Albert Leslie Cochran was an American homeless man, peace activist, cross-dresser, urban outdoorsman, and outspoken critic of police treatment of the homeless.
27 Facts About Leslie Cochran
2.
Leslie Cochran was born on June 24,1951 and raised in the Redland district of Homestead, Florida.
3.
Leslie Cochran was the third of six children born to Albert and Enid Cochran, both now deceased, and had an identical twin brother who died at birth.
4.
Leslie Cochran attended Florida State University in Tallahassee on an academic scholarship, but never graduated.
5.
Leslie Cochran lived in the Pacific Northwest and at one time worked as a truck driver frequently traveling up and down the West Coast.
6.
Leslie Cochran told the Austin American-Statesman that he was briefly married from 1985 to 1986.
7.
Leslie Cochran was typically seen around 6th Street and Congress during business hours, frequently wearing women's clothing.
8.
Leslie Cochran's most popular attire was a leopard thong and high-heeled shoes.
9.
Leslie Cochran ran for Mayor of Austin three times, most recently in 2003.
10.
Leslie Cochran said his life on the streets advocating for police accountability was a good background for the job.
11.
Leslie Cochran showed up for a mayoral campaign interview in 2003 wearing a women's business suit.
12.
Leslie Cochran talked about problems ahead for a city that was creative and fun, but growing so fast that it could become big and bland.
13.
Leslie Cochran had actually thought about real issues that were facing the city, and not all of his ideas were particularly out there.
14.
Leslie Cochran was featured prominently in the 2010 book Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas.
15.
Leslie Cochran appeared on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, wearing a thong.
16.
Leslie Cochran did occasional odd jobs for local businesses and appeared in an ad for Pinky's Pagers that aired locally during the 2001 Super Bowl.
17.
Leslie Cochran worked as a model, and a local business lent him a three-wheeler bicycle with advertising to pedal around town.
18.
The magnets were sold in local bookstores beginning in 2006, and Leslie Cochran received 20 percent of sales.
19.
In 2007, Leslie Cochran bought a large storage shed with his magnet earnings.
20.
Leslie Cochran cut a deal with a woman in South Austin to put the shed in her yard, furnished the shed and moved into it.
21.
When he was released, on October 23,2009, Leslie Cochran reported that he had been attacked after commenting to a group of people about the dangers of drug abuse.
22.
On February 27,2012, St David's South Austin Hospital confirmed Leslie Cochran was in their hospital in critical condition.
23.
Leslie Cochran had been in declining health since suffering his head injury in October 2009.
24.
Leslie Cochran was then moved to a local hospice, where he died on March 8,2012, aged 60.
25.
Leslie Cochran's death produced an outpouring of strong emotion and condolences.
26.
Several editorials have since eulogized Leslie Cochran's death, painting a legacy that reflects upon his homeless advocacy as well as Austin's known tendencies toward eccentricity and tolerance.
27.
In 2012, supporters and friends of Leslie Cochran led by actor Brently Heilbron organized Leslie Cochran Fest to pay tribute to the Austin icon and raise money for Hospice Austin.