Veteran Industry Salesman Rick Wells Dies

This story will be updated as AVN receives more memories from Wells' industry friends. CITY OF HOPE, Calif.—Rick Wells, a former salesman for Caballero Home Video and industry veteran of almost 30 years, died Sept. 9, 2015, at City of Hope Hospital in California. According to longtime friend Bruce Mendelson of Legend Video, Wells had a degree in physical therapy and worked in healthcare for a time, but his true passion was music, and he became an accomplished guitarist who performers with some of the biggest bands of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. “[But] he was best known as a Super Salesman for Caballero Home Video in the early ’90s,” Mendelson told AVN. “His customers adored him claiming he was one of the most honest and truthful sales representatives in the adult industry.” Wells entered adult as a salesman in the 1980s, when business was booming, and he quickly was able to fund a lifestyle that allowed him to pursue music. “Music was Rick's gift, his life, his magic,” said longtime friend Dick Lane of Caballero. “Rick was a professional musician, a super musician, a super guitarist; he could play anything from rock to Bach, [and] often taught young people to play. He had a band, and once was managed by Van Halen's manager. Rick's favorite group was Jethro Tull, and could play it and sing it as well as Jethro. Unfortunately, medical problems cut short his professional musical life at an early age, he became a video salesman to pay the bills. It was his ‘day job.’ “Rick Wells was a super human being, he was full of love, had nothing but love to give to his fellow man, even when he was feeling down about something himself,” Lane continued. “He always reached out to help someone in need, to a friend, to a homeless person on the street. A deeply religious person, he would pray for others. He was, and is special. His body has left him, his spirit, his soul, as all of our souls, continues. Energy can not be destroyed, it just transcends to another dimension. His soul was too beautiful for this world. He tried to make this world a beautiful place, and did. I loved him like a brother. It pains me that he couldn't stay longer.” Mike Kulich—founder of Monarchy Distribution and Stunner PR—also shared his memories of Wells. "Having worked out of the Caballero building for the past eight years, I had the privilege of seeing Rick every day,” Kulich said. “We were the guys who came in early and would sit and have our coffee every morning and talk about sports, life, and he told me stories from back in his rock ’n’ roll days. Rick always sold porn but sometimes he would take time off to do studio guitar work. We both had a passion for playing the guitar. When I started Stunner PR he gave me a Fender Strat as a good luck gift. I will miss my friend and my morning coffee that we had every day. Rick was an OG in this industry, selling movies back when they were on beta. He loved the business, he loved his customers and his customers loved him. You will be missed Rick." “He built rock solid relationships over the years leaving a positive mark on anyone who knew him,” Mendelson said. “He was a loving human being and there is no denying that Rick Wells was one of the ‘Good Guys.’  He will be missed by all.”