Billy Name – From Life in the Warhol Factory and Beyond

Andy Warhol first met the “handsome, brooding” William Linich at a restaurant in New York City in 1959. At the time, young Billy had no idea that this encounter would alter the entire trajectory of his life.

He would undergo many transformations, and would reinvent himself from time to time. Yet, the one constant, unaltered presence during the existence of “Billy Name” would be his passion for art.

Linich was born to Carleton Linich and Mary (Gusmano) Linich, on February 22, 1940, in Poughkeepsie. His father was a local barber in town. Billy left his native Poughkeepsie after graduating from Arlington High School in 1958. While in school he was a member of the thespian club, as well a part of the Anchor yearbook staff.

A year later, he was living in New York City, waiting tables, and giving haircuts in his apartment in order to pay his rent.  He also began a career as a theatrical lighting designer at the Judson Dance Theater and other local venues.

Warhol visited Billy’s apartment for a haircut and was astonished to see the entire place covered in silver paint and tin foil (“I even painted the silverware silver,” Linich recalled). Andy was enamored by this idea, so he had Linich create his own studio space in the same way.

This was to become the look of the original Warhol Silver Factory on East 47^th Street.

By 1963, Warhol gave Linich a wide range to create, and live, within the Factory. Andy bought him a 35 millimeter Pentax camera. Billy refashioned the bathroom into a photographic darkroom. He also set up a bunk bed, hung up some clothes where he could, and brought in stacks of his favorite opera records along with him. He essentially moved in. Andy was elated by this.

As the Sixties moved forward, many photographers and video artists had taken part in projects created by the Warhol Factory. Yet, Billy was the most enduring and prolific during the Factory’s most productive years, from 1963 to 1968.

Billy chose “Name” for his stage persona during a Warhol Factory multimedia installation called the “Exploding Plastic Inevitable.” It included screenings of Warhol films, dancers, mime performers, lighting effects, photography, artwork, and live music from the Velvet Underground and Nico. He looked at a magazine subscription card, which asked for the subscriber’s name. He entered “Billy.” Thus, Billy Name!

During this very collaborative artistic period, Billy took hundreds of photographs of the whole scene in all of its incarnations. He captured Warhol’s superstars, like Edie Sedgwick, Brigid Berlin, Gerard Malanga, and Nico. He also photographed other artists such as Jasper Johns, John Cage, Salvador Dali, Alan Ginsberg, and Bob Dylan. Billy was credited for photos and illustrations on three Velvet Underground album covers; The Velvet Underground & Nico, White Light White Heat, and their self-titled third album.

Billy was deeply affected by the shooting of Andy Warhol by the actress Valerie Solanas on June 3, 1968. This occurred at the Decker Building in Union Square. The Warhol Factory had moved there from its previous midtown address that same year.

As the sixties began to unravel, so did Billy. His addiction to amphetamines and other drugs debilitated him, and his ability to continue his work. He decided to leave New York in 1970. He spent the next 10 years in San Francisco, writing poetry, studying Buddhism, and trying to get his life into some semblance of serenity.

Billy moved back to Poughkeepsie in the early 1980s. He started creating art again, in sculpture, as well as photography. He took part in various local shows and exhibits. He even displayed works in the windows of the Luckey Platt Building, the Beacon Federal Savings Bank on Main Street, and the Barrett House on Noxon Street. He eventually became the Associate Director of the Mid-Hudson Arts and Science Center in Poughkeepsie in 1988. He’d taken part in an annual juried show presenting art from throughout the Hudson Valley. This show was presented for six years. In 1989, Vassar College held a gallery show, The Billy Name Collection from The Warhol Factory "Silver Era”; an exhibit of art and memorabilia from the Warhol Factory’s “Silver Age” of 1963-68.

His artistic presence in Poughkeepsie continued into the 1990s. He also became interested in astrology, occasionally giving astrological and horoscope readings at local events.

In 2001, one of his photos from this era was used for a commemorative stamp of Andy Warhol by the United States Postal Service.

Billy was on hand for the opening of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh in 1994. He was excited by its opening, and what he sensed was, “the energy patterns he saw flowing on the museum walls.” He said he could feel Andy’s presence, especially in the collection storage rooms.

For several years after its opening, Billy was on hand for several of the Warhol Museum’s gallery exhibits and other events. He was instrumental in curating important programs, which included his work as well.

In 2014, Billy was one of the integral on-screen talents for the Warhol Museum’s new introductory film, which celebrated the 20^th Anniversary of the Museum. That same year, the largest and most comprehensive retrospective of Billy Name’s work took place at the MILK Gallery in New York City. Billy Name continued with art and film projects at his home on Albany Street until his death in July of 2016.

References

• Randy, Kennedy. “Billy Name, Who Glazed Warhol’s Factory in Silver, Dies at 76 - The New York Times.” New York Times, 24 July 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/arts/design/billy-name-dead.html.
• Purcell, Amanda  J. “Poughkeepsie Artist, Icon Billy Name Dies.” Com, Poughkeepsie Journal, 21 July 2016, www.newspapers.com/image/205418783/.
• Kennedy, Randy. “Billy Name’s Archive of Warhol History May Be Lost - The New York Times.” Com, The New York Times, 8 Jan. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/arts/design/09billy.html.
• “Andy Warhol Shot.” Com, The Spokesman - Review (Spokane, Washington), 4 June 1968, www.newspapers.com/image/570581292/.
• Desi, and Matt Wrbican. “Fare Thee Well, Billy Name (1940–2016); We Miss You.” The Andy Warhol Museum, 12 Nov. 2024, www.warhol.org/fare-thee-well-billy-name-1940-2016-we-miss-you/.
• “Exhibitions - Billy Name; The Silver Age.” Billy Name Photography, The Estate of Billy Name, 2014, www.billynameestate.com/exhibitions#:~:text=Name’s%20largest%20exhibition%20was%20hosted,meet%20the%20man%20behind%20them.
• “37C Andy Warhol Single | National Postal Museum.” Smithsonian National Postal Museum, National Postal Museum, postalmuseum.si.edu/object/npm_2002.2029.115. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
• Shankbone, David. Billy Name: Billy Name in his kitchen discussing astrology. 11 Mar. 2007. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
• Panella, Florence. “Celebrities Gather To Launch Billy Name’s ‘Silver Era’ Show.” Com, Poughkeepsie Journal, 27 Jan. 1989, www.newspapers.com/image/114593742/.