I Win A Trophy At Nudes A Poppin, 1994

Hanging Out With Judy Tenuta

Judy and I worked at the Rose

about

1979-1980

My Back Went Out But The Show Must Go On

My back used to go out sometimes and it could hurt for days.  One time my back was sore I was even kind of bent and in pain.
The phone rang and it was one of the strip telegram companies I used to work for!
I said OK, but I knew I needed a miracle to do the job.
Some girl was going to be surprised at a party.  I went into the house and saw lots of girls and guys.   I had my boom box ready to go and found the birthday girl. I tried to stand up straight and dance.  My back hurt and I knew I was dancing a bit crooked. I took off my trench coat and untied my tie.  I unbuttoned my shirt and unbuckled my pants.  I was in pain and bent to the side a bit.  I knew I was faking it and should be resting.  In a few seconds when I took off my shirt, everybody would see I was dancing with a sore, bent back!
Suddenly the guy who was paying for the surprise strip telegram for the  birthday  girl shoved some money into my hand and said thanks, that's enough, that was great!.....
Thank you God for the miracle!!!

The Night They Shot My Car

Kings Of Hearts were working at a night club out near Aurora and someone shot my car!   I don't remember if this is was our first night or what, but we worked there two or three times, and we always had a big crowd.  The girls and us guys always had a great time.
I went outside during intermission or it might have been after the show.  I was getting some fresh air and was going to go back inside when l looked at my '69 Oldsmobile.... I saw a couple of bullet holes in the side near the back. I couldn't believe it! .... Why!....?...
Must have been a jealous boyfriend of one of those happy screaming girls!
Oh well, now I had another story about those fun-filled years of dancing!

I Tried To Lift Two Girls At Once

 I had so much fun on the stage doing my act. I had a lot of energy.  Sometimes I felt so sure of my self, I got carried away trying to do a great show. 

I would grab a lady from the audience and dance with her, then another, and another. Sometimes I would have her unbutton my shirt. Sometimes I would lift her up and and dance around put her down, and sometimes all the way down to the floor!

One time I tried to lift two girls at once and though I think it looked OK to the audience, I hurt myself...Ouch!  I don't remember exactly but when I brought them down to the floor, or we sort of fell down, I think I either hurt my back! or my knee! (it was 40 years ago, my memory is a little foggy)... anyway I was sore for a couple days.... but I never did that again! 

My Dance Music

I made so many dance tapes: this tape from late in my dancing career was for my cowboy act.

Brigitte Bardot

I always liked girls. But when I saw pictures of Brigitte Bardot I really fell for her.  I was about 10 and she was about 20.  Of course I was young but I think I would have married her if it was possible.  But then a lot of guys felt the same way!
I bought a magazine full of great pictures of her for 35 cents.  I bought a paper back biography of her for 35 or fifty cents.  I still have these momentos of my young love.
It wasn't till much later that I saw a Brigette Bardot movie.
And still later I dated a girl that knew Brigitte Bardot!!  ....This was a girl I met when I danced at the Rose in Palatine, Illinois, in about 1980 or 81.
I don't remember exactly what she said, but my girlfriend was somewhere in the South Of France, maybe on the Riviera, or on one of the Greek islands....she ran into or just met Brigitte Bardot!.....And they ended up having lunch and hanging out out on my girlfriend's boat.  And Brigitte was beautiful and very nice too!
I would've liked to meet Brigitte Bardot.... even now.... better late than never!

How I Became Roger Houston

I wasn't always Roger Houston.
I became Roger Houston.

I used to be just Roger,.... or .....Roger(my real first name) and my real last name,.....or,... Mr. 9 To 5,...or...Suavé Roger,...

Later,  when I worked at the Rose, I decided I would give myself a stage name.

The TV camera and news people were there one night, ready to go!

So I just picked name that sounded a bit like my real name (which was how I was being introduced now), and a name that would make you think about cowboys and the wild west ('cause my current costume was a cowboy outfit)

...Roger Houston...

Miami Magazine: Roger Houston

I wish I would've stayed in Miami and not gone home to Chicago.
I left my job at the Crazy Horse Saloon and probably missed out on chances for more work in modeling or whatever.  When I stopped into Winn-Dixie on my way out of Miami, I saw my picture on checkout magazine racks all the way across the front of the store.

I should have stayed in town at least a few more weeks and tried to get in with some modeling agencies.
When I was taking modeling and talent classes with Norma Bryan, she worked with me on my singing.  And I and her other students were in talent shows she put on around Miami.
Norma also got me my first TV commercial that ran on television in Canada.  I had do a number of costume changes for that one. It was an ad for menswear.
Oh well, I guess everything worked out alright.  I continued dancing for many years. And I really loved that job!

I Start Going To The Nudist Colony!

Nudes-a-Poppin, Ponderosa Sun Club, Roselawn, Indiana!
I started going to Nudes-a-Poppin in the '90's.  I think I was there 8 or 9 times.
It was a beauty or physique and dance contest. There were about 30-40 girls and about a dozen guys trying for the titles, trophies, and cash  July and August of every year.  I had a great time going to this fun event.
The audience was large but there were more guys than girls, unfortunately for me and the other male strippers but good for the female strippers, but then, they were the main attraction!
Dancers would come to the stage in groups of three or four at a time to compete.  There were some individual shows...more of the ladies and some of the guys.  I was lucky to do a solo show one time.  I think I did my cowboy act!  My show was good and I even used the pole a little bit (my first time using one!)
I found you could send in for a video tape of the event, and I was looking forward to seeing how I looked that day, but I was disappointed to find out none of the male contest was on the video tape I had sent in for...cost me $30 or so!
Going to Indiana and being in the contest was a nice summer time thing for me...there were actually two contests...one in July and another in August (later it was just once a year)
There were guest celebrities, and Ron Jeremy was the M.C. .......

Some of the guests were Kid Rock, Grandpa Munster, Gunnar Nelson (one of the twin sons of of Ricky Nelson).

I Meet Miss Nude America Friday May 25, 1984

My friend Dave, who originally had the idea to start the Kings Of Hearts dance group after the Rose closed suddenly, and I were hanging around with a couple of girls now and then.  One of the girls, who I knew from the Yoga Temple I'd been going to for years, said she knew Miss Nude America and I should meet her.  Of course I heard of Miss America but not Miss Nude America.  I was intrigued but nothing more happened. Later over a short time the subject was brought up again and again.
Finally I decided to meet Valerie Craft who was also a dancer.

The arrangements were made, and Friday May 25, 1984, three girls came over to my house at around eight.  They came inside and I was introduced to a very cool and attractive chick!  She had on a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and the collar cut a couple inches down to open it up a bit.  It was black and said "Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll".  Valerie had on faded blue jeans with a couple of  small rips or holes.  They fit her slim, shapely body very well.  Her shoes were well-worn low cut boys style gym shoes.

She was friendly and had a nice voice.  I was interested in her right from the start.

We all got into my Dodge Maxi Van and went over to Charlie Club about eight or nine miles away.  This health club was one of the three that I belonged to, and it was open 24 hours a day.  We all started exercising, doing our various routines, and at one point I was resting, sitting in the lounge, looking out over the basketball court down below and across to the mats on the other side,  where Valerie was doing her stretches. She was so flexible. Her arms and legs were going this way and that way and she was doing  something called the Chinese Splits.  I was very impressed!

These Posts Aren't In Order... They're Memories Popping Up!!

I tried to write this blog from oldest to newest....but it's easier and more fun to let the memories just to come to me naturally.

So things might be a little mixed up but it makes sense to me!

I Meet Tempest Storm

Valerie (Valerie Craft Miss Nude America) was working at the Admiral Theater often but now her friend Tempest Storm was doing a week at the Admiral and I took Velerie over there to say hello.
We walked through the door and Valerie asked someone to tell Tempest that she was there.  Tempest sa

id to come right up.  I waited downstairs while the ladies spent some time talking in the dressing room.  After maybe a half-hour they came down and I had the great honor of meeting one of the super stars of Burlesque.  And I was very lucky to walk away that day with a snapshot of me and Tempest Storm!

Valerie And I Almost Freeze In A Joe Pesci Movie

In 1991 they were filming a Joe Pesci movie called Public Eye in Chicago.  Valerie and I were extras.  We nearly froze because it was night time and very cold.  We also weren't dressed warmly.  As we got colder and colder the filming went on and on. My shoes were dress shoes and I had on thin socks.  Valerie had some kind of shoe that wasn't keeping her warm.  She was almost going to just leave in a few more minutes.  Those scenes could go on for a while because of retakes and changes of the camera angles.  Joe Pesci's character was supposed to walk along and then get in a car ( or just the opposite of that!).
Finally the scene was over...but we were freezing!.....(more....)

I Do A Scene With One Of "Charlie's Angels"

Kate Jackson and I were in a scene near a bridge over the Chicago River downtown.  We were supposed to walk on the bridge a few seconds apart. 
We were all alone... The film crew was a hundred feet away!
As we waited for our signal to start walking I decided to speak to her.  I said something like..."Have you been to Chicago before" and "How do you like Chicago?".....(more)....

My Movie Scene With John Goodman ("The Babe")

This was a movie about the great Babe Ruth.  John Goodman was the star and I played a news photographer.  I go into a room where Babe Ruth is going to sign a contract.  Just me and Babe and maybe(?) the owner of the team or a lawyer.  As he signs....I take the picture and the flash bulb lights up the room.
I'm happy....this is great....what a scene!
But later when I see the movie (or part of it),  the contract gets signed and all you see is Babe/John Goodman and a bright flash lighting up the room.....where am I!!!!
Oh well....at least I had fun doing the scene, and earlier John Goodman was so amusing and entertaining as he flubbed some lines and was joking around while they filmed a party dance scene.

I'm In A Made For TV Movie

I walk down the courthouse stairs with my hat in my hand and also carrying the judge's legal papers.  We get into the car and pull away.

The movie was called "The Killing Floor".  It came out in 1984 and it was a true story of Chicago in 1919.  It was shot at the University of Chicago and at the Science and Industry Museum.  It was shown on PBS on their series American Playhouse.
It was about labor unions and the meatpacking business.
In my scene I walk down some stairs leaving a courthouse.  Next to me is the judge who I work for and I'm carrying a binder or leather briefcase and my straw hat and I'm dressed in a suit from that era.
There are people trying to talk to the judge but he doesn't answer.  We get into a waiting car and drive off.
The scene is short but I have enough on-camera time so you can tell it's me!  Most of the time as an extra you just get a couple seconds or so.

(This car is about seven years newer and smaller than the antique 1919 car in the movie)

Roger Houston: Movie And Television Work

We found out one of the dancers had signed up with a talent agency and was getting work, so several of us guys decided we'd give it a try!

We weren't going to be big stars or anything....we were "extras"!  But still I was happy with that.  The first thing I worked on was "The Chicago Story"... a TV series about cops, doctors, and lawyers. They'd  have us come in early in the morning with a couple or so changes of clothes.  Then we'd wait in a room and once even on a bus for our scene

On one show I played a court sketch artist and I drew a picture of the lawyers, one was played by Craig T. Nelson (Coach)!