Not all Hollywood legends are movie stars. Some are living legends who walk the streets of West Hollywood, dressed as Jesus. Sadly, Kevin Short, the man known as Hollywood Jesus in L.A. and beyond, has passed away. He was 57 years old, and he is mourned by friends and also by complete strangers whose lives he touched. Have you ever heard the Aerosmith song, “Street Jesus,” by any chance? That’s about Hollywood Jesus. He’s also been featured in Lana Del Rey’s music videos. Most often, though, he’s been photographed by and with people walking the streets of West Hollywood. New York has the Naked Cowboy. Hollywood has its share of colorful characters who have become cultural fixtures, but Hollywood Jesus stood above the rest. Sadly, though the world is only now learning this news, Kevin Short (whose name has also been reported as Kevin Lee Light) passed away on December 13th. TMZ reports that he was hospitalized briefly for pulmonary issues beforehand, but unfortunately did not make it. After years as a cultural mainstay up and down Hollywood Boulevard, his death has grieved many who knew, met, or simply knew of him. Many of whom were celebrities. But really, anyone who works and lives in or around Hollywood has some awareness of the man. Those who had met him have taken to social media today to eulogize him: “Rest In Peace…I enjoyed meeting you #HollywoodJesus” Those who knew him best, of course, miss him most: “We all loved Kevin aka Jesus. Such a great guy. Beyond generous and supportive of all the comedians. He was part of The Comedy Store & Los Angeles. He walked almost everywhere, but I always gave him a ride home. I’ll miss him. Our last photo… RiP good friend.” That last photo is this one: Some tried to blend sadness with levity. Normally, we’d question whether that’s tasteful. But maybe that’s just what Hollywood Jesus would have wanted. “# of Jesus deaths under Obama: 0” That’s … that’s fair. “Going to give it three days before i mourn the loss of hollywood jesus.” Honestly, we thought of that joke but kept it to ourselves. From Plastic Martyr to Perez Hilton to Jared Leto, Hollywood Jesus was a frequent companion for selfies and other photos for people with a lot of name recognition. And, as we said, he was even a source of inspiration for some well known musical artists. He also reportedly gave fantastic backrubs. Kevin will always be loved, but now he will be missed. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2017: In Memoriam
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Hollywood Jesus Dies; L.A. Legend Was 57
