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My name is Dean Estes. I met Snakefinger (Mr. Lithman) in 1981 when he and his band played on the front lawn of our high school. One of his band members, a former Dead Kennedy, had attended the school and made this cool event possible. I don't know why Steve Crabtree claims that Lithman was American and was not of European descent. Technically it may be true that the UK is not part of ""Europe"" despite being a charter member of the EU, but Mr. Crabtree's claims risk giving an false impression. Phil ""Snakefinger"" Lithman was English, as is easily verified and as was clearly obvious when the man spoke. Perhaps Steve meant that Snakefinger was living in America? (Specifically San Francisco.) Two years later I was fortunate enough to befriend one of The Residents. While I was savvy enough not to ask certain questions until enough trust had been earned, I do recall, during a discussion of the The Residents' remarkably unique sense of harmonization, asking if N. Senada had actually existed. My Resident acquaintance simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders, which I knew was a nice way of saying ""we aren't going there,"" so I didn't pursue it. I believe it's pretty obvious that ""the mysterious N. Senada"" never actually existed when you review the various things that have been said about him. Isn't the amusing play on the name of the Baja Mexican town ""Ensenada"" clue enough? However, this is another case where the question of whether or not such aspects of the Residents mythos ""matter"" is perfectly valid. Of course it doesn't really matter. As one of the people who actually does know the answers to some of the speculation here, it's so strange, seeing how some people post misinformation with conviction (intentionally?) while others deny facts. For the most part, to quote an old Eno lyric, ""those who know, they don't let it show.""  -) Mystery and myth are more fun, and I think it's safe to say that's part of the point of the Residents' myriad mysteries. Nevertheless, while Snakefinger protected The Residents' secrets, he wasn't secretive about his own ""real"" identity or history at all. My apologies to Steve if I've misunderstood him."