BijouBlog

Hi folks! Will here with the second installment of how music has been such a big part of my life.

In this blog I hope to cover "club life." It seems that I was around at just the right time in the late 60s, 70s and 80s in New York and San Francisco to reap some of the benefits of this new and fertile landscape. To start, I think it might be a good idea to give some definition to this term.

As a young, curious and definitely active young gay man, I started to discover local gay life in my Jersey Shore area. It mostly centered around gay bars. Of course, they were not advertised as such... you needed a sponsor - so to speak - to get in. Full of audacity and not yet having one of these sponsors, I tried to pull off being old enough (21 y.o.) in my look and comportment. Most of the time it worked, unless I got an unfriendly doorman or one that wanted to me to put out in order to get in! Anyway, aside from the late 60s politics of my underage bar hopping, I did gain access and learned to love the feel of my new community and their musical gathering places.

The boardwalk of Asbury Park - always very cruisy after the bars shut!

 

The late 60s were sort of the pre-club era. They were simple pick up places. Their music even predated disc jockeys. Rockola, Seeburg and Wurlitzer jukeboxes provided the musical fare. Overall, the sound was good enough. But, it lacked the continuity to create any kind of musical atmosphere. That was to change with the advent of private clubs.

The pre-DJ era.

 

The early 70s ushered in a whole new concept in "clubbing" with regularly occurring private parties that required an invitation or membership to get in. The very first of these parties that I regularly attended was held at the Gay Activist Alliance Hall - aka - "The Fire House" on Wooster St. in lower Manhattan. There I saw tons of very hot men dancing shirtless to music the likes of which I had never heard before.

The Fire House's bleak exterior betrays the mayhem within.

 

First off, there was no jukebox. There was a very special man sitting in a cordoned off area on the floor toggling between two RCA 45 RPM record players... nonstop! Between lustful dances with many handsome men, I would go to an area just above the "DJ" and watch him create his magic. Barry Letra was this magic man. I would meet him decades later in San Francisco as Co-Founder of Graebar Sound - a legendary name in the club sound reinforcement industry.

The next of these early experiences I had with private clubs was The Loft. This was truly a private party, unlike the Firehouse. A member, who I had been dating, took me there one very cold Saturday night in January 1972. At that time, I was a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines based in San Juan, P.R. and had come up to New York seemingly for just a weekend date. But, my friend said that we were all going to a very special dance party that night. I did not know what we were in for, as I was not living in the city at that time.

We all piled into his early 60s Ford Falcon, nicknamed The Club Car, and barreled down from Chelsea to the lower Manhattan King Street address. Upon arrival, we lumbered up an endless staircase to where the party was already beginning to take off. This staircase acted as a transition point from the "reality" of busy metropolitan streets, to a totally other-worldly party event.

I have two vivid musical memories from that first visit to the Loft. Number one happened going up that long staircase. Midway up those steps and coming on to a rather potent hit of blotter acid, I could feel the powerful thumping bass and hear the lilting refrains of "Cherchez la Femme," a song that was totally new to me and was destined to become a nationwide hit. Reaching the landing at the top of the stairs reminded me of when Dorothy swung open the door of her recently crashed house in Oz. Technicolor! During that night, I was exposed to several other songs that went on to become club standards. Hearing music like this well before its release to the general public was another cherished benefit of private club parties.

The godfather of club life at work.

David Mancuso owned this loft and carefully crafted the music we heard. His use of Mark Levinson amplifiers and Klipsch speakers brought a notable brilliance to the whole room. The second profound memory was his use of a technique that night that really brought the floor to a frenzy. In this particular case, he took the song "TSOP" (The Sound of Philly) and "sprinkled" it over several popular tunes during the night as sort of a teaser. THEN, when he finally dropped that song in its entirety, the floor went nuts. That was 54 years ago... and it is still an impactful musical memory. 

The Loft dancefloor and its legendary Klipsch speakers.

Before I get too distracted by the music... there were the men! All shirtless and soaking wet from nonstop dancing (and the various party favors they consumed! LOL). But, what was great about this club was that it was a trendsetter. It was not a gay club - it was very co-ed, urban and laissez-faire. You never quite knew who you were going to be dancing with... it was one big party!

After The Loft, things really started cooking all over Manhattan in terms of these private clubs. Although the list was long, two clubs of mention were the Tenth Floor and, of course, Flamingo!

Legendary "discaire" Ray Yates of the Tenth Floor.

The Tenth Floor was located in Manhattan's Chelsea section on 25th St., sort of tucked away from the sweeping Manhattan avenues. You took a freight elevator to the tenth floor... hence the name. Like The Loft's staircase, when you entered the Tenth Floor's elevator, you knew that you were being whisked to another reality! Upon arriving at floor ten, the freight doors opened onto a floor bedecked with potted palms, dark green art deco leather armchairs and a fabulous hardwood dancefloor. Coming out of that elevator was like entering a Hollywood set! Ray Yates was at the turntables and created a night of lush, sophisticated and "underground" music - again - not yet released to the general public.

The Flamingo in lower Manhattan. Once again, these bleak exteriors sure were a good disguise.

The Flamingo dance hall, where everyone came to worship.

The legendary club called "Flamingo" really etched its name into the "dance halls of fame." Known for being the "wintering ground" for the Fire Island 500, the art, music and bedazzling array of handsome men made you think that perhaps you died and went to heaven! Upon entering this massive club, you went through a gallery that showed the artistic work of the very members dancing away in the adjoining hall. Also, a mark of distinction were the tables of delicious fruits and refreshments lining that gallery area. Many, many famous DJs graced the turntables of this club... two of whom I got to work with later on in San Francisco - Vincent Carleo and Howard Merritt. Fate is such a strange thing!

You know, I thought this would have been the second and final part of the story. Truth is, I have only laid the groundwork for another part of this personal saga. It is here where I take all of my impressions and inspirations from these musical venues and climb behind the "wheels of steel" myself.

My current wheels of steel.

I can hardly wait to share this chapter with you! 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!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1

By Josh Eliot

The Castro Theatre's interior, before & after renovation

In the mid 1980s until 1990, I called the Castro Neighborhood in San Francisco my home. We lived in the middle flat of a three-floor Victorian just a few houses up from the corner of 19th and Castro - 629 Castro Street, to be exact. Only two blocks from my flat, at the corner of Market and Castro Street, was what I always considered a magical place called The Castro Theatre, where the community came together to celebrate new and classic films. Back in January 2023, I was working with Will Seagers as we developed a series of blogs about iconic locations throughout San Francisco. In one specific blog, "Deep Inside The Castro: The Castro Theatre," I wrote about how the venue was the heart and soul of the neighborhood. Even though the interiors were already dated in the 1980s, the theatre felt majestic because of its astounding architecture. With the fact that one third of the seating was the “smoking section,” it’s no wonder that the once shimmering gold leaf covered columns and ceiling always seemed dull and faded. My favorite memories in the theatre were when I went there to watch the movies Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Suddenly Last Summer. The packed audiences at the Castro Theatre were never shy about howling at the screen or screaming out one-liners that always got the audience riled up! That was part of the fun, but as years went by the allure seemed to fade, much like its interiors, at least for my friends and me. As an avid moviegoer, there was really no place like it back in its hey-day. On February 4th, 2024, after screening the classic Victor/Victoria (1982), the newer owners, Another Planet Entertainment, enacted the plan they announced back in 2022, stating that they were closing the theatre down to start a major renovation. The goal was to reinvent this icon of the LGBTQ+ community into a treasured space for film, music and live performances.

Jump ahead to Friday, February 6th, 2026: a large rainbow colored ribbon is extended across the entire width of the entrance to the newly restored and elevated theatre. The 41 million dollar two-year project had reached its completion. The renovations were extensive, and in order to make the historic venue profitable, they removed the permanent seating, flattened the floor and installed motorized risers with removable seating. By doing this, they could adjust the occupancy floorplan to set up for concerts. The completed configuration allows 1150 seat capacity for movies and 1400 patrons for concerts. There was strong opposition regarding the proposed configurations, which tied things up for well over a year, but eventually the plans were approved by City Hall. The fact that APE was committed to hold true to their promise of continuing queer representation through movies and scheduled performers helped them to win over wider support. The Nasser family, who originally owned the theatre since its opening in 1922, also spoke out in support of the changes. The original designer of the theatre, Timothy Pflueger (1892-1946), was a top architect in the Bay Area who also created the Transbay Terminal and The Bay Bridge. APE was determined to preserve as many of the original elements as possible. Most of the murals with dragons, cherubs and wreaths were covered in up to two inches of dirt, varnish and nicotine. All were painstakingly cleaned and preserved to their original pristine condition. Honoring all of that work with a ribbon cutting were Mary Conde, VP of Another Planet, Senator Scott Wiener, CEO of Another Planet, Greg Perloff, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Luire, Drag Performer D’Arcy Drollinger and Rafael Mandelman of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Just prior to cutting the ribbon, Ruby Day, from the famed long-running musical Beach Blanket Babylon, sang our national anthem. Cheers and applause followed as they made their way into the theatre. Once they entered the auditorium, the stunningly restored ceiling with its original chandelier, designed by Pfluger, drew everyone’s attention. There was a forty minute pre-show prior to the special screening of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, hosted by Dirty Carol, Sista Roma and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Castro Theatre was always known for the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ that would rise from the floor prior to the beginning of any movie they were playing. The age-old classic song, “San Francisco,” would fill the room, and on most days the audience would sing along with it before quieting down for the beginning of the film. Today was no different, but gone was the Mighty Wurlitzer and its large, ominous pipes. Now a new one million dollar, 2000 pound digital organ emerges from the stage, and at the helm is organist David Hegarty, who has played proudly for the theatre since 1978. He collaborated with the organ builder regarding specifics for its finished design. The sisters never missed a beat and promptly escorted David Hegarty from his instrument to center stage, where they presented him with an award and proclaimed him “Saint Mellifluous!” The energy of the theatre was reminiscent of the Castro in its heyday, and to finish out the pre-show, the sisters and others gathered on stage where fourteen drag queens started a sing-a-long to “Mamma Mia.” When the 35mm print of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert began to play, the audience broke into applause and cheers at the first appearance of lead actor, Terrence Stamp, who had recently passed away.

David Hegarty trying out the new organ & receiving award from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

 

A few days later at the official grand opening on February 10th, artist Sam Smith started the first concert of his twenty-day residency. With all shows sold out way before that date, his final concert at the Castro was planned for March 14th. The diverse acts on the upcoming schedule include: Trash Talk with John Waters: Serial Mom, The 30th Anniversary Opening Night of the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival, musical acts The Breeders, Indigo Girls and Lucy Davis, comedian Robby Hoffman, Clara Bow in the silent movie It, a sing-a-long to The Sound of Music, Showgirls with guest star Gina Gershon and the multi-night 29th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival. The show certainly does go on now that the Castro Theatre is back and better than ever. I could not be more thrilled for my old neighborhood!

Day 1 of Sam Smith's residency, Gershon, Hedwig, Clara Bow & John Waters Trash Talking Serial Mom

 

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.

 

You can read Josh Eliot's previous blogs for Bijou here:

Coming Out of my WET SHORTS | FRANK ROSS, The Boss | Our CALIGULA Moment | That BUTTHOLE Just Winked at Me! | DREAMLAND: The Other Place | A Salty Fuck in Saugatuck | Somebody, Call a FLUFFER! | The Late Great JOHN TRAVIS, My POWERTOOL Mentor | (Un)Easy Riders | 7 Years with Colt Model MARK RUTTER | Super NOVA | Whatever Happened to NEELY O’HARA? | Is That AL PARKER In Your Photo? | DOWN BY LAW: My $1,000,000 Mistake | We Waited 8hrs for a Cum Shot... Is That a World Record? | Don't Wear "Short Shorts" on the #38 Geary to LANDS END | How Straight Are You Really? | BEHIND THE (not so) GREEN DOOR | The BOOM BOOM Room | CATCHING UP with Tom DeSimone | Everybody’s FREE to FEEL GOOD | SCANDAL at the Coral Sands Motel | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Castro Theatre | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Midnight Sun | RSVP: 2 Weeks Working on a Gay Cruise Ship | VOYAGER of the Damned | I'M NOT A LESBIAN DIRECTOR | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: THE FOLSOM STREET FAIR | Diving into SoMa/Folsom: A TALE OF TWO STUDS | BALL BROTH | My 1992 “Porn Set” Diary | Out of Print | There’s a Gloryhole WHERE??! | LUNCH HOUR: When the Big Boys Eat | IN and OUT and All ABOUT | UNDER the COVERs with Tom Steele | 8 Is Enough on Sunsex Blvd | Steve Rambo & Will Seagers For Breakfast | The Many Faces of Adult Film Star SHARON KANE | The ALL-MAN Magazine Interview: The Man Behind Catalina Video | Captain Psychopath | BAD BOYS SCHOOL | VAMPIRE'S GRAVE | The Making of CatalinaVille (PART 1) | The Making of CatalinaVille (PART 2) | Private Dick & The Young Cadets | Meet RAY HARLEY | The GOLD COAST Gold Rush Boys | Colt Model MARK RUTTER: In His Own Words | Bringing in the BIG GUNS | “WHAT THE F@CK?” Moments | You So RUSSO | Bond, SCOTT BOND | I Just Watched: KILLING ME SOFTLY | Sex in Tight Places | Calling GLORIA | DOWN FOR THE COUNT | More Than a Mouthful | When JON KING Returned to Catalina Video | Junior Meets the BEAR Patrol | A Taste for Leather and Fur | Straight to Bed | The Hills Have Bi’s | The Malibu Pool Boy: Cody Foster | New England Summer | The Making of RUNAWAYS 1989 | The Making of FULL SERVICE 1989 | Hot Buttered Cop | The Making of HARD TO BE GOOD 1990 | The Real CONJURING HOUSE | It’s Not a Crime, It’s a SCORE | I Just Watched: Steve Scott’s SCREENPLAY (1984) | Wet and Wild | 69: Discover the Secret | What Really Happened BEHIND THAT BARN DOOR! | I Just Watched AL PARKER & WILL SEAGERS in WANTED | Secret Boys Club | Jawbreaker Pt. 1 | Jawbreaker Pt. 2 | I Just Watched CRUISIN’ THE CASTRO | 80s/90s Porn Star RYAN YEAGER | ADAM Film World’s GAY VIDEO GUIDE | ERIC STONE: Ranger in the Wild | THRILL ME with a SINGLE WHITE MALE... | The SPOILED BRAT | BUSTER & STEVE YORK | LANCE, TEX ANTHONY & MICHAEL GERE | KIP NOLL: The First Real Twink Superstar | THE GREASE MONKEYS | The "Other" Idol | The AMERICAN Way | DERRICK STANTON Talks About Life on the Set, Part 1| DERRICK STANTON Talks About Life on the Set, Part 2

Hi Folks! Will here with an "Upbeat" look at a force that has helped propel me throughout my life - Music. Some of you might recognize this title as one of Patti LaBelle's biggest hits from a few decades ago. With this title, I recognize and celebrate her talents along with my own lifelong love of music. 

Some of my earliest recollections of music were sitting on my mother's lap and learning to harmonize with her singing. I would have to guess that was around age four or so. My mother had a great voice and used to sing at most family gatherings back in the 50s. Like I said, my musical participation began with hearing a harmony part in what she sang and "chiming in" to the best of my young ability. And, according to the applause we used to get, I guess we did a pretty good job.

As far as playing instruments, it all started one Christmas morning with a toy clarinet by the Eminee company. I think my parents initially regretted buying this for me, thinking I would be blaring it all around the house making a racket. But, much to everyone's surprise, by the end of that day I had figured out how to play "When the Saints Go Marching In" and a couple of other standards. Before I knew it, clarinet lessons were booked for yours truly. A musical "door" had opened that continues to usher in the wonder and joy of playing music.

It should be mentioned that the house we moved into in the mid-50s came with an upright grand piano in the basement. It was a huge and wonderful instrument. My father used to love to dabble with it and even took some lessons. Monkey see, monkey do. I started to have regular sessions with that keyboard and found it much easier to navigate than the holes and levers of the real clarinet that replaced my Christmas toy. Once again, with my picking out melodies on that piano by ear, music lessons soon followed.

I was a bad student, in that I easily drifted from my lessons to messing around with tunes by ear. My parents were not pleased by my straying from the printed page. So, after a year or so, my lessons were suspended. That didn't stop me from banging away and discovering more about music... especially chords. (It seemed like the harmonizing I did with my mother was showing up again.) 

It was about 1963 or 1964 when a musical arrival completely changed my life. My mother and father used to like to go out "clubbing" with their friends from our new Jersey Shore home location. In their travels one Saturday night, they dropped by the Hammond Organ store in Asbury Park (about ten miles south of our new home).

It was late one Sunday morning when a rather large delivery van pulled up in front of our house. Sprawled on the side of it was (you guessed it) Hammond Organ of Asbury Park. Instantly, I knew what was going on. They bought an organ: a beautiful Hammond A-102, a full-sized console organ in French Provincial cherrywood finish! I guess the style and finish were to appease my mother, as everything in our new house was of that ilk.

The delivery men eased in the three large pieces - the main console, the pedal clavier and the handsome matching French Provincial bench. I was not only awestruck, but I couldn't wait to get my hands (and feet) on this beautiful instrument. It fit beautifully into a corner of our rather large living room opposing a lovely Mason & Hamlin baby grand. My father and mother finally came down from their slumber to see the new musical entry. After being shown how to turn it on, I was well on my way to picking out some of my piano favorites... even using the pedals... as these were obviously just another keyboard - just for your feet!

My mother and father were once again spellbound watching me dive into the musical unknown without missing a beat. I was sorry to say that upon the organ's arrival, I never looked back at the piano again seriously. These instruments are really two separate universes, and I had chosen mine.

I was about twelve or thirteen when the organ came into my life. It rocked my world. A dozen or so complimentary lessons came with the organ's purchase. I took to this instrument like a duck takes to water. My musical world was further broadened by the available LPs that were sold at the organ store. I quickly started an organ record collection... mostly theater organ with a few classical organ records, too. I learned to play a lot of songs by listening to these albums. My musical "ear" was on the move!

Once again, music lessons followed. Although I was grateful for these lessons and the enhanced ability to read music that came with them, I mostly liked to play by ear and read what I needed. Unfortunately, the same pattern followed. I was not the best student in terms of practicing my lessons. As a result, my rather prestigious organ teacher gave me the boot. 

An unfortunate financial time befell my father and our family. One day, that French Provincial beauty disappeared from our living room. Soon, we moved out of that house altogether. We relocated to the small shore town of Spring Lake about fifteen miles south of our prior West Deal location. I was in high school by this time, and was totally pissed off about moving and leaving my school and friends that I loved. There was one small caveat - my father did get another, albeit smaller, Hammond L-101 spinet. With our family's financial climate, even that spinet only lasted for a couple of years. Alas, we were totally instrument-free in our household!

In all my teen years that I had been listening to theater organ records, I had promised myself that, by hook or by crook, I was going to have either an Allen or Conn electronic theater organ. They really sounded a lot more like the theater organs that I heard on my records. But, it wasn't until my early thirties (and with the help of my new "porn income") that I finally purchased the first of three Conn 651 three manual theater organs. I was in heaven!

One of three Conn 651s

It took all my will and determination to get one of these behemoths into my tiny one bedroom apartment on 10th St. in San Francisco. Not only did the apartment door have to come off its hinges, but the frame had to be dismantled, too. Then, with some furniture blankets and a dolly, I turned the organ on its side and rotated it into my little abode! I bought this beauty from a priest in the East Bay with the understanding that if I ever sold it, he could buy it back. And, that's the way it wound up almost ten years later - back in his hands. This was shortly before I moved back to the East Coast in 1991.

Friends gathered in the San Francisco apartment with looming Conn 651 organ in profile.

I was shell shocked after my move back to NJ. Arriving in the "Garden State" after fourteen years of "Sodom and Gomorrah" in San Francisco was like hitting a brick wall!

Thank God for the speed and arrival of my new job on the East Coast... selling organs! It is one of two fulltime jobs in my life that fit like a glove!

The brother of my sister's fiancé was working at a piano and organ store. And, they were looking for sales people. I don't quite remember the interview. But, what I do remember was that I was hired on the spot. I did quite well with that company and managed, sold and taught elementary organ lessons for them until my move in 1994 to South Beach.

At a client's house, invited to dinner and to play the Lowery console that I sold them.

Let's fast forward to my move to the Southwest with my spouse from our NYC apartment in 1999. As soon as I arrived, I started scouting out music stores where I might attain gainful employment. There were only a couple of organ stores in a sixty mile radius from where we lived, and no one was hiring. But, I did manage to find a nice little Lowrey spinet organ. Back at the keyboard(s) and having laid some groundwork, another Conn 651 three manual console organ became available from the same dealer, and I snatched it up. That Conn stayed with me for about three years until I made the (permanent) switch to Allen Organs.

My first Allen was a two manual model, and was quickly followed by two three manual models. Once you have three manuals, it's hard to go back to two! All of these models were purchased through an eBay seller who was a franchised dealer in upstate NY. My last and grandest Allen three manual was purchased in 2015 and is still with me.

My current Allen three manual organ.

So, here I am some sixty years later with my dream come true. I have my beautiful (and third) Allen three manual theater organ. Now retired, I have the time to play to my heart's content. No, I am not a concert organist. But, I play for my friends and my own pleasure. I cherish the moments when this huge, majestic instrument can either bring the house down or sing like an angel. I am grateful to have travelled this musical journey!

An after work organ performance video! (Click to play.)

 

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!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc

By Josh Eliot

This is officially my 100th blog for Bijou World and I could not be more happy than to present my continuation of Derrick Stanton: Life on the Set. We are discussing his movies from 1982 and beyond that he shot for director William Higgins – These Bases Are Loaded (1982), Members Only (1982), Printer's Devil (1982), Class Reunion (1983), and Route 69 (1984) – plus a couple of later productions after his time with Higgins. Our Q&A in 2026 marks a 50 year anniversary from the first time Derrick Stanton set foot on a movie set for his first film, Hardhat, shot in 1976 and released in 1977. I want to thank Derrick for being so candid regarding his experiences while making many of his hit movies from yesteryear.

Derrick Stanton today at age 70, surrounded by some of his hit movies

THESE BASES ARE LOADED (1982)

JE: In These Bases Are Loaded, you sported a different hairstyle than we were used to – shorter on the sides. It was a good look! Take us into the locker room, where beers were passed out and the team (Chris Burns, J.W. King, Jon King, Jack Burke, David Hix, Tony Prince and yourself) started a simultaneous jack-off session on the benches. What do you remember?

DS: We all connected in that moment. Most of us had already worked together previously. For me, watching J.W. and Jon together was mesmerizing. Jon had a crush on J.W. but it was not mutual. I could see on Jon’s face that he was a bit hurt.

JE: The ending orgy contained everyone from the opening J/O scene minus Chris Burns, and with the addition of Steve West. It’s a lot for anyone to handle when shooting an orgy; did Higgins get overwhelmed or was there any drama?

DS: Higgins had become quite nimble moving around the set. He caught some amazing moments along with his co-cameraman, Barry Knight. He was strict when directing and asked us individually to call out when we were ready to cum. He would often say, “Watch out, Derrick cums a lot – don’t miss any cum ropes.” Haha.

MEMBERS ONLY (1982)

JE: In the opening of your threeway scene, you were sucking both Greg Hanson and John King in the hot tub. This was Greg’s one and only movie and he looked like he had a large dick. The three of you appeared totally into it. I’ve never seen Jon King harder in a movie, especially without a dick in his mouth. Greg Hansen topped you first, then he topped Jon King, then you inserted your dick – all the way, I might add – into Jon at the same time. Was double penetration a thing in films back then or were you trend setters? It felt like it was happening in real time, where normally it’s a real hassle to capture double penetration on film. How did it all play out?

DS: Jon and Greg really connected hot and heavy. Jon was riding on Greg’s cock and deeply making out with him. Higgins, in the spur of the moment, asked me to do a double penetration. I was worried about hurting Jon but he mumbled, “Go for it.” I slowly got it in and felt Greg’s cock surging and sliding against mine. Higgins shouted, “Get the fill light, I can’t see it clearly!” The fill light was a simple, very hot, thin tube. Barry accidentally brushed it against my skin, which hurt like hell. I stayed hard and kept pumping despite the burn. It felt amazing. I had never been a top in a double penetration. Suddenly Jon loudly came on Greg’s chest. Higgins missed it and loudly cursed Jon. It was another “great golden copulation.”

JE: I remember that cumshot of yours on the mirror while standing over Greg and Jon’s faces from when I first saw the movie as a twenty-year-old. No doubt on my first VHS machine. Just a general question: did you go to see your finished movies at the theaters or was it not until they came out on VHS that you could view some of your work?

DS: I usually went to the Century Theater for premieres or on my own. Once I sat in a dark row next to a Filipino guy (he told me later) for one of my films screenings. We gave each other mutual hand jobs, as one does in dark porn theaters. At one point he looked at me, then the screen, then back to me and said, “OMG that’s you!” I nodded and then gushed a mega load, as did he. Unfortunately, he pointed my dick into my pants that were around my ankles. I had to walk to the lobby with cold cum in my shorts. Oh well, it was worth it.

PRINTER'S DEVILS (1982)

JE: Your scene with Mike O’Leary in the room with the mirrored tiles and red couch featured some incredibly strong fucking from you as the top. Was there a special connection with the co-star?

DS: I was rarely a top. When I was, it was due to what Barry called "rubber dick " of the designated top. I tried to get to know who I was going to pair with a little before we were on camera. It helped to put both of us at ease in that very artificial setting. I wish I was still a mega loader today… but hey, I’m 70.

JE: Your cum shots in all of your movies were over the top!

DS: I had a routine at home before a shoot where I edged myself several times to help fill my proverbial reservoir. I took large doses of Vitamin E to help build that load, as it seemed to help. On set, I would continue to edge myself in order to create the mega-load fireworks.

CLASS REUNION (1983)

Regarding the movie Class Reunion, I’ve always heard that all of the stars agreed to work for free in exchange for a lottery ticket for a drawing to win the motorcycle shown in the movie. Is this true?

DS: I insisted on being paid. That many guys on the set was unwieldy, to say the least. I really couldn’t get into the mood with this film. Too many bitches.

JE: When Leo Ford won the motorcycle, what were your co-stars' reactions?

DS: We knew it was going to be him. That’s why I insisted on being paid.

JE: I’d always heard that it was rigged for Leo to win. What are your thoughts on that?

DS: No big deal, really... Years later, I was on a small yacht owned by some wealthy... ahem, benefactors for an afternoon cruise out of San Pedro, and lo and behold, Leo was there. We chatted and connected warmly with each other. He was a really cool guy. It was devastating to hear a few days later he died in a motorcycle crash.

JE: Any standout memories while making that movie?

DS: It was annoying as fuck to be on that set. Halfway through, Higgins told me he regretted the whole set up for this film.

JE: In the “circle suck” portion of Class Reunion, who where you sucking and who was sucking you?

DS: I don’t remember, other than I wanted to be with Giorgio Canali. I really, really wanted to be paired with Giorgio, especially on Class Reunion… I wanted to suck that glorious large, uncut cock. Unfortunately, it never happened. 😢

ROUTE 69 (1984)

JE: It's listed that this as your last movie for Catalina and William Higgins. Here’s my impression of the Frat House orgy scene you were in with Todd Eagles, Danny Parks, Tim Lees, Daryl Thompson and Mike Gibson. It looked like you were all stuffed into the tiniest living room in Hollywood, and the only one I saw giving energy to the scene was you. You seemed to take the initiative to drive the scene forward, keep it interesting and elevate the sex. Your experience as a well-seasoned performer was evident, and I dare to say if you weren’t there to rally the troops, it would have been a big yawner. What is your recollection?

DS: Your observation is spot on. The group of actors who were sometimes worn out tired from escort work the night before were just looking to get it done and get paid. So, I attempted to rally the troops. One of the actors had a huge dick, which I tried to focus on. I attempted a 69 with him, though I realized that 69-ing was way overrated and uncomfortable. I didn’t do it in real life. After a bit, I thought that just for fun (John Waters' influence) I would add some over the top dirty talk. Fans later on said it was distracting to them, but it was a hoot to emulate the spirit of Pink Flamingos. It was filmed in Higgins' house on east Melrose Avenue, and yes, in a tiny room. I can say that Bill Higgins and I got along quite well, which wasn’t always the case with others. He could be quite temperamental on the set, but never with me. I was proud to introduce him at his Hall of Fame ceremony in 1999.

JE: After Route 69, you no longer worked for William Higgins and it appears that the Al Parker-directed Surge Studio production Strange Places Strange Things was your final movie for many years in 1985 – is this correct?

DS: Yes, Strange Places Strange Things.

STRANGE PLACES, STRANGE THINGS (1985)

JE: What was the vibe on the set?

DS: Barry Knight asked me to come along to be his sound man. One of the actors didn’t show, so I moved in front of the camera that day. My co-actor, Tony Kennedy, couldn’t get hard, as it was his first film and he was so nervous. I topped him on the fake window washing scaffold. They needed a cumshot from Tony and he was just too nervous to get hard. We waited for maybe two hours, which added extra pressure on him… poor guy. Barry concocted some fake cum using egg white, cream and flour, which I held in my mouth until Tony got half hard, put his dick in my mouth then pulled out while I simultaneously released the sticky brew from my mouth. It actually looks like he came in my mouth. Maybe I shouldn’t have shared that? Hahaha. On another scene, I was once again Barry’s sound man and observed Scott Taylor's dick pumping. After pumping up his now ginormous cock with air, he slid a pencil shaped plastic tube down his urethra, slowly sliding it in and out of his dick hole, then pulling it out followed by a gusher of cum. Later Barry asked him how he got his dick hole large enough to take the plastic shaft. He conveyed to Barry, who told me, that he allegedly numbed his hole while really high and sliced it with a razor, and then taped a guitar pick there to keep it from healing over. He barely recovered from this. Scott was the king of gay kink and did many live pumping shows in San Francisco. Pumping became the rage at the time. Allegedly, Al Parker cornered the dick pump mail order market and became quite wealthy from it. Who knew?

JE: Can you tell me why you left the industry?

DS: I had a boyfriend at the time who asked me to stop, so I did. I do regret this now, as the boyfriend was a secret cheater. I mean, an open relationship would’ve been fine with me. Everyone has an opinion about it, open relationships vs monogamous. I would say to anyone in a relationship to have an HONEST conversation with your partner! Men are wired differently to be more sexual, more often. At a minimum, don’t be lazy, just pay attention to your partner with loads of daily affection and recognize that men truly value genuine regular intimacy. Today the young’uns call this being a “side” and lots of cuddling, where penetration isn’t always necessary. Okay, I’ll get off my gay daddy soapbox.

JE: With any of your features back in the day, did you hit the road and do public performances? If so, can you tell me about some of those experiences?

DS: Before too long, I realized I had made a lot of films and didn’t realize or even believe I had a growing fan base until I was asked to strip dance at the Follies in NYC. Sex on stage could be quite satisfying for my exhibitionism. My dance routine was emulated in the movie Performance (Steve Scott), where I cum on Al Parkers husband’s face. At the Follies, I chose my own music. The last song in my set was Blondie’s Atomic, which was perfect to cum to… as in, “Oooh ooh, Atomic, Atomic.” New York City’s Times Square was gloriously filthy back then. I got to meet Divine at an afterhours club named Magique, where she performed while a massive amount of down feathers were released. I also experienced Studio 54, albeit not in its prime.

JE: You were well known for your reliability to show up and put on a great show with a very happy ending for any director. Were you ever in a situation where you were called on to stunt dick for a movie? Was there ever a time in a scene where a stunt dick was called in to top you?

DS: I was definitely known as Mr. Reliable – especially if someone didn’t show, they knew they could count on me to show up. Never a stunt dick for me or anyone else.

JE: What porn icon, that you didn’t work with, did you have the hots for, either while working in the industry or after retirement?

DS: Melchor Diaz. He was cast in Strange Places, but I was not granted the opportunity to pair with him. Some directors, unlike Higgins, were quite strict about whom you paired with. I’m attracted to opposite looks.

JE: You were entered into The Gay Erotic Video Awards Hall of Fame in 1995. Tell me about that night, what it meant to you and who you went to the awards with that evening.

DS: It was fun, especially to hang out with all the folks in the business. Jeff Stryker opened the show by walking out on the runway fully erect. He did a penis injection prior to his entrance. It was a great opening act, for sure. It took place at the Hollywood Palace, now Avalon. My supportive partner went with me.

JE: Is that where you met Jerry Douglas, who would later cast you in Family Values for a comeback? Or had you stayed close to the players in the industry all along?

DS: We met at the GayVN awards.

FAMILY VALUES (1997)

JE: For the movie Family Values, what was the vibe on the set after not being in front of the cameras for so many years?

DS: I was calm and appreciative to work at age 39 with my pal, cameraman Barry Knight, again. He loved his porn craft and made everyone look good.

JE: Jerry Douglas had a reputation for prioritizing the storyline over the sex scenes. Some models have said that they were so exhausted from all the takes, that by the time they set up to shoot the sex, the models weren’t that into each other anymore. Any signs of this with your scenes?

DS: Well, the story was a bit freaky, in that I played on older gay player who never fell in love with his tricks until he met Kurt Young, who eventually finds out that I’m his long lost father. To prove my love, I finally let him top me in the end on a boat drifting off into the sunset. Kurt and I connected well – he was soft spoken, a little shy and a sweetheart, for sure, and of course, quite sexy. Jerry was a fastidious director, for sure. His final edit was always superb on screen. Steve York was brought back [from retirement], as well, but looked a bit weathered, as did I. He couldn’t get hard and Jerry was having a loud meltdown, which made matters worse. I was often called on as an emergency fluffer. I had a scene with Steve in the past, and in speaking with him prior he said his favorite sex was getting sucked. He would sometimes go to bookstores in the Midwest to get sucked off at gloryholes. I knew what to do and began worshiping that huge, magnificent cock. He got hard, and Jerry and Steve thanked me profusely. Look, porn sets are artificial and not often conducive to sex. Kurt Young was not that into me, as far as I could tell, and I mistakenly took Dramamine to ward off sea sickness. Unbeknownst to me, Dramamine causes impotence. My last cum shot at the end of the scene had to be before the sun actually set. I struggled mightily against the Dramamine. Of course, Jerry was freaking out loudly. I finally found the right fantasy in my mind to cum… whewww! There was no Viagra available then; you had to have the right state of mind to literally pull it off on the set.

JE: During the long gap between Strange Places Strange Things and Family Values (1984 – 1997), how had you reinvented yourself and your everyday life?

DS: I worked as a public employee and became a successful union organizer. I was one of the founding members in 1994 of Pride at Work AFL/CIO, the still active gay constituency group with the AFL. I think I survived porn in that I had a regular job. Many other actors had to rely on prostitution to augment their income, and it was quite lucrative if you were a porn star. My last partner, who is Vietnamese, embraced my porn identity and actually played an extra in a Family Values orgy scene.

JE: What was your biggest takeaway after shooting Family Values?

DS: Kristian Brooks, a beautiful muscular blonde, and I were paired together. There was time to get to know each other in another room on the house boat. We played for real – but had to hold back on cumming. The tight quarters on the boat, wearing condoms (necessary), all the technical shit around us and a sometimes grouchy director made it rough, but our scene together in the movie looked quite natural. He expressed interest in getting together another day. Unfortunately, I was in a relationship and my boyfriend, Quan, was on the set. BTW, he never interfered with the process or got in the way. A strict condition for his presence. Years later, I heard Kristian committed suicide in Europe. Very sad, indeed. Our scene together in Family Values was a bit magical. Also, I spoke on the phone with Jerry in NYC at the end of the pandemic. He was on his deathbed. We had grown fond of each other over the years. My last words to him were that I loved him.

JE: Having this amazing career behind you, have you ever given into the idea of returning to the screen as a “Hot Daddy?“ Or will Derrick Stanton be remembered as an early pioneer who became a gay adult film icon and stepped away gracefully?

DS: I could return, but I am 70, although in decent shape, and HIV+ (undetectable), which might be a concern. Stigma still exists in 2026. Many, many gay porn stars did not survive the plague years… I almost didn’t. Hot Daddy? I remember I was in the shower at the 1350 bathhouse in Long Beach, California ten years ago, when a guy came up and called me a hot daddy. I embraced it. I embrace my age. I never hid in shame from my porn career, if you will. No one could ever blackmail me. Like any job I did in life, I did it well, including this one. Stonewall veterans said to me at the 25th reunion in 1994 that they fought for sexual freedom that was denied to gay people then. I would not and did not let them down. “GREAT GOLDEN COPULATIONS,” indeed (Jim Morrison from his American Prayer spoken word album).

Derrick Stanton aging gracefully through the years

 

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.

 

You can read Josh Eliot's previous blogs for Bijou here:

Coming Out of my WET SHORTS | FRANK ROSS, The Boss | Our CALIGULA Moment | That BUTTHOLE Just Winked at Me! | DREAMLAND: The Other Place | A Salty Fuck in Saugatuck | Somebody, Call a FLUFFER! | The Late Great JOHN TRAVIS, My POWERTOOL Mentor | (Un)Easy Riders | 7 Years with Colt Model MARK RUTTER | Super NOVA | Whatever Happened to NEELY O’HARA? | Is That AL PARKER In Your Photo? | DOWN BY LAW: My $1,000,000 Mistake | We Waited 8hrs for a Cum Shot... Is That a World Record? | Don't Wear "Short Shorts" on the #38 Geary to LANDS END | How Straight Are You Really? | BEHIND THE (not so) GREEN DOOR | The BOOM BOOM Room | CATCHING UP with Tom DeSimone | Everybody’s FREE to FEEL GOOD | SCANDAL at the Coral Sands Motel | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Castro Theatre | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Midnight Sun | RSVP: 2 Weeks Working on a Gay Cruise Ship | VOYAGER of the Damned | I'M NOT A LESBIAN DIRECTOR | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: THE FOLSOM STREET FAIR | Diving into SoMa/Folsom: A TALE OF TWO STUDS | BALL BROTH | My 1992 “Porn Set” Diary | Out of Print | There’s a Gloryhole WHERE??! | LUNCH HOUR: When the Big Boys Eat | IN and OUT and All ABOUT | UNDER the COVERs with Tom Steele | 8 Is Enough on Sunsex Blvd | Steve Rambo & Will Seagers For Breakfast | The Many Faces of Adult Film Star SHARON KANE | The ALL-MAN Magazine Interview: The Man Behind Catalina Video | Captain Psychopath | BAD BOYS SCHOOL | VAMPIRE'S GRAVE | The Making of CatalinaVille (PART 1) | The Making of CatalinaVille (PART 2) | Private Dick & The Young Cadets | Meet RAY HARLEY | The GOLD COAST Gold Rush Boys | Colt Model MARK RUTTER: In His Own Words | Bringing in the BIG GUNS | “WHAT THE F@CK?” Moments | You So RUSSO | Bond, SCOTT BOND | I Just Watched: KILLING ME SOFTLY | Sex in Tight Places | Calling GLORIA | DOWN FOR THE COUNT | More Than a Mouthful | When JON KING Returned to Catalina Video | Junior Meets the BEAR Patrol | A Taste for Leather and Fur | Straight to Bed | The Hills Have Bi’s | The Malibu Pool Boy: Cody Foster | New England Summer | The Making of RUNAWAYS 1989 | The Making of FULL SERVICE 1989 | Hot Buttered Cop | The Making of HARD TO BE GOOD 1990 | The Real CONJURING HOUSE | It’s Not a Crime, It’s a SCORE | I Just Watched: Steve Scott’s SCREENPLAY (1984) | Wet and Wild | 69: Discover the Secret | What Really Happened BEHIND THAT BARN DOOR! | I Just Watched AL PARKER & WILL SEAGERS in WANTED | Secret Boys Club | Jawbreaker Pt. 1 | Jawbreaker Pt. 2 | I Just Watched CRUISIN’ THE CASTRO | 80s/90s Porn Star RYAN YEAGER | ADAM Film World’s GAY VIDEO GUIDE | ERIC STONE: Ranger in the Wild | THRILL ME with a SINGLE WHITE MALE... | The SPOILED BRAT | BUSTER & STEVE YORK | LANCE, TEX ANTHONY & MICHAEL GERE | KIP NOLL: The First Real Twink Superstar | THE GREASE MONKEYS | The "Other" Idol | The AMERICAN Way | DERRICK STANTON Talks About Life on the Set, Part 1

 By Will Seagers

Hello folks. Will here. (Or at least I think so!) 

Opening remarks... a little bit different this time. I'll be speaking about a topic that could be considered taboo in gay society as well as society in general... disappearing from the scene as we age. I heard about this many years ago, that as gay men age they start to become invisible. They lose that currency called sexuality. At that youthful point in my life, I didn't dwell on it, as I was in my heyday at the top of the rainbow and I believed life would go on forever with all of its magical charms.

The charms I am speaking about deal with youth and being relevant just because you are attractive. Unfortunately, that relevance is based on the skin deep illusion of beauty - the ability to turn heads and make people's pulses quicken with just your looks. I used the arc of a rainbow as a metaphor to illustrate how this phenomenon worked in my life.

"In the beginning" of life we start our rainbow. Despite all of the attention and love a child gets from their parents (depending on the luck of your birth), youth and adolescence can still be a painful "ugly duckling" period that seemingly lasts forever.

Unfortunately, the people who you find attractive don't even know you exist. This leaves you feeling like you're not even there. (At least, that was the case for me.) Not knowing any better, I took it for granted that this was my caste in life. This is particularly awkward in high school years when all sorts of hormones are raging. It leaves you rife for developing a complex!

But, when I least expected it, things started to change for me. I was around 19 or 20 when I felt both guys and girls gazing at me. It rocked my world. It was awkward not knowing what to do with this new attention. But, I explored!

From a very early age, I knew I was drawn to guys. I would have to laugh about how I coerced my neighborhood "buddies" into various states of undress just so I could feel that new and wonderful experience called "being turned on." Much to my pleasure, all that changed with my emerging new looks. I was being sought after. Talk about rocking my world. It seemed my ugly duckling years of this metaphoric rainbow were over. I was rising to its midpoint. 

Yep, that's when all of this porn business started to happen for me. Literally, plucked off the street by the likes of Man's Image, Target and Falcon Studios, I had to routinely pinch myself to make sure this wasn't a dream! Early on in this phase of my life, I realized that I had a gift. And, I had to take care of that gift for as long as possible. This was my new currency.

I always had great respect for older men. I wanted to learn the knowledge and history that they had acquired. But, I realized that I wasn't physically attracted to them. That was awkward and sometimes painful. These men, being older than me, understood their plight of invisibility. In the straight forward world of sex, they had no currency. I was never prone to giving away charity fucks. Only attractive men around my own age made any sense to me. Nonetheless, I began to understand this idea of becoming invisible.

Learning this in my thirties, I committed to keeping as much of my youth and looks as possible. I did well with my regimens for the next few decades... slaving away at the gym and lavishing myself with unguents of all kinds to ward off the inevitability of aging.

Up until my mid 40s, I was carrying on like I was two decades younger. I had moved to South Beach in 1994 and had the time of my life... living most of my time in and out of my little black Speedo! I literally had to leave that paradise to save my life and what was left of my mind. After all, I was 45 years old - NOT 25!

Then, it was my turn. It didn't happen overnight. And, it took its sweet time. I started realizing in my mid-50s - the ogling stares which once bothered me were coming less and less frequently. Like it or not, getting ready for invisibility was here. This was quite a shock for a one time "pinup boy!" Had I lost my “currency?” 

Now, at age 75 and looking back from the other end of the rainbow, I realize that I too have moved into the realm of invisibility. But, armed with the knowledge of what was coming, I prepared myself with a mindset of staying young at heart and not holding onto any delusions of youth. I have learned the huge lesson of gratitude... that is, to be thankful for a very special past. It has been one helluva trip across this wonderful rainbow! 

 

 

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!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past!