Attention Porn Fans: Tom Byron Could Use Your Help

PORN VALLEY—It's a safe bet that just about everyone who's ever seen a few adult movies knows who Tom Byron is. After all, the Internet Adult Film Database says he's done 3,058 of them, and even accounting for maybe a thousand comps in that mix, he's certainly in the running for having appeared in the most XXX films ever, and has worked for just about every production studio in the country, not to mention a few foreign ones. But even though he looked "barely legal" when he got in the biz, he's worked with all the major stars of three decades. "Tom Byron started appearing in adult films in 1982, often showing up in the role of the innocent brother or son who discovers sex," noted Ashley West of The Rialto Report. "He looked like a naïve choirboy virgin who’d watched a golden age porn film in a theater somewhere in Texas, and decided it looked so much fun that he’d climb up onto the screen and join the action. And, as it turns out, that’s almost exactly what happened." But Byron retired about three years ago from performing sex on camera—and therein lies the rub. See, when adult actresses retire from filming, they've still got a few options open to them (assuming they haven't just settled down, dyed their hair, changed their makeup and tried to fit in with "polite society"). There's stripping, magazine modeling, escorting, personal appearances at conventions and bookstores—the point is, they often have options. Not so much with retired actors. Sure, they can sign at conventions for some of the studios they worked for, but as far as adult goes, that's about it; it's back to flipping burgers, maybe doing construction—or perhaps what Tom Byron is doing now: driving for Uber. And that's where he's run into a problem. As Tom noted in a podcast he participated in for The Rialto Report, although he's driving for Uber, he's had to do it with a rented car, and without the income he got from performing in sex scenes (and as everyone knows by now, the guys generally get paid way less than the gals), he hasn't been able to get enough together to put down a payment on a car he can use to Uber people around—which is to say, not a junker. But thanks in part to West, there's now a fund where Byron fans and others can donate a few bucks so he can get his wheels and continue in business. It's called The Golden Age Appreciation Fund, of which West is a co-founder, and it's been around since December of 2014, and in that time, it has raised over $12,000 for industry figures like Sharon Mitchell, Kay Parker, Eric Edwards, and George Payne. "The Golden Age Appreciation Fund founders donate their own time, resources and monies, receiving no compensation whatsoever and greatly appreciate your help and support," the site states. "Currently we plan to do 2-3 fundraisers a year so we can maximize the needs of each fundraising effort and to not oversaturate the need for donations." And the industry figure that the Fund is currently raising funds for is Tom Byron—and time is running out. This particular fundraising effort will go away on Good Friday, April 14, just ten days from now. Donations can be made here, and as West points out, "No amount is too small. 100% of the money raised will go directly to Tom. Needless to say, Tom is very grateful for this initiative and wishes to convey his appreciation to everyone who has written to us and him since the podcast." Just remember how much you've enjoyed Tom's performances over the years, and why not dig deep? Pictured: Tom Byron, then and now-ish.