August, 1975

HIGH GEAR

AWhirl With The Texas Tornado

As I was en route to my meeting with Ken Whitehead (the real man behind Tiffany Jones), I pondered what kind of person he would be. Flashes of arrogance and selfcenterdness crossed my mind. Someone with that vast a talent just had to be cognizant of his abilities and overly proud of his developed skills. Upon entering his apartment, all my pre-conceptions vanished. A charming and gracious host, Ken made me feel comfortable and relaxed. He was unpretentious, well-educated, and remarkably at ease with himself.

Originally from a small town near Houston, Ken had spent two years at The University of Texas and then transferred to Southwestern Business School where he received a Bachelor's Degree in business administration. After graduation, he was employed by a small stock brokerage firm in Texas whereupon he soon advanced to the Merrill, Lynch, Fenner, and Smith Corporation as a head cashier for two years. It wasn't long thereafter that Ken realized he was making as much as an entertainer as he was working a forty hour week. Since than, he has foresaken the nine-to-five routine. Interestingly, none of Ken's family has ever been involved in show business, and the only formal exposure he has ever had to the stage was a drama class in high school. Ken's story of struggle to the top is a colorful one and perhaps best told through his own voice:

"A year after I graduated From high school, I went to San francisco with a really close friend and the hope of becoming a go-go boy at one of the gay bars. Since we were both good dancers, we got the job on the spot. The place, The Gifford House, was owned by the same person who owned The Gilded Cage, an establishment that was the in-

spot in San Francisco for years and featured people the likes of Charles Pierce who performed there solidly for some six years. At the place next door they had brought in a drag show from Chicago and were short one "girl," so I auditioned for the part and got it as a high-kicker in the background. I looked like a football player. It was fabulous. I have pictures at home. I usually keep all of the pictures of my past. It's such great fun to look back at how you were in the oid days... A big break came for me during the David Contest emceed by Craig Russell in New York. At the time I was working in the Warehouse in Miami. In the audience at the Mr. David Contest were the Emperor and Empress of Portland, Oregon who head a gay society that gives fund-raising events, sponsors balls, etc. to provide different activities for all of the local gays. They function as a mayor would to a city. In any case, I had the oppurtunity to meet them and they flew me to Portland where I performed four numbers at the Emperor and Empress Ball. In the audience were sitting the Emperor and Empress of Vancouver who flew me to Canada where some folks from San Francisco asked me to do a Mr. Circus contest for crippled people in front of some 2500 spectators in California Hill. Then my absolutely biggest break came from Jack Campbell who introduced me to the Club Baths. I soon moved to Miami and last year we did the Club Baths Tour searching for the national Mr. Club Baths. And that's where I am today."

On the subject of preparation for the show, Ken says: "I try to select material that the majority of the

By JOHN NOSEK

crowd will like. I don't do slow and downbeat numbers. I learned in New York that you can't always be serious. If I was to be serious on stage all the time, it would just be pantomime, and I'd probably not get much of a response. People might I think I was trying to be beautiful and a self-proclaimed vamp. That's why inject comedy into the routine. People love to laugh because it makes them feel good. That's what's so great about Cleveland. Cleveland has its own gay life style. If you're from a bigger city like Houston, Miami, or New York that has drag all the time, you get pretty used to it. With Cleveland, I can pull out old material that I've worn out in other cities and still get a great response because of the terrific attitude of most Clevelanders. So the material really varies from city to city. For the bigger towns I have to be more selective, since I do just pantomime. Charles Pierce and Michael Greer who do live performances with three piece bands and have appeared in movies like The Gay Deceivers and Fortune In Men's Eyes play, in the larger cities and are just fantastic. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say, they're my idols. Incidentally, Greer was also on The Bobbi Gentry Show last summer, and Charles Pierce is going to Europe... Right now, I'm working on doing live numbers myself. I think I have the ability to do it. In the future, I hope to be taking dancing and singing lessons as well.

So far as picking people for the revue goes, Daphne Delight and Josephine Baker were in my show in Miami, so I brought them here. Daphne wanted to be a serious sex symbol. He wasn't into comedy so I suggested he try it, and it appears to be effective. Again, the people want it. If it works, why not do it. I don't really put in many hours of practice for the show. I mostly merorize the words to songs at home. We rehearse the program for proper lighting effects, maybe once, especially for the group presentations.

I love to work for a small bar, because the people are there primarily to see the show. They get into it. When you can see the smiles on people's faces and their appreciation, it really gets you off. It may sound contrived, because I say it all the time., but truthfully, Cleveland has been the most receptive on my tour. People have really been great to me here. Toronto comes in as a close second. In Pittsburgh and Toledo they weren't as responsive. their attitude is,

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'What's so different about har? What's she got that nobody else has?" On his personal life, Ken says: I'm not a drag person though I love to do drag for entertainment purposes. I really enjoy being a guy I just wish more people would realize I'm not a drag queen. I'll go to the baths, and people will compliment me on the show. Meanwhile, I'm standing there half-nude maybe with a hard-on,and it doesn't click with them that I'm a man now All they can think is 'drag queen.' I I tell someone, say at the bars, that I do drag for a living, I'd guess 3.4 of the people would turn and walk away from me, even if they were sexually attracted to me beforehand..."

On drags and their appeal to gays, Ken remarks, "If a person wants to be a drag and hustle, it's O.K. by me, so long as they're happy and doing what's cool for them. I bet at least half of the gay population at one time or another I would love to see what they would look like in drag. In fact, I think much of the hostility toward drags is because they think it will affect their masculinity... I admire a beautiful woman (or man). When I do the shows, my intention is not to put women down. It's all an act, and I don't mean to offend anyone."

On politics, Ken relfects, "I've never been deeply into politics. I've? had too many family concerns plus social activities that I guess I just never had the time or interest. I've participated in fund-raising showslike the one for the New Orleans fire disaster, but outside of enter: tainment, I'm not generally involved, though I think it's fine for other gays to be active."

Some final comments: "I don't believe in natural talent. One becomes good through self-discipline. There are so many people who can be beautiful on stage if they really have the desire to be. In conclusion, I'd just like to say that truly enjoy what I'm doing, yet when you come right down to it, though it may be fun to be Tiffany Jones, it's much more fun to be Ken Whitehead!"

With that, my interview drew to a close, and as I drove home, I couldn't help but feel that I had just talked to a person who was in store for a bright future. Ken's confdence, enthusiasm, and amiability were refreshing but it was his sense of commitment that left the deepest impression. If you haven't seen the Tiffany Jones Revue yet catch it before Ken leaves town at the end of August. The show is spiced with laughs, extravagant costumes, and a very warm and talented individual.

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