Conrad Santa Vicca was best known as Divine’s dresser. When he was diagnosed with AIDS he decided to fulfill his dream of becoming a painter. His work was extraordinary, as the art world quickly recognized.

Ronnie and I met Conrad at a Holly Woodlawn party in a Silverlake backyard. The three of us talked about life and death under a huge old pepper tree. The stars were bright and the summer night was warm. We knew Conrad was dying. His healthy looking tan was the result of drugs they were giving him.

When he lit up a joint and offered to pass it to us I didn’t hesitate. My older brother was gay and I knew you couldn’t get AIDS from a passed cigarette. I also knew what it would mean to Conrad at that point in his life to have a smart ass white girl share a smoke with him without a flinch.

Ronnie threw me a horrified look but, slump shouldered and secretly pissed off, he took a puff, too. Conrad appreciated what we had done and the conversation we had then about his race with time to create all the art pouring into his mind was a life changer for us.

Conrad worked as many hours as he could every day to bring as many paintings to life as he could while there was still time. That was a guru moment for us. Parts of that conversation are in the lyrics of this song.

When faced with the descent into a painful death Conrad took his own life.
When we heard it Ronnie wrote this. A Powa is a Tibetan meditation or prayer that’s supposed to reacquaint the confused soul of the recently disentangled with the infinite consciousness and compassion that is our true home.

“He walks into the bright
Collision of every candy bar
Kisses and favorite TV shows
Sunshine on electric signs
Everything he wants to know.”

Some of the other lyrics reappeared in the Lucid Nation song L.A. River.

Listen to the song: Click Here