CHATSWORTH, Calif. — The autobiography of porn perfomer John C. Holmes, "Porn King," has been released by publishing house BearManor Media, with a new epilogue by Holmes' widow Laurie Holmes.
"John was a fascinating, yet simple man," Laurie Holmes said. "He had a heart of gold, but there were many times when John was lost somewhere between reality, fantasy, and the sexual revolution. He often spun wild tales of grandeur and elaborated on the truth. Like most of his peers, he found it difficult to live up to someone else's fantasy."
Revered as "The King" by '70s porn fans, Holmes captured the attention of adult fans worldwide. His amiable detective character "Johnny Wadd," which he first performed in 1971, helped establish him as a popular personality. Holmes' troubled life included legal and drug problems before his comeback to adult film in 1983 and his eventual death from AIDS-related complications in 1988.
Holmes has been a part of mainstream feature films including "Boogie Nights," where the fictional Dirk Diggler bears a resemblance to Holmes, and "Wonderland," where Val Kilmer plays Holmes himself.
In "Porn King," Holmes talks about his childhood, his time as a swinger and paid gigolo, his on-set experiences as he shot 8mm loops in small offices and Johnny Wadd films on location. He also discusses his struggles with cocaine addiction, which led to the notorious 1981 robbery of L.A. nightclub owner Eddie Nash and the retaliation murders on Wonderland Avenue. He talks about his arrest, trial and acquittal before his return to adult filmmaking with performer Misty Dawn, who he married and is now known as Laurie Holmes.
"Porn King" was compiled from audio tapes that Holmes recorded during the last five years of his life. The book was originally privately published in 1998 and copies of the heirloom edition have been seen on the used-book market for prices ranging up to $1,000.
The newly revised edition includes an updated, heartfelt, no-holds-barred epilogue written by Laurie Holmes. The 160-page book is illustrated with family photos, production stills and news photographs of Holmes at adult conventions and putting his hands in cement outside of the famous Pussycat Theater in Los Angeles.
Using the name Misty Dawn, Laurie Holmes appeared in 61 credited feature films and numerous adult loops. She met John Holmes on a movie set in San Francisco in 1983 and shortly after their first meeting, he invited her to live with him at the San Fernando Valley home of his friend and business partner Bill Amerson.
For a brief time in the mid '80s, they were in business together with Amerson at the adult film company Penguin Productions. In January 1987, the couple married in Las Vegas and remained husband and wife until Holmes’ death in March 1988.
Today, Laurie Holmes resides in the Colorado mountains and is employed full time in the medical community.
"Porn King" is available at all major online booksellers and as a paperback or Kindle download through Amazon.com.
