8]

Pre-Residents (1969–1972)

In 1969, Fox and Flynn moved to San Mateo, California.[9] That same year, they began to record themselves performing strange music[10] on a high-end two-track tape recorder he had been gifted by a Vietnam Veteran.[11] In early 1971, Fox, now joined by other collaborators, anonymously submitted a demo tape to Harve Halverstadt at Warner Brothers Records with the hopes of being signed by the label. They received a rejection letter addressed to 'The Residents', which inspired the group to name themselves Residents Unincorporated.[12] In 1972 Fox, along with the rest of Residents Uninc moved into a warehouse at 20 Sycamore Street in San Francisco, where they set up their first recording studio.[11] That same year, Ralph Records, Uninc's own record label, released their first EP, featuring four songs by Residents Uninc under various pseudonyms.[13]

The Residents (1973–2015)

It was not until February 1973, when the group started recording their debut LP, Meet the Residents, that the group finally became 'The Residents'. According to Fox, there were no Residents before then, only a loosely bonded friendship of a few people who liked to record together.[14] The group's first LP was not a success, only selling 40 copies within its first year of release.[15] In 1974 Fox began to take lessons on a Moog Modular System at Different Fur Studios, but found that it was far too technical and expensive for him.[16] In 1976, Fox and Flynn, with fellow Louisiana natives John Kennedy and Jay Clem, formed 'The Cryptic Corporation', an organisation intended to deal with the business side of Ralph Records and The Residents.[17] The Cryptic Corporation bought The Residents their first synthesizer, an ARP Odyssey costing $1,200[16] ($5,563 in 2021 money[18]). Hardy last used the Odyssey in 2008, and sent it to composer Ego Plum in June 2018.[19] It was not until the release of the group's third LP, Fingerprince, that they received any mainstream attention, when a favorable review of all three of the group's LPs appeared in British music magazine Sounds.[20] With their sudden and unexpected success, the group moved into a new studio at 444 Grove Street, San Francisco, where they would record until 1983, when John Kennedy, owner of the studio, retired as president of The Cryptic Corporation, taking the building with him as well.[21] Following Kennedy's retirement, Fox became President of The Cryptic Corporation, a role he retained until 2016.[22]

Self-identification and early solo works (1985–2002)

In December 1985, whilst The Residents were on their 13th Anniversary Tour, Fox's eyeball mask, which had been constructed for the cover of their 1979 album 'Eskimo', was stolen from backstage. The group decided to replace it with a skull mask, which had previously been a prop for Vileness Fats, and their Third Reich 'n Roll promotional material. Because of the specific headgear, the group began to internally refer to Fox as "Dead Eye Dick",[23] and by 1989, Mr. Skull.[24][25] This was the first of many aliases that Fox would undertake for his music, the second being Max Steinway,[26] credited as pianist and producer on The Residents' 1997 Pollex Christi EP.[27] By 1999, the mantle of Mr. Skull was taken up by a different Resident, and Fox once again returned to being nameless.

From 1999 to 2013, Fox recorded at least 3 solo works credited to The Residents, In Between Screams (1999), Dog Tag (2009), and Halloween (2013), all later credited to Charles Bobuck, when released on his bandcamp page.[28]

During the 2001 Icky Flix tour, Fox began recording a solo EP, High Horses, inspired by an acid trip he had taken 31 years prior.[29] The EP was released under the name 'Combo de Mecanico' and became Fox's first release outside of The Residents. In 2002, Fox recorded his first album worth of solo material, a 30-minute suite entitled Maxine, which was released under the Bobuck name in 2012.[30] In 2002, Fox began to tire of the touring process, and as such, asked Eric Drew Feldman to temporarily take his place as keyboardist on the Demons Dance Alone tour.[31]

Charles Bobuck (2010–2016)

Talking Light (2010–2012)

For the 2010 Talking Light tour, The Residents each took unique pseudonyms: the singer became Randy Rose; the guitarist, Bob; and Hardy, Charles 'Chuck' Bobuck.[32] These new identities allowed The Residents to pursue solo works in a way previously un-thought of for the band, with Rose undertaking a solo show, and Hardy and Bob forming a new band, Sonidos de la Noche. Sonidos de la Noche released one album, Coochie Brake, in 2011, featuring entirely Spanish vocals.[33] One year later, Hardy, under the Bobuck name, released his first solo album, GOD-O: Music for a Gallery Opening, through The Residents' digital store.[34] Throughout 2012, Bobuck released five solo albums: GOD-O, CB Suite (a collection of outtakes from Coochie Brake), Codgers On The Moon, Maxine (recorded 2002), and Lying Horse Rock. As a companion piece to Codgers, Fox published a website of the same name. The website acted as an 18-page[35] memoir of sorts,[36] providing background on 'Bobuck' which had previously been kept secret, such as details on his youth and equipment. Hardy would continue to create new websites for his major releases, each acting as both context for the album and additions to his memoir.

The Wonder of Weird (2013)

The 2013 Wonder of Weird tour saw The Residents re-assume the Randy, Chuck and Bob characters. The show delved deeper into the characters' minds, in particular Randy's, revealing his lifelong sex addiction.[37] Halfway through the show, Randy would tell the audience that Chuck lived on a chicken farm with his husband, something true of both the Bobuck character and the Fox character.[38] Towards the end of the tour, Fox began to experience arthritis. After surgery did not ameliorate the situation, Fox decided that the next tour would be his last.[39] In 2013 he released his sixth solo album, Life Is My Only Sunshine.

Shadowland (2014–2015)

The Shadowland tour began on May 2, 2014. It was intended as a mini-tour lasting only seven dates. Fox wanted the show to represent the death of Randy, Chuck and Bob, and the rebirth of The Residents as a truly nameless band, bringing with it a drastic new direction of sound. However, designing such a drastically different sound proved too demanding on Fox, and so a show celebrating The Residents' past was instead created. The group also wished to record a new album immediately following the mini-tour; however, this was scrapped in favor of a second leg. Fox retired from The Residents in March of 2015,[40] and was replaced by Eric Drew Feldman on all following tours.[41]

Post-Residents (2015–2018)

Following Fox's departure from The Residents and The Cryptic Corporation, he began to publish a bi-monthly email newsletter entitled Hacienda Bridge, first released on October 1, 2016. The newsletter would be credited to Hardy Fox and Charles Bobuck. Starting with the March 1st 2017 issue, the newsletters featured a serialized novella entitled The Stone, the final chapter of which revealed that Fox and Bobuck were one and the same.[42] Following this revelation, the Bobuck character was retired and Fox began releasing music under his own name. In 2018, he released two solo albums, one mini album, and an EP[43] before retiring completely.[44]

Personal life

Fox's first wife, Nessie Lessons, frequently appeared on Residents recordings from 1980 to 1983. They divorced circa 1983, when Hardy met Steven Kloman.[45] Hardy married Kloman in 2008. He had two sisters, Diane Pasel and Linda Perez.[46]

Illness and death

In September 2018, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma,[47] and announced that he was unwell, and had "something in his brain".[3][48] He later added an assumed death date to his website.[49] On October 30, 2018, he died of brain cancer at his home in San Anselmo, California.[47][50]

Studio album discography

With The Residents

Hardy Fox performed on Residents recordings from 1972's Santa Dog to 2015's Shadow Stories, with his final writing for the group appearing on 2017's The Ghost of Hope.

Solo works

As Hardy Fox

MiniAlbums / EPs

Year	Title	Label	Notes
2016	Black Tar - 13 Tiny Tunes for Hallow's Eve	Bandcamp	MiniAlbum, credited to C. Bobuck / H. Fox
2018	A Day Hanging Dead Between Heaven And Earth	Klanggalerie	MiniAlbum, With Fred Frith
	Nachtzug		EP, based on sketches that also became The Ghost of Hope by The Residents.
Posthumous
2019	Black Tar and the Cry Babies	Klanggalerie	Compilation

Singles

Year	Title	Label	Notes
2017	Wink	Bandcamp
	Duet
2018	Paying The Sun
Posthumous
2019	25 Minus Minutes	Klanggalerie

As Charles Bobuck

Mini Albums/EPs

Year	Title	Label	Notes
2011	Lying Horse Rock	Bandcamp	Expanded album version released on CD
2016	Black Tar - 13 Tiny Tunes for Hallow's Eve		MiniAlbum, credited to C. Bobuck / H. Fox
	Later Tonight	Klanggalerie	EP
	Trump	Bandcamp
2017	Clank Clank Clank	Klanggalerie

Guest appearances

As Hardy Fox

• The Delta Nudes - Greatest Hiss (1973, released 2013)
• KU01 - Ralph Radio Special (1981) [Interviewee]
• The Residents - Third Reich 'n Roll Hardback Book (2005) [Photography]
• Bob Uck & The Family Truck - Oddities 2013-2015 (2015, released 2020) [Writing, Performance, Production, Artwork]
• The Theory Of Obscurity - A Film About The Residents (2016) [Editorial Consultant]
• Charles Bobuck - The Swords Of Slidell (2016) [Narrator]
• Charles Bobuck - Later Tonight (2016) [Executive Producer]
• Charles Bobuck - Plays The Residents (2016) [Executive Producer]
• Charles Bobuck - Thanksgiving In Bed (2016) [Illustration]
• Charles Bobuck - Nineteen-Sixty-Seven (2016) [Production, Arrangement & Performance]

As Charles Bobuck

• The Delta Nudes - Greatest Hiss (1973, 2013)
• The Residents Present The Delta Nudes (1973, 2016)
• The Residents - Triple Dub-Ya: The Way We Were Melbourne (2005, 2012) [Remix, Editing]
• The Residents - Lonely Teenager (2011)
• Sonidos De La Noche - Coochie Brake (2011) [Keyboards]
• The Residents - The Rivers of Hades (2011) [Producer]
• Th* R*sidents - D*ck S*ab 35th Anniversary (2012) [Illustration]
• The Residents - Bad Day On The Midway (Music From The Game Reconsidered) (2012) [Contraption]
• The Residents - Mush-Room (2013) [Contraption]
• The Residents - Radio Thoreau Download Series (2013 - 2014) [Fix]
• The Residents - The Wonder of Weird (2014)

Under other pseudonyms

• The Residents - Pollex Christi EP (1997) [Piano & Production, as Max Steinway]
• Combo de Mecanico - High Horses EP (2001)
• The Residents - Commercial Album DVD (2004) [Interface Design And Blue Movies, as Sami Selmo]
• The Residents – The Rivers Of Hades (2011) [Package Assembly, as Sammi Selmo]
• Sonidos De La Noche - Coochie Brake (2011) [Package Design, as Sammi Selmo]
• Charles Bobuck - Lying Horse Rock (2012) [Package Design, as Sammi Selmo]
• Charles Bobuck - GOD O: Music For A Gallery Opening (2012) [CD Cover & Package, as Sammi Selmo]
• Charles Bobuck – Maxine (2012) [Image, as Sammi Selmo]

Instrumental Residents projects

Residents projects believed to be uncredited Fox solo works

• 4 Daze (1981, released 2017. Collaboration with Renaldo & The Loaf)
• For Elsie (1987)
• Hunters (1995)
• Pollex Christi EP (1997)
• The Original Disfigured Night Arrangement EP (1997, released 2009)
• Scattered Unfinished Music Sketches (1997, released 2009)
• I Murdered Mommy (1998, released 2004, Mini-album)
• Night of The Hunters (2005)
• Animal Lover Instrumental (2005, released 2008)
• Music To Eat Bricks By (2006, released 2019)
• The River of Crime! Instrumental (2006, released 2008)
• Tabasco (2006, released 2010)
• Voice-Less Midnight (2007, released 2010)
• Strange Culture / Haeckel's Tale (2007, released 2010)
• Smell My Picture (2008)
• Postcards from Patmos (2008)
• Hades (2009)
• Ozan EP (2010)
• Chicken Scratching with The Residents (2010, Mini-Album)
• Dollar General (One Lost Night In Van Horn, Texas) (2010)
• Chuck's Ghost Music (2011)
• Bad Day On The Midway (Music From The Game Reconsidered) (2012)
• Mush-Room (2013)

Bibliography

as Charles Bobuck

• (2016) THIS

as Hardy Fox

• (2017) The Swords of Slidell
• (2017) Wallpaper
• (2017) The Stone

References

External links

• Official website
• Hacienda Bridge newsletters
• Andy Beta, "The Man in the Eyeball Mask", Texas Monthly, February 2022

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