Publicist for the Club Limelight, Bruce Lynn, Has Passed Away!
The publicist for the club Limelight, Bruce Lynn, passed away at the age of 67.
Lynn was raised in New Jersey after being born in Manhattan, although she later moved back to the city to work in theatre. In the 1980s, he was successful as a publicist for nightlife magnate Peter Gatien’s stable of super clubs, which included Limelight, Palladium, the Tunnel, Club USA, and others.
Lynn was in the centre of the Club Kid movement, which gave rise to celebrities like Michael Alig, Amanda Lepore, RuPaul, and Lady Bunny. In fact, he assisted the neighborhood in navigating the 1996 murder of Club Kid Andre Melendez by Alig and Robert Rigg, an encounter that had a lasting impression on him.
He most recently served as the Jue Lan Club’s publicist, which was located in the former Limelight building. In 2017, Lynn also handled press for the mayoral candidacy of private eye Bo Dietl. He passed away from a heart attack on Thursday at home.
Although Lynn wasn’t a well-known publicist, readers should be aware of his loss. One Bruce Lynn, eating a sandwich at his desk, is actually keeping the world that this column covers alive for every 100 flashy, 40 Under 40 studio flacks eating lunch at Craig’s.
You probably didn’t know him if you were a popular ingenue operating a temporary macaron shop on Madison. There’s a decent chance Bruce Lynn busted his ass trying to help you if you’re one of the hundreds of people fighting every day to keep a club, restaurant, or bar open in New York City, come Hell, high water, or the State Liquor Authority.
He was a kind man working in a harsh industry. Above all else, he was devoted to his dogs. His favorite form of drag was Elaine Bitch, which he occasionally played. Noel Ashman, a nightlife entrepreneur who employed Lynn to conduct press for his club Plumm as well as a number of other venues, described him as “such a nightlife legend,” adding that he frequently brought his dog to the Tunnel.
Ashman remarked, “I’ve never seen someone so enthusiastic to get a story [about a client] published. He really knew PR and enjoyed nightlife.” He genuinely enjoyed what he did. He was a nightlife expert, and although he didn’t always receive the recognition he deserved, he had a significant impact on the scene.
When working the phone, Lynn had an unmistakable rasp that was easily recognized. Todd Shapiro, who has his own public relations agency, said of Bruce when he was working for him, “I knew that his voice would haunt every desk in the City of New York. He would drive you crazy, but everyone adored Bruce.
We are deeply saddened to learn that Bruce Lynn won’t be calling on us for another item after this. He merits some downtime.