LOS ANGELES — Rick Karp, aka gay porn star Cole Tucker, passed away Sunday in Palm Springs from AIDS-related illness.
According to Keith Webb, vice president of Titan Media, a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. this Saturday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 1020 East Ramon Road in Palm Springs. The family invites Karp's friends and colleagues to attend.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Desert AIDS Project in Palm Springs.
"Rick was one of the most iconic and beloved gay porn-stars of my generation," Webb said Thursday in a remembrance on XBIZ.net. "He won Gay Performer of the Year in 1998 from both GayVN and Grabbys. He was a legendary pornstar, emphasis on star, that was one-of-a-kind...they don't make them like him anymore."
Webb continued, "Cole Tucker was a character that he created to entertain the world. Rick Karp was the sweet, funny, smart, generous and hardworking man I knew. Rick was not only an amazing performer, he was also a personal friend and our realtor in Palm Springs for the past seven years.
"You were a great friend and will be truly missed."
