Rick Genest died three weeks ago. Why are there still questions as to his cause of death?  Many people jumped to the conclusion that the death of 32 year old Zombie Boy was a suicide. Lady Gaga was a friend but she made the mistake of accepting these early reports. She has since apologized for making unfounded remarks about Genest’s depressive state of mind. 

Close friends and family are insisting that Genest’s death was a tragic accident. He may have simply fell from an insecure balcony. The only thing we know for sure is that Genest found life to be exceptionally complex. This fact is expressed in his own words “There is not a book on life. It’s not everyone who takes the same path,” He continues, “there are so many obstacles and not everyone is able to find a way to overcome them. Everyone needs help and there are people who get a lot less help than others.”

Richard Genest was born in Montreal. His childhood was strict but normal until he was  diagnosed to have a brain tumor. He was the second person to undergo a radically new medical procedure. He described his six month wait. “I was told I could die or be left disfigured; I guess this spiraled me into becoming obsessed with the morbid and macabre. As it happened, the operation to remove the tumor went without a hitch, but since then, I’ve known life was too short to not fulfill my dreams of tattoos and body modifications.”

And that is exactly what he did. At the age of 16 Genest e began his quest to cover himself with a collage of images, all made coherent by a skeletal construct. Using own his face, back, chest, arms and legs as a canvas, his physical appearance was absolutely unique. In the Spring of 2011 he was awarded places in the Guinness World Book of Records for the most insects tattooed on a human body as well as the most bones inked on a human body. At this time Genest took on the persona of Zombie Boy and represented the lost, forgotten or discarded persons of our society.

Living on the streets of Montreal, Genest appeared in side shows and freak shows. In 2010 he was discovered by Nicola Dormichetti, the creative director for French fashion designer Thierry Mugler. He was invited to model in a run-way show. An introduction by Dormichetti to Lady Gaga  led to a performance in one of her music videos. For the next few years Genest modeled in popular magazines and landed small roles in films.  When things slowed down he returned to Canada and worked on developing his Zombie Boy brand. His last efforts were given to promoting the Home Depot Orange Door initiative supporting homeless youth.

#41 WED LEO 8/7/1985 Rick Genest	FRI ARI 3/28/1986 Lady Gaga

Rick Genest was born on Wednesday and in the zodiac sign of Leo. Those with Dayology Signature #41 WED LEO are smart communicators with strong messages. Mercury operating as Wednesday’s Day Ray makes Genest INWARDLY a thoughtful and aware person. He used his physical body as a canvas to express his feelings about life for himself and others.

The ruler of Leo is the Sun provided him with great courage and warmth. Through his unique image Genest was pulled into some lofty celebrity circles, but was not given the opportunities that he expected in the fashion and media world. His early death tore apart his representations of the throwaway and half dead people with whom he identified so strongly.

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