Joe Teresi 1941-2025
The whole of the V-twin community has been greatly saddened by the passing of one of the true legends of the Biker Lifestyle - Joe Teresi.
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| Joe Teresi 1941-2025 |
One of the three originals founders of 'Easyriders' magazine in 1970 (though the first edition was published in June 1971), Joe, Lou Kimzey and Mil Blair made the ultimate 'zeitgeist' play a year after the iconic Easy Rider movie had the hippies pouring out of the movie theatres and headed for the salvage yards.
It is arguable whether the so-called 'Biker Lifestyle' gave birth to the magazine or whether the magazine gave birth to the lifestyle, but either way Joe, Mil and Lou quickly defined the custom motorcycle community's image of itself, and the rest was not just history, but genuinely historic.
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| Often imitated but never bettered, the first edition of 'Easyriders' hit the shelves in June 1971 and in terms of 'biker culture' and custom bike design nothing was quite the same again. |
It was under Joe's passionate and assured guidance that 'Easyriders' became a phenomenon. Topping out at something like 550,000 copies sold a month and spawning brand extensions from shows to shops, from books to beer and from art to craft - the craft of custom motorcycle design and engineering done a particular way, for a particular time and for a particular audience.
From newspapers to magazines, when it is 'done right' and 'timed right' the power of publishing is something to behold, and Joe was one of the rarest of rare beasts. A magazine man who could be a steady, reliable and engaged hand on the tiller, as well as a shrewd brand steward and business manager. The two do not often go hand in glove where the publishing industry is concerned, but in Joe Teresi our world had a genius at the helm who 'got it'.
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| 'Easyriders' rides again - six times a year from January 2025 |
Our world is so much the poorer for Joe's passing. Our best wishes go to his wife Ellen and the family.
And best wishes too to the 'fellow travellers' who, just this past year, have managed to bring the 'Easyriders' naming rights and Paisano publishing company back together again and into the hands of a team who 'get it'. Joe was the inspiration as 'eminence grise' with Dave Nichols as Editor, Michael Lichter as lensman extraordinaire, Felicia Morgan as Roving Reporter and Penny Osiecki looking after the advertisers. It's great to see the pages of the old mill turning over again - that's the most fitting of legacies.
