William George Linich (February 22, 1940 â€" July 18, 2016), known
professionally as Billy Name, was an American photographer, filmmaker,
and lighting designer. He was the archivist of The Factory from 1964
to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol
led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his
films, paintings, and sculptures. Linich became Billy Name among the
clique known as the Warhol Superstars. He was responsible for
"silverizing" Warhol's New York studio, the Factory, where he lived
until 1970. His photographs of the scene at the Factory and of Warhol
are important documents of the pop art era.In 2001, the United States
Postal Service used one of Billy Name's portraits of Warhol when it
issued a commemorative stamp of the artist. Name also collaborated
with Shepard Fairey with his photograph of Nico, singer with the
Velvet Underground and part of the social circle of Warhol's Factory.
He photographed the covers for the Velvet Underground's White
Light/White Heat and their eponymous third album as well as the
photographs in the gatefold sleeve for The Velvet Underground and Nico
(in collaboration with fellow Warhol associate Nat Finkelstein).The
origin of Linich's assumption of his theatrical surname was explained
this way: "He acquired his superstar identity. While he was filling in
an official form, his pen hovered… Name...Billy...He wrote. He had
become Billy Name."
professionally as Billy Name, was an American photographer, filmmaker,
and lighting designer. He was the archivist of The Factory from 1964
to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol
led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his
films, paintings, and sculptures. Linich became Billy Name among the
clique known as the Warhol Superstars. He was responsible for
"silverizing" Warhol's New York studio, the Factory, where he lived
until 1970. His photographs of the scene at the Factory and of Warhol
are important documents of the pop art era.In 2001, the United States
Postal Service used one of Billy Name's portraits of Warhol when it
issued a commemorative stamp of the artist. Name also collaborated
with Shepard Fairey with his photograph of Nico, singer with the
Velvet Underground and part of the social circle of Warhol's Factory.
He photographed the covers for the Velvet Underground's White
Light/White Heat and their eponymous third album as well as the
photographs in the gatefold sleeve for The Velvet Underground and Nico
(in collaboration with fellow Warhol associate Nat Finkelstein).The
origin of Linich's assumption of his theatrical surname was explained
this way: "He acquired his superstar identity. While he was filling in
an official form, his pen hovered… Name...Billy...He wrote. He had
become Billy Name."
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