Star Gazer!

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: