Bruce Douglas McCrae

Bruce (“Rudy Cheeks”) McCrae

Bruce McCrae, better known to many Rhode Islanders as Rudy Cheeks, died Sept. 19 of natural causes. He was 76.

During his vivid career, Bruce was a musician, alternative newspaper columnist, radio personality, emcee, author, comedian, producer, man-about-town and a godfather to Rhode Island’s edgy underground scene. From U.S. Senators to street people, it seemed as though everyone in the state knew Rudy.

He led a big life.

Born in Pawtucket, Bruce went to Tolman High School and then URI. In 1970, Bruce helped create a band, the Fabulous Motels, with Dave “Sport Fisher” Hansen, Jeff Shore, Charles Rocket and Dan Gosch. The Motels checked out in 1973, but McCrae, Hansen, and Shore went on to form the Young Adults, which lasted until 1979, albeit with several reunion shows. Both bands displayed a unique combination of musicianship, satirical lyrics and on-stage comedy.

Bruce was a founding board member for the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, plus the organization’s official master of ceremonies and a producer for concerts and induction events.

In 2016, surviving members of the Young Adults and Fabulous Motels, along with Rudy Cheeks as an individual, were inducted into the Hall. In its extensive biography of Bruce, the Hall of Fame noted that not only were the Motels and Adults regional successes in their own right, but also influenced everyone from The Talking Heads to filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly.

But music is only part of the story. For decades Bruce collaborated with Chip Young on the newspaper column “Phillipe and Jorge’s Cool Cool World.” (Bruce was Jorge.) Masquerading as flamboyantly gay characters who lived in the fabulous and fictional Casa Diablo, drinking grapefruit juice and Pernod, the column relentlessly skewered the Rhode Island establishment. It began in The Providence Eagle, then moved to The NewPaper, The Providence Phoenix, and finally Motif. (Young died in 2022.) In addition to the popular “Phillipe and Jorge” column, he wrote a solo cultural satire column, “That Proves It,” for The Providence Eagle in the 1980s.

But Bruce was not a guy to be tied down by just one – or two – media.

He also had a career in radio, beginning at WHJY in 1984, but most notably with Carolyn Fox on “Fox and Cheeks” from 1986 to 1989. He broadcast on WHJJ in the ‘90s and in the early 2000s, was again paired with Fox on a morning show at WHJY. From 2003 to 2011, Bruce became Director of Radio for In-Sight, a non-profit radio reading service for blind and visually impaired Rhode Islanders.

On television, Bruce hosted a cable access show, “Club Genius,” from 1982 to 1984, showcasing local musicians, presented with his trademark weird humor. The Providence Journal described the show as "brilliantly tasteless and immature,"

Another contribution to Providence’s underground culture was his long-running “Comediac” persona, presenting many of the world’s worst movies, typically horror films from the 50s and 60s. These events took place in a series of local bars with Bruce as Comediac at the microphone, improvising live sarcastic commentary. A recurring favorite in this series was “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” widely considered the worst film ever made. Audience participation was a key part of the experience. The Comediac “bad film festival” began years before Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Svengoolie brought a similar concept to television.

Bruce, Rudy, Jorge, – he was a raconteur known in many settings for his wit and zany personality. If ever a Rhode Island charitable organization or political activist group needed an emcee for one of its events, Rudy Cheeks was always there to volunteer his services.

Bruce was married to Susan Murphy from 2000 to 2012. Although divorced, they remained close, and Susan served as Bruce’s advocate and caregiver ever since his stroke in 2016. Bruce enjoyed smoking cigars, and Susan would take him out from his Pawtucket apartment, and later from his nursing home, to enjoy a smoke and a beverage. Bruce remained close to the Murphy extended family to the end, celebrating holidays with them.

He is survived by a brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Barbara McCrae, and a sister, Susan Browning.

No funeral service is planned, but there will be an event to celebrate Bruce’s life on Sunday, November 15, from 4 to 8, at The Met.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Skeffington Funeral Home of Providence. For online condolences, please visit www.hillskeff.com.