BijouBlog

Hi folks! Will here.  A very Happy Autumn to all!  

I want to backpedal to my last blog about Santa Fe being the highest state capital in altitude to help explain the title. With that altitude come some amazingly clear night skies for appreciating the stars above.  And, as usual with my sense of humor, there is a second underlying reason to mention this.

As many of you might know, a lot of Hollywood luminaries have made their homes in Santa Fe and its environs.  Most of them are rather palatial even though they are referred to as ranches.  And, to keep their occupants comfy and up to date with the latest in electronica, they usually relied upon the wares and services we provided at The Candyman.

The original store and the monument that followed.

Inside the monument!

 

As I mentioned a few episodes ago, I had the pleasure of encountering my first luminary, Catherine Deneuve, at Bloomingdales...even though it was only a distant smile and recognition from her.  In my new Santa Fe position, more "close encounters" were on their way.

Ali MacGraw and Jane Fonda...true luminaries!

 

 

Although my first two stellar encounters were rather brief with little conversation, to have the likes of Ali MacGraw or Jane Fonda standing within feet of you asking for assistance can still have you on your toes!  With Miss MacGraw it was similar to my Bloomingdale's experience...from a bit of a distance.  From my vantage point in the Audio/Video Department, I caught the unmistakable profile of Miss MacGraw.  I stared intently from about 30 feet away hoping to make eye contact.  I don't know...maybe it was the vibe I was launching...but, sure enough she looked up my way. I beamed over a wide smile and was thrilled by the one that was returned to me.  It was incredible!  With no exaggeration, she lit up the whole room!

My second close encounter was with Jane Fonda.  I saw her coming from afar.  She was trying to keep anonymity with a huge brimmed hat and large dark glasses amid a few other customers on the electronics mezzanine.  With somewhat of a tone of impatience, she called out for someone to help her...her disguise and anonymity were instantly blown!  Everyone on the floor immediately recognized her voice and turned towards her. I apologized for the delay of instantaneous service and went about asking her needs for that day's visit.  If I remember correctly, she needed to be connected with our custom installation department for work out at her ranch. That was it...short, sweet but memorable!

Gene Hackman meets Sony headphones!

 

 

My next two experiences were more lengthy.  First, was with Mr. Gene Hackman.  Although he was a regular at the shop, I never had the pleasure of either meeting nor working with him.  Very casual in dress and in demeanor, he never willingly drew attention to himself.  With his unpretentious old red Nissan pick-up truck parked out front, he usually made his way through the store in jeans, a flannel shirt and a cap of sorts. This morning, he walked straight up to me at the counter, said hello and told me he need a new pair of headphones.  With a rather encyclopedic knowledge of my department and its wares, I knew what to offer.   At this point I looked up at him and said, "Good morning, Mr. Hackman, what kind of music would you like to sample?"  He returned with, "Popular or classical will do fine."  Although a little flushed in the face by the experience, my mind was reeling along steadily!  In an instant, I thought to make his testing experience a special one, I connected an upper line Sony headphone to a new (at that time) Sony hard drive player.  The device allowed you to download hundreds of CDs into files.  (Keep in mind this was cutting edge technology right around the millennium!)  After a brief audition, Mr. Hackman said he was pleased with the headphones.  My thrill was that he asked to purchase the Sony hard drive unit, as well. I have to confess that as a seasoned salesman, this was my intention all along!  LOL.  When the owner found out about my "double play," he invited me into his office for a quick Johnny Walker Red...neat!

Shirley MacLaine meets Sony cassette!

 

This next experience really rocked my world in a couple of ways.  Not only was it the stature of this luminary, but in the length of this visit and of visits to come.  I am speaking of Miss Shirley MacLaine!  Just returning from lunch, I noticed a rather bewildered look on the faces of my two salesmen at the counter.  I asked, "What's up?"  They both pointed to the sound room behind the counter and said, "Shirley MacLaine."  I asked why was she was in the sound room all alone.  They told me they tried to help her with a question about a cassette deck that she had purchased.  But, neither of the two could get to the gist of her needs...they were waiting for me.   

Knowing who I was going to meet, I immediately immersed myself into "chill mode!"  Masking a pounding heart and a slight feeling of dizziness, I calmly walked across the sound room.  Then, with the best acting skills I could muster, I said, "Hi...I'm Will, and how can I help you today?"—pretending not to know who she was.  She totally knocked me off my mark with a huge and glamorous smile.  To this I responded with, "Miss MacLaine?"  We both chuckled and I began to ask some questions about her visit. The long and short of it was that she only really wanted to have a cassette tape duplicated.  She had purchased the machine from us, but never learned how to operate it.  I asked if she had eaten lunch. She replied, “No.” I said, “Splendid!  You have a nice lunch for about an hour or so and I will have the recording completed when you come back.” So, about an hour later she returned and came to my counter where the tape was waiting.  Before leaving, she looked me right in the eye and thanked me by name.  Wow! Had I left an impression on her?  I was thrilled and always looked back at that as my "closest encounter" with Hollywood Royalty!   

After my tenure at The Candyman, I moved to a new job just next door, to the furniture store where my better half worked.  One afternoon, while unfurling some new rugs, I looked up when I heard, "Hi, Will!"  It was Miss MacLaine...I guess I must have made some kind of impression!   

So, at Santa Fe's 7,200 foot altitude, we really were closer to the heavens. Being a Star Gazer came naturally...and really paid off!!  Please stay tuned to see what else streaks across the skies!

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Homage to the Stars & Studios of My Era | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4 | "Brick Wall" | A Gap! | Life in South Beach | Club Memories of South Beach | Finding Love on a Dance Floor? | My First Week Back in the Big Apple | A Long Honeymoon! | "Go West Young Man!" | "The Other San Francisco"

By Josh Eliot

The 1978 Alex DeRenzy film Pretty Peaches was made during what many call the golden age of pornography in America. Desiree Cousteau’s performance won her the 1979 AFAA Award for Best Actress, but she wasn’t the only standout in this classic film. A brand new starlet was cast in a scene opposite Joey Silvera and even though it was her first time on-screen, the audience and critics noticed her energy and gave rave reviews of her performance. This rising star with charisma was none other than Sharon Kane. Sharon Kane and Desiree Cousteau were both working as dancers in DeRenzy’s theater, The Screening Room at 220 Jones Street in San Francisco, when he offered her the role. Little did she realize at the time that she embodied the qualities that superstars are made of. With decades of work featuring the inclusion of diverse roles, great performances and the introduction of her original music into the productions, it’s no wonder that her star shines like no other.

In 1991, Sharon Kane began work on her first project as a director on the movie Stairway to Paradise for VCA Studios. The cast was considered A-list, a testament to Sharon’s nurtured relationships within the industry over the years. She cast Nina Hartley, Randy Spears, Aja, Peter North, Victoria Paris, Lee Carroll, Kay Parker and her very first co-star and friend, Joey Silvera. Based on an original story by Sharon, the script was formed by the man responsible for making her directorial debut possible, Jim Holliday. Holliday and Kane met on the set of Sorority Pink (1989) and continued a true friendship and working relationship with each other throughout the years. The movie itself follows Nina Hartley’s other-worldly experience, including a regression into her previous lives. The movie’s mystical edge, added to both the storyline and sex scenes, sets it apart from the more mainstream themed features of the time period. Sharon waited to read the finished script before writing the official theme song so that she could incorporate a good deal of the movie’s content into the piece. The 1991 original theme song, “Stairway to Paradise,” has a holistic feeling and is enhanced with an addicting melody.

She is credited with creating an enduring legacy within the industry, which included working on set in the role of art director, make-up artist, musician, production assistant and producer. She’s won numerous awards for Non-Sexual Performer, as well, including for her role as Joan in my bisexual movie, Cracked! She’s credited with a solid reputation for creating songs and musical scores used by top directors throughout the gay, straight and bisexual industry. In 2011, Sharon Kane left the industry and relocated to a quiet, rural community. In 2022, she was introduced to musician Jimmy Michaels, who was working on a project with adult actor Richard Pacheco.

Jimmy Michaels started making music at a very young age and, as a member of the hard-rock duo, Waco, he produced and recorded the song “Dark Lady” in 1995, which became a local rock hit in Philadelphia. When the band broke up in 1996, Jimmy thought he was done with music. Nearly a decade later in 2007, associates convinced him to open a studio and label to begin producing and recording indie rock bands. By 2009, he was honored with a listing from the Independent Music Guild of America as one of the top ten mix and mastering engineers in the United States. In addition to engineering music from 2007-2014, he released solo albums, including writing and recording with 1970’s Disco icon, D.C. Larue. With the introduction of “at-home” mixing technology, Jimmy closed the doors to his studio in late 2016. He currently manages the worldwide licensing for Dick Hieronymus and his publishing firm, Mumbles Music.

In 2022, Jimmy was producing audio books for adult film star Richard Pacheco’s two novels he had written. They had the idea of finishing the second book with an original song that Jimmy would write about Richard’s life, and they wanted a female in the adult industry to perform it. Richard suggested Sharon Kane as his choice; the problem was that she was retired and living out in the boondocks somewhere, so it turned into a huge challenge to track her down. Finally, success!

To say that Jimmy and Sharon hit it off on their first phone conversation is an understatement. Aside from sharing the same birthdate, they connected on many levels musically and personally. It was like two kindred souls finding each other. When Jimmy noticed that Sharon added background vocals to his original song, and those vocals enhanced it, he was sold on her talent and immediately asked her to come out of retirement and work on a project he was producing. The project involved 1970’s and 80’s pop hits, and once that was complete, they started working on the Stairway to Paradise album.

Jump forward to the present as Sharon Kane and longtime collaborator, Jimmy Michaels, announce the re-imagined version of her song—with an additional third verse added and an expanded running time of 7:23. The completely new recording gives this 35 year old song a big, bright, beautiful new life! Not only was that 1991 classic given the special treatment by Sharon Kane and Jimmy Michaels, it is also just one song of a complete album. The album, also entitled Stairway to Paradise, features an otherworldly cover of both Kane and Michaels and is packed with new recordings and reinterpretations of works from both Sharon and Jimmy.

On the Paradise album, as well as other releases the duo worked on together, Sharon uses the pseudonym Char Char. When I asked her about it, this was her exact reply:

“I used to have chickens. Jimmy and I would be discussing music and I would abruptly mention I had to 'go feed the chickens'. So he started calling me farmer Char Char. At the time the first album was being released, I was debating whether I should use my real name or another name. So I said, 'What about Char Char?' And there you have it! 😁 It was a nickname from Jimmy.”

This album is one awesome collaboration, and I want to thank them both for sharing the songs with me. The full album is now available, for a reasonable $7.99 price, at Bandcamp.com.

A new interview with Sharon Kane was released recently on Barefoot and Independent’s YouTube Channel, where they discuss her directorial debut movie, Stairway to Paradise, and the new release of her song and music video. The interviewer, Jason, does an extensive comparison between the original song and the re-imagined disco version, before screening his PG-Rated cut of the movie and a follow-up chat with Kane. The full uncut, extended interview between Sharon and Jason was also just released.

UPDATE: I’m happy to announce that their newest project was just released as I was finishing up writing this blog! The pair released yet another album, this one called To Josh With Love. This new album is a remastering and re-working of the songs Sharon Kane wrote and performed in movies I directed for Catalina Video. I am very honored by the title, obviously, and am so thrilled to now have the full uncut, remastered versions of these songs available, complete with all the bells and whistles.

I’ve had a lot of people ask where they can find the soundtrack music from many of my movies, and now I can let them know that for $7.99 they can download them. Unfortunately, Sharon was not able to locate “Friends and Lovers” (CatalinaVille), even after going all the way back to her floppy disc collection! That one will be missed.

I’ve added some great links for you, including:
-The new Sharon Kane interview with Barefoot & Independent and their censored Stairway to Paradise cut
-The new “Stairway to Paradise” music video
-The album download page for Stairway to Paradise
-The newest album release, To Josh With Love
-And the most important—The Official Sharon Kane Bandcamp Page, featuring all of Sharon’s (aka Char Char's) musical releases, past, present and future.

She’s also on Spotify, which I also linked, so add her to your playlist! Her legacy continues!

SIDE NOTE: If you still haven’t had your fill for all things Sharon Kane, check out my blog from two and a half years ago, “The Many Faces of Adult Film Star Sharon Kane,” where I wrote about all of the amazing characters she portrayed in my movies.

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.

Hi folks! Will here with tales from the West! (I know, another wacky title...but, there's a story behind this, of course!)

First off, my 2,000 mile trip across our vast, beautiful country was delightfully uneventful...just the way I like it when travelling solo. Truth be told, I did have several of my favorite house plants tucked in the back of the car. I have had some of these guys since my apartment in San Francisco and some of them are still adorning our home today. The trusty steed, my SAAB 9000, took very good care of me across the country, sipping ever so gently on the petrol and keeping me safe throughout the journey. (There will be a chapter devoted not only to this car but of all of my automotive favorites in the very near future!)

My trusty steed!

OK...the title. Upon arriving, I wanted to dig in and find out about the history of this country's oldest state capital. Not only is it the oldest capital city in the country, but it is the highest in elevation—7,199 feet! My breathing apparatus took a couple of weeks to fully adjust to the altitude change. Founded in 1610, it was originally called La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís. Translated, this means The Royal city of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi.

Playing tourist in my new home town!

The basilica pictured is located in Santa Fe's historical downtown area near The Plaza, a very popular tourist attraction. Great food and local art is to be found everywhere in this district. It was fall when I arrived. So, I had picture perfect weather to enjoy the sights. Speaking of the weather...I had never seen skies as blue as those in Santa Fe (or the rest of New Mexico!). Cerulean blue, to quote the locals!

Alan enjoying the sights of The Plaza.

 

Again, playing tourist at the gates to the ancient church at Chimayo.

I gave myself a week or so to settle in from my trek to do some sightseeing before starting my job that was waiting for me at Home Depot. That was a good thing, as the fall quickly changes to winter at this elevation. And, with that comes snow...lots of it. Not being a skier, I wasn't aware that just north of town was the internationally renowned Santa Fe Ski Basin. Boy, was I surprised when the first foot or so of the white stuff fell in mid-October! It was a harbinger of the length and conditions of the New Mexican winters. In our new and cozy casita I hunkered down to learn about my new environs. 

Winter in Santa Fe.

 

Christmas at the casita, followed by my birthday!

At first, the houses we lived in were rentals. My Alan got the bug to move about every year or so. I don't know where all of this restlessness came from. He had lived in the same apartment in NYC for many years. But, in hindsight, it gave us the opportunity to see different sections of the city and its surrounding areas. We treated every house as if it were our own. The landlords loved us and always gave us great referrals as we moved from house to house.

Better homes and gardens!

 

"Family scene."

Alan finally set down roots in Santa Fe about about three months after I got there. He had a lot of business ventures to tidy up before leaving New York. Almost immediately, he found a job at a local tobacco company. Not a smoker...this was only a stopgap position. Soon after, he put his styling talents to work for a very old and respected N.M. furniture company. He slowly climbed their corporate ladder over the years, resulting in a lot of our moves. But, it was worth it as he just celebrated his 25th year with them as their Visual Director!

My tenure at Home Depot was not a long one. Pictured at my desk in the Floor and Wall Department, I dipped into my experience in carpet sales from my past. I was frequently frustrated by being dragged away to do some cumbersome and non-related task elsewhere in the store. There were politics to deal with, as well. I guess that's the case with most larger companies. But, as I mentioned before, I do not do well with politics. I put my feelers out to find new employment.

"Just let me sell carpet!"

Serendipity struck when I was on a simple trip to a local Hi-Fi store to get some blank tapes. Although it was a Sunday and the store was shut, there was a simple handwritten sign on the front gate, stating that a position for electronics sales and/or department manager was available. I did a double take. After I caught my breath, I jotted down the contact number. I was thrilled to have an opportunity of a redux in electronics sales! That following Monday morning, I called "The Candyman," the legendary electronics retailer in Northern New Mexico.

Midnight blue magic.

My appointment was at 2PM...and with the owner of the company. It was time to pull out my magical Midnight Blue Giorgio Armani good luck suit! The owner did a double take when I walked into his office. It was clear from his reaction that few interviewees arrived in such attire! He asked me to take my jacket off and be more comfortable. After giving him my resume and chatting for a half an hour or so, he asked me if I wouldn't mind working for "a couple a three" hours on the floor to see if I would be a good fit. It worked...I worked...and I got the job! He was originally from the New York metropolitan area and we hit it off.

So, it seemed that I might be retracing my steps from "The Other San Francisco" after all. From Castro and Market Streets to St. Michaels and St. Francis Drives, a redux was in the making. Stay tuned for details!

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Homage to the Stars & Studios of My Era | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4 | "Brick Wall" | A Gap! | Life in South Beach | Club Memories of South Beach | Finding Love on a Dance Floor? | My First Week Back in the Big Apple | A Long Honeymoon! | "Go West Young Man!"

Hi Folks! Will Here. And, here is another title that is more like a riddle. Let's dive right in and find out what's up!

Here are your first two clues.

Although Bloomingdales was a beautiful and exciting place to work, the internal politics were not. As soon as word got out about my nom de plume, Will Seagers, and being a former star of stage, screen and bathroom wall, everything changed! It's funny how queens can be such prudes! But, that was OK... “Je ne regrette rien.” All of you Edith Piaf fans will get this one. But, for those who neither speak French or "Piaf"—"I have no regrets!" I love my past.

Elle ne regrettait rien.

So, having the summer off did give me lots of time to contemplate my next job. I came to the realization that I am a quirky guy who doesn't fit into every work situation. I needed to find a more off-center and hopefully artsy calling for my next work adventure. A friend came to my rescue.

To be more accurate, it was a friend of a friend of a friend. The ex-lover of my Alan's best friend heard that I was looking for work. He hooked me up with an interview at one of the branch stores of a made-to-order furniture company. I'm not sure if they are still in business, so I'll keep the name of this company on the QT.

My first assignment (during my interview) was to take a dozen or so objets and decorate an étagère. I got a lukewarm response from my interviewer. That didn't bother me as the objets were rather unrelated and tacky. Next, I was asked if I could sketch or draw on graph paper. To that I responded, "Yes!" I had some graphics courses in engineering school (that I knew would come in handy someday!). That perked up my potential new boss and I got the job. 

I went to their "academy," located across the Hudson in New Jersey at their factory/headquarters. This was a rather tedious week of repetitious sketching and learning the different styles they manufactured. Truth be told, I thought all this Formica furniture belonged in a John Waters movie. But, hey! I have sold many things with which I wasn't enamored.

Sorry, John. I couldn't resist.

I was a quick learn. And, within a couple of months, I was running one of their stores in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan. Oh...did I mention that more than half the employees of this outfit were gay?! Hallelujah! No pretenses...and lots of that artsy feel I wanted from most everyone. I was at that location for about six months and then was promoted to one of their flagship stores in the Upper East Side.

Two men owned the company. One was very handsome and had a very beautiful wife. Oddly enough, they used to be regulars at Fujiyama Mama's restaurant and were devoted clients of my Alan. I only found this out when Alan and I attended the company's Christmas party, and the three of them started screaming when they saw each other. This whole company was a party group. That's what made it fun to work there. But, all fun things come to an end.

The company ran into financial troubles and was bought out by a rather run-of-the-mill investment company. The new head honcho did not like gay people, and my neck was on the chopping block. Not only did I lose my store and manager position, but they wanted me to commute to New Jersey and work as a salesman at one of the stores over there. When I figured out that this move to working in New Jersey was grounds for me to leave and collect unemployment, that's just what I did. It was time for some serious thinking. And, I had some help from above...the stars!

I remained in touch with my friend Bob, the Vedic Astrologer in South Beach. It was his couch and apartment that I called home for my last few weeks in Florida before heading to north. He had family in upstate New York and would always drop by for a few days to visit Alan and me in New York City. One of his visits came right after I left the furniture company. I was distraught. I couldn't contemplate growing old in the harsh and helter-skelter climes of the city. I thought about moving back to San Francisco...it had been my rock for 14 years. Bob intervened. He very brusquely said, "No! You've already done that." Next, he put an astrology "map" together for Alan and me. It was called Astro-Cartography. With our combined birth data, he found that both Alan's and my Venus lines went straight down the middle of New Mexico. "New Mexico?" I said. He said this was great, in that Venus ruled relationships, and most people's Venus lines ran through unreachable places, like the middle of the Pacific Ocean or up in the Arctic circle!  A synchronicity began to happen. A good friend and co-worker of Alan's at Good Enough to Eat restaurant had family in Santa Fe. This friend promptly made arrangements with her mother for us to have a place to stay while we investigated this new proposal.

Astro-Cartography...a road map from the Heavens.

We were only there for a week, and we both fell in love with "The Land of Enchantment"! In that week, we found ourselves a lovely, brand new casita right across the street from our friend's mother. I even went job hunting and landed a position with Home Depot. It was there and waiting for me when I arrived a month later. That job was another shortstop in my resume...but, N.M. wasn't.

Bienvenidos and adios!

It was late September of 1999. There was a slight chill in the air. And, after taking a sentimental drive around town to say goodbye to my favorite spots in the Big Apple, I pointed my lovely Saab 9000 towards the George Washington Bridge to "Go West Young Man"! I started my cross-country trek solo...to be joined by Alan later that week. Please check in to see how this odyssey unfolds!

Giddyup, Will!

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Homage to the Stars & Studios of My Era | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4 | "Brick Wall" | A Gap! | Life in South Beach | Club Memories of South Beach | Finding Love on a Dance Floor? | My First Week Back in the Big Apple | A Long Honeymoon!

By Josh Eliot

Which came first? The “Pizza Oven” or the “Pizza Boy”? In the case of the William Higgins 1985 film, The Pizza Boy: He Delivers, the concept of the Pizza Boy came first, then Higgins used the movie’s budget to gift himself a pizza oven. Even though the opening shots of a fully cooked pizza-pie coming out of an oven were actually shot in a real pizza parlor, Higgins had one of the rooms in his house transformed into a faux pizzeria, where much of the movie’s storyline took place. Just one of the perks of being the writer, producer and director. Even though the cheap wall paneling and fake brick ruined the realism, it certainly wasn’t the focus for the audience, who was treated to a movie jam packed with hot stars. The film made such an long lasting impact that there were many other studios trying to cash in on the delivery boy theme, but there are only three official sequels released by Catalina Video.

The box cover photo art for Pizza Boy was everything! A 6’ 1” tall, naked muscular stud lying on red satin sheets, looking sexy and vulnerable. I remember those very sheets when I started working with Catalina Video in 1987, as they were part of our inventory in the wardrobe and props department, just like the wrestling uniforms from Down for the Count, which I used years later in SwitchCraft and The Rascal Joins the Wrestling Team. I never thought to take a black light to the outfits or props we had stored at the studio, but if I did I’m sure it would not have been pretty.

Steve Henson was the chosen one to grace the movie poster and VHS cover for the film. He was someone Higgins had pined for since he met him through Matt Sterling in 1984. Sterling’s movie Like a Horse (1984) was a massive hit, which also featured Steve Henson on the cover. He was the new “It” boy of the moment, but exclusive contracts weren’t really a thing back then and the big wigs of the major studios (HUGE, Catalina and Falcon) all played nice—mostly—and shared with each other. Nine times out of ten, Matt Sterling, John Summers or John Travis got a hold of the new studs and prepped them for stardom. In addition to narrating the movie, Steve Henson performed in the final scene of the film with co-stars Chaz Holderman, Brian Hawks and Matt Ramsey (Peter North). Side note: Peter North has a new documentary coming out discussing his career—the trailer is on YouTube! He was such a nice guy when I shot him for Valley of the Bi Dolls, and from what I can see from the trailer, it was not a fluke. My cameraman, Brad Austin, begged me to let him shoot the cumshot from underneath and I obliged, of course. Who knows, maybe I would have taken one for the team if I was single at the time!

In 1985, Steve Henson worked with Troy Ramsey in the opening scene of Pizza Boy. Troy Ramsey also worked for Catalina Video in The Young and The Hung, and Bi Coastal in 1985 for director Tom DeSimone. He returned in 1988 and I worked as videographer with him in The Big One and Powerline. Steve Henson then went on to work for Sterling again in Inch by Inch in a threeway with Brian Estevez and another Pizza Boy alum, Tony Stefano. Tony Stefano made only one other movie in his career before leaving the business, Delivery Boys (1985), where he was introduced as Tony Marconi. Prior to that, he made a couple of solo posing films in 1980 for the Athletic Model Guild. After leaving the business, he worked in New York City as a bartender at Uncle Charlies, then died at age 30 of an accidental overdose. Steve Henson’s career kept rising, with a role in Falcon’s The Other Side of Aspen 2 (1985) with Eddie Marks and Jeff Turk, and in Giants (1987) with Brian Maxon, Cory Monroe, Mark Miller and Bill Bix. In 1989, director Marc Fredericks cast Henson in two scenes for View to a Thrill opposite Adam Grant and Rex Chandler. After that movie, Steve Henson left the industry, and there is little to no information about him since then.

Even though the image of Steve Henson as the original Pizza Boy is burned into the brains of all of us from that era, the movie itself featured an amazing cast of players, which includes Chad Johnson, David Ashfield, Grant Fagan, Brent Woods and Michael Gere, in addition to others. The sequel, Pizza Boy 2: Meat Lovers Special (1999), features Tuck Johnson as the beloved delivery boy with something extra. I produced and Mark Jensen (Mike Skiff) directed the feature. I have to say that Tuck Johnson was always, always one of my very favorite models to work with. Super sexy, handsome, with a big ole dick, all wrapped up into the sweetest, kindest soft spoken guy you could ever meet. I directed him in Boy Band, Voyager, Score, The Rascal, Escape to Echo Beach and others. If you are not familiar with his work, I urge you to look him up; what an underrated, stand-out performer--who never needed Viagra! A powerhouse top or bottom who left it all on the set before going home to where he lived with his mother—so sweet!

Hans Ebson took over the role in Pizza Boy 3 (2000) for director Peter Romero. Hans shone in Hostage in the Grand Canyon (2000) as the kidnapped victim held captive by an escaped mental patient. This storyline was, as Chi Chi would say, “Hot... So hot.” As for his stint as the lead in Pizza Boy 3, it was a little uncooked, so we stopped continuing the series after that one. I’m ashamed to say that I even made the director use a frozen pizza in a scene just to keep the budget on track. However, after Channel 1 Releasing purchased the company, they put out a fresh from the oven new version entitled Pizza Boy 4: Slice of Pie? (2017), starring Xavier Hux and directed by Catalina alum Chi Chi LaRue! I know absolutely nothing about that movie, as I have never watched it, but if Chi Chi was involved, I’m sure it is a solid piece of entertainment. It kind of speaks to the quality of Steve Henson as a performer—when you start with the best, it’s really hard to improve.

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.