BijouBlog
"Music Is My Way of Life!" Part 3: The Road to San Francisco
Hi Folks - Will here with another installment of my musical journey. This time, I will share my thoughts on what led me to DJing and what led me to move from New York City to San Francisco in 1976.
For any of you that have been following my blogs over the past couple of years, I apologize in advance for any repetitions or redundancies. Hopefully, these memories will explain how the parts of my musical puzzle fall into place.
In the summer of 1975, I "worked" on Fire Island in The Pines in many capacities. I say this with tongue in cheek because I was everything from a houseboy to a live-in sex worker over that incredible summer. "The Island" and The Pines were where I wanted to be - by hook or by crook. But, I wanted to be there on my own terms and not be hindered in any way from discovering its magic.
Twice a houseboy and twice it didn't work out, as some of my implied duties were not to my liking. The first of these two jobs was so limiting that I hardly had any time to experience the Island. The second time morphed quickly into a problem when my sexual "duties" became non-stop. I made a pact with myself not to get into any more "sticky" arrangements like that again. Okay... Enough of the melodramas of a pretty 24 year old and onto a fateful meeting at Cherry Grove's Ice Palace.
It was at a Tea Dance at The Ice Palace where I met Roger. He looked like a page right out of a Tom of Finland book! Muscular, bearded, and with all the right moves on that tea dance floor, too! We tore back to his place and didn't come up for air for what seemed like days! That night turned into that weekend and ultimately the rest of that summer.
I do remember us taking a break from the Island to come into the City (NYC) to see the LaBelle "Night Birds" concert at the Harkness Theater adjacent to Lincoln Center. The concert was extremely well attended. We were in the balcony, which seemed to be the default gay section! When they sang their national hit, "Lady Marmalade" (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir?), our balcony exploded into a sing along with such fervor that the ushers tried to calm us down as they feared structural damage! What a night!
At the end of the season, Roger told me he was moving to San Francisco. I was sad... to say the least. But, fate had more in store for the two of us.
Now, with no real plans for the upcoming fall and winter, I helped out my old friend and former roommate from Puerto Rico, Denis. He received a scholarship to Arizona State University located in the Phoenix area. Although one of the brightest people that I have ever known, he had NO street smarts. His parents knew this and were panicked about him being 1700+ miles from their Northern New Jersey home. They asked me to be "chaperone" and keep an eye on him. So, off we drove across country, hitting every gay bar and club on the way. What a hoot!
As my friend settled into his academics, I tended bar at a couple of local clubs. It was a great way to get to know the local boys and keep in touch with music. Meanwhile, I stayed in touch with Lew Thomas (of Target Studios fame) and did some "Western" site scouting for him. I found a great desert locale that Lew liked. Wearing chaps, cowboy hats and not much else, it turned out to be a rather hot and popular magazine and video.
My connection with Lew paid off again. Serendipitously, at the end of my friend's college stay in Arizona and with me not having any plans after that, Lew contacted me and asked if I might want to work for John Whyte at the Boatel in Fire Island Pines... home of the legendary Pines tea dance. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of Mr. Whyte in full leather (chaps shown above) being interviewed for the job. He was taken/amused by my appearance stating this was a first - interviewing in full leather! For the next three summers that's where I called home.
As this first summer was coming to an end in the Pines, serendipity struck again. I met Chuck Holmes (of Falcon Studio fame) and was offered work in San Francisco. As fate would have it, the wonderful waitstaff with whom I had worked at the Boatel were all headed to San Francisco, too. Armed with only the promise of a job from Mr. Holmes, I took a leap of faith and joined them. Only one of these guys actually had an apartment in San Francisco. I slept on his floor for my first three nights in town... But, hey, it was in the Castro - the gay crossroads of the world! Soon we all found flats and apartments in the area. The new adventure had begun.
Within the first month or so I met my boyfriend, Tommy. He had such a sweet face and huge brown eyes... among other things. Little did I know that he was a fan of my porn. We remained together in our little South of Market apartment for the next thirteen years.
Coincidentally, guess who Tommy knew? And, guess who he shared his May 22nd birthday?... Roger... my friend from Fire Island! We instantly became a trio. And, the two of them started to familiarize me with all things San Francisco. I had never before felt so "at home" in any other place in my life.
As the iconic San Francisco disco divas The Two Tons of Fun sang, "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven!" And, I was about to find that out... stay tuned! 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.
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 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2
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