MATT GUNTHER

Matt Gunther (real name: Steven Matthew Laing) passed away from congestive heart failure brought on by AIDS on May 27, 1997 – the day before his 34^th birthday. A funeral was held June 7^th, and his ashes scattered at sea. Gunther was born May 28, 1963 in Garden Grove, CA. After his move to West Hollywood in 1990, he made his first gay porn film, "To The Bone," at the age of 27. His last film was 1995’s "Long Play." In all, he appeared in 34 films. Gunther was nominated for awards several times for his sexual performances, but never won. His lone award (a non-sexual honor) came at the 1992 GVG Awards where he won "Best Bitch on the Set;" it was the award’s first appearance, and it was named for him and retired thereafter. Gunther’s high-strung personality made him few friends among directors, but he was loved by many performers. Confined to a wheelchair for the past two years due to a muscular disorder caused by AIDS, he spent time in several hospices. He was homeless for a time, but friends took him in. He appeared at the 1996 Probe "Men in Video" Awards as a presenter and rode in an AIDS hospice float in that year’s West Hollywood Gay Pride parade. The gay porn review magazine "Manshots" ran an obituary for Gunther in the October, 1997 issue; the unkind tone of the article (which focused more on his "difficult’ personality than on his life or career) upset a large number of fans. Gunther is survived by his father, Robert; his brother Michael and Dan; and a sister, Denise.