Ron Duguay

Ron Duguay is recorded in Andy Warhol’s diary as an athlete whose appearances moved between a lengthy interview and the crowded social life around Warhol. The entries offer only brief glimpses of Duguay, but together they show Warhol not merely observing a circle of celebrities and performers: he also tried to bring people within it into conversation.

Interview and Dinner

On January 15, 1980, Warhol interviewed Duguay for three hours. They then went to Halston’s house for a dinner honoring Martha Graham. The gathering also included Victor, who was living at the house again, and Steve Rubell, whose sentencing had been postponed. Rubell’s legal predicament entered the dinner conversation: he was being pressed to testify that Hamilton Jordan had used cocaine at Studio 54, but resisted swearing to the claim in court, despite having said it on television. Duguay’s presence places the interview within a social evening where celebrity, friendship, and legal trouble occupied the same room; the diary does not say that he took part in the discussion.

A Presence in Warhol’s Nightlife

Duguay appears again at Les Mouches during an evening that included Warhol, Bob Colacello, Lester, and Paloma Picasso. The group had already eaten and was waiting before going to Bonds. Warhol notes that Duguay was initially uninterested in Patti LuPone, describing the athletes around him as tending to favor the same blonde types. Rather than leave the encounter at that first impression, Warhol told Duguay that LuPone wanted to meet him and was worth his attention.

The Meeting with Patti LuPone

LuPone then came over and sat with Duguay. Warhol’s account gives the brief exchange a small but revealing shape: he recognizes Duguay’s initial lack of interest, intervenes on LuPone’s behalf, and records the resulting conversation as part of the evening. His description of LuPone is affectionate and specific: she sang sophisticated songs but, when nervous, stuck out her tongue like Donald Duck. Duguay is not given a reply or a further role in the scene, so the diary leaves the encounter at the point of introduction rather than turning it into a developed relationship.