LOS ANGELES — Veteran bear gay porn performer Hank Hightower passed away Nov. 1 at 57.
News of Hightower’s passing was confirmed via social media by friends and industry associates, and reported by specialized LGBTQ+ news media.
The brunette, hirsute Hightower was a prominent performer in gay titles from 1993 until the late 2000s. His IAFD page lists over 140 titles for studios such as Catalina, HIS, Forum, Vivid Man, Tool Factory and Caballero.
Bear World Magazine’s John Hernandez penned a heartfelt remembrance about Hightower’s impact on that always-popular niche.
“The death of iconic bear porn star Hank Hightower sent ripples through the bear world once word came of his passing on Nov. 1,” Hernandez wrote. “Hank’s death loomed large, especially for me.”
Porn, he continued, “is a great way to explore fantasies and alleviate tension. It’s a way to safely experiment and a way to learn what you like and what gets your motor running. For me, personally, it’s how I discovered my lust for bears, and Hank Hightower was my entry point.”
Hernandez explained why he has never gotten over his crush on Hightower, and never will.
“Lots of bears credit Hank Hightower with their sexual awakening,” he wrote in his tribute. “And of course, there was a complete person behind the public porno persona and stories of his time as a sweet natured bartender and as a dedicated volunteer for AIDS charities and animal shelters are making their way around the internet.”
Industry Reactions
Hightower’s friend Jeff Yarbrough wrote on Facebook, “I was jolted awake by a text early this morning. One of the (few) special guys in my life lost a health battle today. Hank Hightower called me last Sunday to say so long. Hank and I lived large, hard, and fast at an appropriate time for all that — late 1990s — after a shit ton of our friends had died of AIDS. If you knew Hank, then you knew of his love for canines. If his passing moves you, please send a donation this season to an animal rescue of your choosing. He did a lot of volunteering, and those nonjudgmental licks and hugs meant the world to him. One year he sold Christmas trees for a pug rescue. Imagine having Hank Hightower tie a fir tree to the roof of your car.
“As per his wishes, he died at home surrounded by his two pups. He passed peacefully,” Yarbrough added.
Fellow performer and friend Pete Finland called Hightower, “the original muscle bear.”
“He was also battling with cancer and called me two days ago to check up on me,” Finland wrote on X.com. “Now he is gone. He will be really missed.”