Madame Wong - Grandmother of LA Punk - Dies at age 88
 

Here's an obit from the LA Weekly

Quote:

Esther Wong, proprietess of the legendary Madame Wong’s and Madame Wong’s West clubs, died Sunday, August 14, the day after her 88th birthday. Her clubs were an integral part of L.A.’s punk and new wave scenes in the ’70s and ’80s, and she will be remembered by a generation of musicians and music lovers as a strong-willed woman and, in the words of the Plimsouls’ Peter Case, “an intense character.”

A more extensive obit can be found in the LA Times

She was ALWAYS at Madam Wong's Chinatown during the shows. had a perch at the bar and ruled that club with an iron fist. All of us punks were a bit afraid of her. Even in the late 70's she was that "old woman at the bar" that people stared at - until they realized she owned the joint. Some would try and hustle her, but there was no hoodwinking Madam Wong.

What a woman! May she rest in peace with the Ramones entertaining her.

What a character! I love people like her- they make life so much more interesting and colorful. I worked at a chinese restaurant for several years during college, and it was a great experience- frustrating at times, but great. Chinese people have an attitude that I just totally click with. This lady had it in spades.:snap::cheers::snap:

first joey, then johnny and deedee...now madam wong..next thing john doe and exene will be jumping off a bridge..

Don't even THINK of it!