Saints And Sinners More Pictures ...*(updated Aug. 30)*...

Some of my favorite songs to dance to: "We Are Family","Super Freak", "Give It To Me Baby".......

Saints And Sinners Pictures And More ..*(updated Nov. 8)*

Saints And Sinners was a nightclub out in Willow Springs near the Des Plaines River and the old I&M Canal.  The club  was tucked  into a little opening in the forest between a haunted cemetery and more forest!  The forest was very nice but the cemetery was not as nice because a ghost named "Resurrection Mary" would be out on Archer Avenue waiting by the side of the road wearing a prom dress...people would give her a ride and she was very quiet and when they got to the cemetery she wanted get out there, and as she appeared to float along she disappeared!  The legend says she had died on prom night!

The first floor had a bar and a dance floor and live music and records.  The second floor had a banquet or party room.  We danced in this room to 45rpm records and one of guys brought his wife who would spin records and work the colored lights by flipping the switches on and off!  And if the girl wasn't there us guys would do music and lights.  It actually worked out pretty well.  The girls just wanted to see us guys and we wanted to put on a good show!  The stage was no more than 9 or 10 feet square, but we were in the audience close up most of the time after about the first five minutes.  Our dressing room was a small washroom a few feet from the stage.  Usually only one or two dancers would be in there at a time.  The others would out of the lighted area sitting down watching the fun or just relaxing.  One guy would be the M.C.  We had some good times at Saints And Sinners.  Lotta girls and a lot were regulars, lotta laughing and a lotta happy screaming!

Hurrying In The Rain To Get To Saints and Sinners I Crash The Car!

After a nice trip north in my van I was home.  I spent some time with my family and friends and did the usual summer stuff. I some how found out about Saints And Sinners and made plans to work there, but on the way to meet with someone from the club I skidded in the rain and hit a traffic light as I started to turn right.  The lower part of the light had a some damage but my van was smashed on the right corner.  So anyway dancing was not happening for awhile.  Of course I was disappointed,  but after three weeks or so everything was back to normal and I got the job.

Leaving The Crazy Horse Saloon

It was great dancing at the Crazy Horse Saloon but it was time to go home.  I had been living in South Florida for eight or nine months.  I met a lot of wonderful people and had good friends...some buddies and girlfriends!
If I was smart I should have stayed because my magazine cover was all over Miami.  I might have had a good chance for more modeling jobs.  If I could do it over I would've contacted  some agencies.  Dancing was nice but maybe there was something bigger for me.
A while before all the dancing I worked at a health food restaurant in downtown Miami and met a pretty girl named  Stephanie who was a customer.  We ended up going out a couple times and after I mentioned modeling she said I should meet her mother who taught a class in modeling at one of the high schools in the area.  (I had visited and stayed in Miami for weeks and months at a time).  So the next time I left Chicago to go to Florida I ended up in a class at night school with Norma Bryan.  I learned a lot from her and she worked with me on my singing.  I was in two or  three talent and modeling shows and even got a TV commercial!  I was very lucky to know this great lady.
But I started dancing and liked it and I wanted to go back home!
So I did and things worked out OK!
I kept my eyes and ears open and sure enough I was dancing again...this time it was in a club in the SW suburbs of Chicago.
My next job was in Willow Springs at a place called Saints And Sinners! ...SAINTS AND SINNERS!!!

Crazy Horse...Free $$$!!!

I had to take a day or two to go to Memphis to help a friend with a legal matter.
I had a free ticket waiting for me at the airport and I flew north. I took care of business and was going to fly back.  I got to where I was supposed to board the plane.  I was cutting it close, but I guess too close, because they told the plane was filled and I'd have to take the next flight!  Darn!  But they told they'd compensate me.  Oh?!  They gave me a little over 200 bucks!!
So I went outside and walked around and waited for a couple hours.  When I came back I decided to be the last in line to see if I could double my winnings!
BINGO!  It happened again!  Over $200 more!  A little over $400 free and legal!  I'm an honest guy and just was last in line twice and got lucky twice.
So I waited again and took the next jet and had a very, very nice flight back to Miami!  I was a very happy guy!
And now back to the Crazy Horse..."back to the grind".
..or in my case, back to the "Bump and Grind"!!

Crazy Horse...Bob Dylan Concert

I'm a huge fan of Bob Dylan, so in late 1978 I took a few hours off from the club to go to a concert about 20 miles away.  I had a real good time.  I had been to a few Bob Dylan shows before.  I even called my buddy Jim in Iowa to kind of share the experience with him. I must been on that payphone  for 45 minutes  at least.We went many concerts and rock festivals together with girlfriends, wives,  and other guys in the old days. ...And when I got back around 1am, I wore my new souvenir Bob Dylan t-shirt as part of my dance costume!

Magazines, Newspapers, Etcetera

Crazy Horse Party

One Sunday afternoon there was a party given by guys who worked at the Crazy Horse Saloon.  There were two or three that rented a house near the club. They were a doorman or two, and a waiter or two, or maybe a bouncer.
Anyway it was a small yard party with some of the dancers and some girls who were "regulars".  Some drinks and some food and music!  This lady who liked me named Rae was there and she took some pictures like she did at the beach before (this actually might've happened the same Sunday , but I can't say for sure. But I do notice there's some different people present, it's also possible the beach and the party could've happened on a Saturday because we didn't have to be at the club till 7 or 7:30.  The show started at 8.

Crazy Horse Guys Go To The Beach

Sunday was our day off and we went to the beach one Sunday to pass out some flyers for our show at the Crazy Horse.  It was a lovely, sunny South Florida day like always!  Several of us + a couple of girlfriends got into a car or two or three and went to South Beach.  We put down blankets and towels and swam and drank beer and pop and ate snacks and did even pass out some flyers.  We threw some Frisbee and played some guitar and juggled a bit and took a few pictures and had a good time.  It was fun day off for sure!

A Flip And A Crash At The Crazy Horse Saloon

There was this new guy who started working. His name was Michael.  He was a pretty good dancer.  Everything was OK for a while, but he wanted to do something special and decided to add a backflip to his act.  I can't remember if he did a good flip or two and then it didn't work so well or it turned ugly right away....but I was in the dressing room and heard a loud crash.  Michael had flipped too hard and was headed for a hard landing.  Some how he didn't hit the floor but leaped over the narrow aisle around the square upraised stage and hit the mirrored wall.  Well, Helene the bartender was in the bar on the other side of the wall and a bunch of bottles fell and almost hit her.  There was a lot of broken glass and a lot of liquor gone.
Stan was really mad and fired Michael.
A day or two later Michael was back...the boss forgave him but said it would come out of his paycheck!