Chuck E. Weiss

A fixture on the Los Angeles scene, Weiss was known for an eclectic mix of blues, beat poetry, and rock and roll.

All three lived in the Tropicana Hotel in Los Angeles, in the middle of a fertile musical scene including Levi and the Rockats, Stray Cats, Black Flag, Frank Zappa and others.

Weiss was associated with Los Angeles and Southern California for years, which he explained by saying he does not like to travel by airplane, in truth his cult of celebrity amongst Hollywood socialites stemmed from his prominent playing in various house bands along Sunset Strip through the 1970s and 1980s.

Weiss and his friend Johnny Depp, were instrumental in resuscitating it as the Viper Room, which later became notorious when River Phoenix died there in 1993.

The opening track, "Devil With Blue Suede Shoes", was produced by Johnny Depp and featured Toby Dammit on drums.

[14] Willie Dixon was quoted on the original packaging of Extremely Cool as saying, "Ain't ya got ears son?

"[15] Extremely Cool makes reference to Canter's Kibitz Room, a small nightclub in a larger deli in Los Angeles's Fairfax District, where Weiss also played habitually.

[22][23] In the May 14, 2002 episode of Gilmore Girls entitled "Lorelai's Graduation Day", Weiss appeared as the proprietor of a record store in New York City.

[22] Weiss was a frequent guest on Art Fein's Poker Party, a long running Public Access "Rock-n-Roll Talk Show" in the mid 1980s and early 1990s.