I know I'm going to start this list and forget some, but of the ones that were close personal friends, and/or worked for me at a Dr.
CHICAGO GAY BAR WITH BACK ROOM FULL
'There are many faces that made my life in Chicago such a wonderful and full experience. Groups of friends, Gretta, Vern Mershon, Steve Allman, Jamie Kohn, myself, RJ, and others would go every summer up to Douglas Dunes in Saugatuck for a mini retreat and a week of putt-putt golf, firework displays and other non-city activities. The gang was either at Rod's in Madison or Douglas Dunes. I think he worked with the Chuck Renslow/Rodocker group, or Eddie Dugan, but somehow, I'm remembering Renslow because he and Gary Chichester, 'Gretta', were roommates and Gary worked for Renslow. A very sweet boy that grew up very quickly and sadly passed away so very young. He was a founding member of the Loading Dock softball team, loved all sports, especially college basketball, and became one of the customers' more popular bartenders. I believe he also filled in for us at the Loading Dock, on weekends. He found a partner shortly after starting his stint behind the bar, and was still working for Dr. I believe he had once studied in Jesuit college or seminary and his coming out was quite an event on top on his moving to Chicago and then working in a busy Chicago gay bar.
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he was a young, tall kid I hired at the Men's Room, I think from Kansas (no Dorothy puns here) or Nebraska. He was the only disc jockey I knew that had that type of musical magic over the 200 leathermen jammed on the Ozone dance floor dancing in unison like animals, instead of just wearing them. He could make a room full of leather-clad men, more suited for a night of intimate cruising, throw off their chaps and dance like contestants-in-waiting for Dance Fever.
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All I can say about Mark, or Turtle, as his friends called him, was when he was on, he was the best disc jockey of that time. 'Mark Hultmark was the DJ at Ozone and then for a time at Christopher Street I believe, or the bar incarnation after C-Street.
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