Blanco Brown Reflects on Friendship with Leslie Jordan: 'He Was Always a Bundle of Joy' (Exclusive)

By Stephen Andrew

It's been nearly four months since beloved comedian and actor Leslie Jordan passed away, and his loss continues to be felt by everyone who knew him. Recently, PopCulture.com had a chance to speak with Blanco Brown, who was close to Jordan and even recorded a song with the comedian-turned-country star. The track, "Let it Slide," also featured country duo LOCASH and was released after Jordan's death in October.

"He was always a bundle of joy," Brown told us of Jordan, during a Zoom interview. He then noted "And you would think, with some of the shows and stuff he's on, that they got him to play this character. But if you was around him, you'll know that he's only been himself. They may give him lines, but they haven't changed the essence of who he is on a 24-hour day basis, 24 seven, a ball of joy. And I'm talking about one of the coolest guys ever."

Recalling a funny story about the late Call Me Kat star, Brown shared, "He told me, he said, 'Well, Blanco, I've been baptized like 14 times.' He said, 'But it never took.' I said, 'Man, Leslie... that is hilarious.' Man, he was the greatest, honestly."

It was just "two weeks later," after they'd filmed the music video for "Let it Slide," that Brown got the terrible news of Jordan's death, "I ain't want to hear that," Brown said, then revealing that he'd previously been gifted a "Leslie and Company jacket" that he hadn't "even worn" yet. Brown had also been given the shirts that Jordan wore in the music video, which he was supposed to give to the actor but, unfortunately, they never saw one another again.

"It was so crazy cause during the video set, they gave me his shirts to gift to him. And then when I talked to him, I say, 'I want to keep one of the shirts that you want the video to put in the frame with my outfit from the video.' He said, 'Whatever, whatever, whatever, child.' So needless to say, when he passed, I have all three of his shirts from the video at my house, and I'm just like... yeah I was hurt. But I think what I'm going to end up doing is just frame all three of them and then put his name and stuff over it and some of his quotes and stuff."

Brown then confessed that "talking about" Jordan "is hurtful," adding, "You never really get used to that knowing that you can't call, talk to somebody or see them at the Grand Ole Opry behind the stage, making everybody laugh or be at a space where you could just be free around him. No judgment zone. Everybody just laughing and just living life." Getting candid, Brown offered, "In this field, you don't always find yourself being comfortable around artists. A lot of the time. Artists got to keep on that persona. You'll be like, 'That's not really you. You like to curse, drink a lot and smoke. I know you.' But man, being around Leslie, it was just a ball of joy."

Finally, Brown was honest about how Jordan's death has been a personal test of faith. "You never ask God questions, but I wonder why He did things. I was trying to figure out why it happened after we did what we set out to do. Leslie had reached out to me months before, maybe a year before. I mean, getting that timeline through... long story short, he wanted to do a record together. We did it together. We shot the video, and then that happened. But yeah, it was... God got other plans."

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