Considering that Skafish never granted an interview until 1986, the amount of press that he received was truly astounding. From his first debut in February of 1976, the sensationalistic, outrageous, flamboyant and controversial aspects of Skafish and his art were seized upon by the media.
Journalists picked up on Skafish and began extensively writing about him, calling him everything from GOD to a pathetic, talentless joke. Skafish and his sensibility both mesmerized and repulsed journalists locally, nationally and internationally, and much of the press he received reads like the tabloid media of today.
This tabloid sensibility was most evident in the British press when Skafish toured Europe in 1980, with continual barbs thrown at him such as "Would you let your daughter marry Jim Skafish?" Often entire articles were devoted to describing every aspect of his physical appearance. Journalists often played the role of psychiatrist, using the recollection of childhood events and the theme of constant rejection evident in his lyrics to psychoanalyze him.
Other stories commented on his talent and musical genius--the deceptive complexity of his music, the theatricality of his performance and his melodic singing voice. He was labeled as too far ahead of his time (even for the media) or, alternately, destined for mainstream stardom, being called "the Bobby Darin of the 80s."
The unpredictable and often violent events that surrounded Skafish and his performances have also attracted media scrutiny throughout his career. Whether it was being canned offstage, Sid Vicious disrupting a show or the plug being pulled on a performance because of "perceived" lewd behavior, the press always had ample material to write about.
Since most of Skafish's exposure to the world was largely due to being written about extensively, ultimately, it was the press that was instrumental in bringing Skafish into the cultural consciousness.
1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
Coming Soon! Updated press for years 2000 to 2008
Cover © 1977 Triad Magazine