According to Avern, the pairing was a success both professionally and critically, but the duo clashed over sound, contracts and payments. “‘The Unfinished Masterpiece’ was a battle between Eddie and me,” said Aburn. Palmieri, now 86, declined to comment.
The two parted ways in 1976 and Averne shifted his focus to albums by Edie Gorme and Machito, and records with Cortijo y Su Combo Originals. But by the end of the decade, Coco was over due to financial problems, Averne said.
His last foray into the record industry was as a partner at disco-focused Prism Records (the predecessor to hip-hop label Cold Chillin Records), during which he met a young Madonna. (He said he still has some of her early demos.)
In the early ’80s, when his label career came to an end, Averne fell into a dark age.
“Everything fell apart,” he said. “I didn’t answer the phone for several years. “
When DJ and boogaloo aficionado Carlos Vera, who has worked closely with Averne in recent years, first met Avern in the 2010s, he said, “He wasn’t taking care of himself.” A few days a week from the Upper West Side to my apartment in Avern, Queens. He renovated Avern’s apartment, organized his temporary stuff, and helped get him online. “I encouraged him to eat well and take care of himself more. It took me a long time to convince him.”
Averne is fine today. “I still make money with music,” he said. “I still own my own publication and have written over 50 songs.” “There was this feeling, ‘Harvey, you did it.’ You’ve proven yourself.”
