Russ Hampshire: An Industry Icon Who Will Be Forever Remembered (XBIZ)

Read the full article by Rhett Pardon on XBIZ.com

CANOGA PARK, Calif. — Legendary VCA Pictures founder Russ Hampshire left a lasting mark on the adult entertainment industry. That is for sure.

Yesterday, news arrived that the VCA founder, who started up and ran the company for 25 years, had passed away as a result of kidney failure. In recent weeks, friends and family said their farewells.

Considered an industry pioneer, Hampshire built VCA into a major purveyor of big-budget and classic adult content. His operation, which helped catapult the adult entertainment business during the so-called Golden Age of Porn, pumped out an astounding 400,000 videotapes a month....

Ron Braverman, Doc Johnson founder and CEO"Russ was an original maverick in our industry and became an icon who will be forever remembered. He understood the importance of the First Amendment as one of the founders of the Free Speech Coalition. Russ never met a person in need that he didn’t help, quietly. He never spoke about the help he gave to others. A stand-up person who could always be counted on. He will be sorely missed by many. He will be very missed by an industry he helped found and always embraced."