Warhol Superstar John Giorno

Warhol Superstar John Giorno was born on December 4, 1936 in New York City. He worked as a stockbroker and was Andy Warhol’s boyfriend before Warhol moved his studio to The Factory. They met at Warhol’s first pop art show. Giorno never became one of the recurring actors in Warhol’s films but was the star of Warhol’s first ever film, Sleep. Giorno recounts the moment that Warhol got the idea in an interview with Warholstars, “… and I woke up in the night to find him staring at me – he took a lot of speed in those days. That’s where the idea for the movie came from – he was looking for a visual image and it just so happened to be me.”

Shortly after the filming of Sleep, Giorno and Warhol ended up parting ways. They rarely saw each other until 1987 (the year Warhol died) when they had a few encounters. After leaving Warhol, Giorno went on to be very influential in the underground art scene of New York, writing poetry and performing all around the world. John Giorno is still alive to this day, and his legacy is carried out through his non-profit production organization, Giorno Poetry Systems.

Warhol Superstar John Giorno