Pink House Forever

Pink House. 130 North Street. Back In The Day.

Fellow residents from the 1991-94 years were Clint Curtis, Shyam Patel, Raj Krishnasami, Lydia Craft, Jess Deltac, Kyle York Spencer, Caroline Rivers Hall, Mel Lanham, Michelle Sinnott, Jay Murray, N'Gai Wright, Scott Bullock (who crashed on the couch for a year before finally moving in), Bryan Ellerson, Karen Hurka, Sally Stryker, Ryan Mathias, Charlie Speight, Chris Palmatier, Trent McDevitt, and Steve William.



Besides holdovers and returnees Jay, Scott, Mel (& Laverne!), Chris, and N'Gai, residents during 1995-97 included Ian Williams, Greg Humphreys, Allen Sellars (who, like Jay, lived at both the Pink House and 401 Pritchard), Zak Bisacky, James Dasher, Linden Elstran, Jiffer Bourguignon, Grant Tennille (who first made the scene as a fixture in N'Gai's room circa summer '93), Zia Zareem, Ben Folds, Tom Holden, and Chris "Chip" Chapman.

- Erik Ose

Featured Post

Remembering the Pink House, 15 Years Later

2009 marks fifteen years since I graduated from Carolina and moved out of the Pink House, the legendary off-campus crash pad located at 130 ...

Friday, December 29, 2006

R.I.P. Chris Pedigo (1971-2006)

Chris was a regular visitor at the Pink House, and one of my good friends at UNC. He was hilarious, generous, kind-hearted, and a co-conspirator in many capers.

R.I.P. Chris Pedigo (1971-2006)

For several years Chris lived in the gorgeous, decaying mansion known as the Russian House. He spoke Russian, French, and was fluent in a couple other languages. In the spring of '92, I was his campaign manager when Chris ran for Senior Class Vice President on a ticket with Caroline Philson in the top spot. We lost, but it was a very fun campaign, and the Caroline and Chris team had the coolest posters of any candidates for student office that I saw in my entire time at Carolina.


In the summer of '92, our paths memorably crossed for several weeks in Paris, when my brother and I took a trip over there and hung out with Chapel Hill ex-pats like Pedigo, his friend Aaron Gannon, globe trotting journalist and Pink House roomie Kyle York Spencer, and future Pink House couch surfer John Hamilton Palmer.

Chris was gay, but closeted in college, even after he contracted HIV in Paris and returned to Chapel Hill. Living with HIV was hard for Chris in the early 90s. A full decade after the epidemic burst into the public eye, progress on developing life-saving drugs remained painfully slow. It was a direct result of right-wing politicians like Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) underfunding the nation's public health response, under the criminally homophobic, warped belief that AIDS victims deserved to die.


Chris enrolled in numerous experimental trials of AIDS drugs at Duke University, which kept him alive until more effective treatments came onto the market a few years later. As time went on, Chris’ medical condition left him facing increasingly perilous financial straits. But he kept his sense of humor and refused to give up. Sadly, I lost touch with Chris after he moved to Florida in the late 90s, where he lived and worked in West Palm Beach.
Death Notices - News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) 1/2/07, B6

Christopher James Pedigo
MARCH 9, 1971 - DECEMBER 29, 2006


Christopher James Pedigo, 35, passed on Friday, December 29, 2006.

He is survived by his loving mother; Elizabeth Ann Pedigo; father, James; younger brother Taylor; and friends.

Despite the many obstacles set before him due to a long battle with compounding physical ailments; armed with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge he achieved various levels of advanced education and was fluent in several foreign languages, along with being an accomplished pianist, for all of which we are very proud.

Chris, your enthusiastic conversation and bright eyed smile will be missed, yet will remain in our hearts forever.

3 comments:

  1. I don't know if anyone will ever read this as it's been some time since Chris left us. I was close to Chris in the late 90s and early 00s. He was a guy who smiled at just about everything thrown at him and he had some horrible stuff thrown his way. I didn't learn of his failing health until I just happened to buy a paper one day (and I RARELY do that) and there was the obituary for my friend. We had lost touch the last couple of years but I always had a soft spot in my heart for him. We traveled to DC in 2000 for the gay rights march on DC and to attend the HRC concert at RFK. We had so many laughs and good times, I was looking through a photo albulm last night and there were the pics from the trip, I had no idea it would be our last trip together.

    ReplyDelete
  2. RIP, Pedigo, on the almost-anniversary of your passing. We missed you at the wedding last month, and no holiday is complete without me thinking of the many Christmases we all spent in Winston, in Todd, in Chapel Hill. Thinking of you, and hoping you're laughing your ass up there in the stars, man. -K.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not sure why, but Pedigo has been on my mind lately. I am so thankful that you put this tribute out there, Erik. It's hard to believe it has been 11 years since Pedigo passed away. We had many adventures in W-S and in Chapel Hill. I miss him. -JJ

    ReplyDelete

Tags

!free records! (1) '91 election (1) '92 election (1) '96 election (2) 120 Mallette Street (1) 130 North Street (1) 13th Gen (1) 1980s (5) 2000s (1) 210 Ransom Street (1) 333 Lounge (4) 401 Pritchard Ave. (14) 407 North Greensboro Street (1) 70s dance (3) 81 Mulberry (1) A Tribe Called Quest (1) Aaron Gannon (1) Abbey Court (1) Abe Benrubi (1) ADF (2) AIDS (1) AIDS quilt (1) Al Gore (2) Alec Guettal (1) Alexis Mastromichalis (1) Algonquin Books (1) Allen Copeland (3) Allen Sellars (2) Alpha Phi Alpha (1) Alston Neal (1) alt.music.chapel-hill (4) Alvis Dunn (1) Amiri Baraka (1) And Then There Was Rock (1) Angela Crisp (1) Ann Humphreys (1) Anna Weinstein (1) Anne Michaud (1) ants (1) Anubis Leisure Society (2) Archers of Loaf (2) Archie Copeland (1) Art Pope (1) attic (1) August Sessions (2) B-GLAD (1) Bamboo House (4) Banu Ogan (1) Barbara Berry (2) Basic 4 (1) BCC (7) Ben Chavis (1) Ben Folds (3) benefit concerts (1) Berlin (1) Bernard Butler (1) Bernard Chi (3) Besa Mi Burro (1) Beth Ising (1) Beyond (1) Big Bertha's (1) Bill Burd (1) Bill Clinton (3) Blan Holman (1) Blind Melon (1) Block Island (3) Bob Boster (1) Bob Camp (1) Bob Sheldon (1) Boogie Nights (1) Boone's Farm (1) Boston (3) Brandon Carr (1) Breadman's (2) Brett Long (2) Brian Walker (1) Bronwyn Merritt (1) Brothers Pizza (1) Bryan Ellerson (1) Bryce Lankard (1) BSM (2) Burrito Bunker (1) Cabaret (1) Caitlin Reed (2) Campus Y (2) Carmichael Auditorium (1) Carolann Belk (3) Carolina Abuelo (3) Carolina basketball (1) Carolina Theatre (1) Caroline and Chris (2) Caroline Hall (7) Caroline Philson (20) Carrboro (1) Carrie McLaren (4) Casey Paleos (1) Cat's Cradle (15) Chalky and The Wood (1) Chapel Hill Museum (1) Chapel Hill police (1) Charles McNair (10) Charles Overbeck (1) Charlie Speight (7) Charlie St. Clair (1) Cherryl Aldave (1) Chew Toy (1) Chris Bracey (2) Chris Chapman (1) Chris Lee (1) Chris Lyn (2) Chris Palmatier (6) Chris Pedigo (21) Chris Qualls (1) Chris Riser (3) Chris van Daalen (1) Christi Ilene Ginger (1) Chuck D (1) Chuck Garrison (2) classifieds (2) Clay Boyer (6) Clint Curtis (31) Clinton's Inauguration (1) Club Babyhead (2) Club Zen (4) Cobb Terrace (1) Cole Street (2) Colonel Chutney's (1) Columbia Street Bakery (1) communal bills (1) communal living (2) CUAB (1) Cypress Hill (1) D.C. (3) Dada Veda (12) Daisuke Ikeda (13) Dali (2) Dan Partridge (1) Dana Lumsden (37) Dana Terebelski (1) Darin Johnson (1) Dave Deifell (3) Dave Graedon (1) Dave Jimenez (1) Dave Kaplan (1) Dave Suroweicki (1) Dave the nervewracker (1) David Biggs (1) David Bowie (1) David Cassidy (1) Dawad Norville (5) Dazed and Confused (1) De La Soul (2) Deee-Lite (2) Deep Rising (1) Deepu Gowda (2) Deidre Campbell (1) Denise Matthewson (2) Derek Elliott (9) Derek Shadid (7) developers (2) Diana Ross (1) Digable Planets (2) Disco Inferno (1) dishes (4) Diversions (1) DJ Pez (8) DJ Sploo (2) DJ Stony (4) Doc Martin (1) Donald Reid (1) Donald Whittier (1) Donald Williams (1) Donna Bell (3) Doug Clark (1) DTH (15) Duke (2) Duke Coffeehouse (1) Duncan Boothby (1) Dunkin Donuts (1) Durham (2) Earl Lumsden (1) Ed LeBrun (2) Eddie Sanchez (1) Electric Ladyland (1) Elizabeth Dryman (2) Ellie Blake (7) Eloise (1) Eric Dolphy (1) Eric Odell (1) Eric Wagner (1) Erica Campbell (1) Erica Herman (1) Erica Salmon (2) Ericka Kurz (3) Erik Donald France (1) Erik's room (1) Erika Gantt (5) Ernesto Guzman (1) Fall Break '93 (1) Family Dollar Pharaohs (1) far back yard (4) Fast Fare (1) FGI (2) Fifth Column (1) Finis Dunaway (3) Firas Amad (9) Flying Burrito (1) Forest Theatre (1) Fowler's (1) Frank Heath (2) Frankie Bones (1) Franklin Street (2) Fred Heineman (1) From The Bar (1) From The Hip (5) Furious Party (1) Fuse (1) Gang Starr (1) Gap-i-fication of Chapel Hill (2) garage (1) Gary Byrd (1) Gates of Beauty (1) General College (2) Generation X (1) George H.W. Bush (4) George Liquor (1) George Tate (1) George W. Bush (1) George's Garage (1) Gerald Bundy (3) Gerda Hurow (1) ghosts (3) Gill Holland (2) Golden Fleece (1) Goldie (1) graduation (1) Grant Tennille (3) Granville Towers (1) Grateful Dead (2) Great Hall (5) Greenbridge (1) Greg Humphreys (2) Gregory Owcarz (1) Groves Willer (2) Guggenheim (1) Halloween (1) Hammer No More The Fingers (1) Hardback Cafe (6) Hardin's Plantation (4) Harvey Gantt (3) Hector's (1) Hell (3) Henry's (2) Hi Mom! Film Festival (1) Hinton James (1) hip hop (1) hippies (1) HIV (2) Hobex (1) Hollywood (2) housing discrimination (1) I'm As Mad As Faust (1) Ian Williams (26) Indigo Girls (1) Inga the Volvo (3) Internationalist Books (3) Iowa City (1) Isaac Trogden (1) jam sessions (1) Jamaica Plain (2) James Bevel (1) jams (5) Jared Ose (11) Jasme Kelly (3) Jason James (1) Jay Murray (46) Jay's room (1) Jeff Israel (1) Jenny Johnson (22) Jeremy Smith (1) Jess Deltac (8) Jesse Helms (2) JFK (1) Jim Holm (3) Jim Holt (1) Jim Hunt (1) Jim Lilley (3) Jim Rash (1) Jimi Hendrix (3) Jimmy Langman (1) Joan Miro (1) Joby's Opinion (1) Joe Herzenberg (6) John Bell (5) John Coltrane (2) John Gillespie (1) John Hamilton Palmer (4) John Kricfalusi (1) John Moody (3) John Svara (4) John William Pope (2) Josh Bradt (1) Josh Johnson (1) Junior Vasquez (1) Justin Warfield (2) Jyoti Argade (16) Karen Carpenter (1) Karen Hurka (3) Karen Mann (1) Kasey Jones (1) Kendall Morgan (1) Kenneth Anger (1) Kevin Dixon (1) Killian Manning (1) knuckleheads (1) Knucklelectics (3) Kristen Schoonover (10) Kung Fu Fighting (4) Kyle York Spencer (14) Lady Miss Kier (1) Laird Dixon (1) Larry Short (7) Lauren Alexis Ford (4) Laverne (5) Lee Richardson (1) Leif Garrett (1) Lem Butler (25) Lenny Kravitz (1) Lincoln Hancock (1) Lindsay Anderson (1) Lindsay Bowen (4) Lindsay Lowry (1) Lizard and Snake (1) Local 506 (7) Lost City (15) Lydia Craft (26) Lyndon LaRouche (1) Mal Waldron (1) Malcolm Aaron (4) Malcolm X (2) Mallette Street (1) Manbites Dog Theater (1) Marc Sloop (1) March Madness (1) Mardi Gras Bowling Alley (1) Margaret Lumsden (1) Marie and Bruce (1) Mark Bibbs (1) Mark Chilton (11) Mark Dorosin (1) Mark Kleinschmidt (1) Martha Pryor (5) Matt Frish (1) Matt Goecke (1) Matt Hedt (1) Matt McMichaels (5) Matt Schofield (1) Matthew Dan Stewart (5) Mazda GLC (1) McIntyre's Books (1) Meadowmont (1) Med Deli (1) Mel Benner (4) Mel Lanham (31) Melissa Swingle (1) Memorial Hall (3) Meredith Neville (4) Meredith Smith (1) Metalheadz (1) Miami Subs (1) Michael Alig (1) Michael Connor (1) Michelangelo Signorile (1) Michelle Sinott (2) Michelle Thomas (1) Mike Shoffner (1) Mike Thomas (3) Mike Wallace (1) Millennium Center (1) mixtapes (1) MOMA (1) Mona Lisa (9) Mona Lisa room (1) Monica Swisher (1) MOVE (6) MTV Beach House (1) Mu Zeta (1) Myron B. Pitts (2) Myrtle Beach (1) N'Gai Wright (45) Naomi Wolf (1) Natty Bo (1) NCNB Plaza (1) neighbors (5) Neill Prewitt (3) Nell's (1) New England Tour '93 (2) New York City (7) New York Times (2) Nice Price Books (1) Nightlight (1) Norman Korpi (1) North Campus (1) North Street (6) Northside (1) NYC (1) O.J. Simpson (1) Old Well mural (1) Olde English 800 (1) Oliver North (1) Olivia D'Abo (1) Olivier from Paris (1) OrangePolitics (1) Owari (1) Pam Hartley (2) Papagayo's (3) Paris (4) Paris party (1) parties (25) Pat Anders (2) Paul Cardillo (2) Paul Dawson (1) Paul Ferguson (1) Paul Giragos (1) Paul Green (1) Paul Hardin (3) Paul Klee (1) Peggie Porter (4) Penny Bakatsias (2) Pete Corson (1) Pharcyde (1) Phi Mu (2) Philadelphia (2) Phoenix (1) Pine State (5) Pink House (79) Pipe (1) Plastic House (5) Plaza Theatre (2) PLUR (1) poetry (1) posters (1) Powdered Toast Man (1) Power Company (1) Prague (1) Preston Harrison Dunlop (4) Providence (1) Psych-Out (1) Purple Gator (1) Purple House (8) Pyewacket (1) Queen Steve Kennedy (1) Quince Marcum (1) raccoons (2) race relations (2) Raj Krishnasami (10) Raj Narayan (1) Rama Kayyali (1) Randy Jones (1) Rashmi Airan (10) raves (5) Ray Combs (1) recording sessions (1) Reggie Workman (1) REM (1) Ren and Stimpy (2) RHA (1) Rhode Island (1) Richard Hess (2) Richard Wright (1) Rite Aid (1) roadtrips (4) Rob Lowe (1) Robb Teer (5) Rooster (1) Rosemary Street (5) Ross Grady (1) Roy Ayers (1) Roy Lichtenstein (1) Ruby Sinreich (4) Russian House (4) Ryan Williams (1) sad news (3) Sally Stryker (3) Sapphire (1) Sarah Davis (1) Sasha (1) SCALE (2) Scott Bullock (8) Scott Holmes (3) Scott Schobel (1) SEAC (8) Shannan Bowen (2) She-Devils On Wheels (1) Sherry Lumsden (1) Short Street (2) shows (1) Shyam Patel (5) Simple Machines (1) Skylight Exchange (2) slackers (1) Smith Center (1) Smokin Joe's (1) social segregation (2) Sommerfelds (1) Sophia Sacks (1) Soul Society (1) Sound Factory (2) South Campus (1) South Philly (1) Southern Village (1) spider crickets (1) Spike Lee (4) Spins (1) Spirit Of '76 (1) Squirrel Nut Zippers (1) Stabbing Westward (1) Stacy Philpott (1) Starpoint House (1) Stay Free! (5) Stephen Akin (2) Steve William (21) student activism (1) STV (1) Sue Busby (2) Sue Narayan (1) Suede (1) Summer of '93 (4) Super DJ Dmitri (1) Superchunk (2) Susan Campbell (1) Susan Comfort (8) Susannah Turner (1) Swati Argade (4) Sweet Basil (1) Sylvia Chi (11) Talking Heads (1) Tarheels (1) Teasing The Korean (1) Television (1) Tessa Blake (5) The Brewery (1) The Campus Theatre (1) The Crown (1) The Dungeon (3) The End Unit (1) The Gap (1) The Matrix (1) The Pink House Movie (7) The Pit (2) The Regulator (1) The Roxy (1) The Student Body statues (1) Threshold (1) Tift Merritt (1) Tim Moore (1) Tim Ross (2) Time After Time (1) Todd Terry (1) Todd Thomas (1) Tokyo (1) Tom Curtis (2) Tony Deifell (6) Tony Fishel (7) Tracks (1) Trash (1) Tree House (3) Trent McDevitt (2) Trish Foulke (2) Troll's (1) Tsunami (1) Tunnel (1) Twitter (1) UNC Housekeepers Movement (1) UNC student elections (2) UNC track team (1) Unitas (1) used furniture (2) Uzoma Nwosu (6) Varsity (1) Varsity Theatre (1) Village People (1) Vogue (1) voter registration (7) Wachovia (1) Wachowski Brothers (1) Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home (1) Wild Style Productions (1) Will Raymond (1) WXYC (9) Yackety Yack (1) Yaggfu Front (1) yard sales (3) Zak Bisacky (2) Zen Frisbee (5)