MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

ADAM BARTA

The world is on fire listening to the single and watching the video for Adam Barta’s smash hit with Tan Mom, “Free 2 Be Me.”  But stars must also keep up their appearances.  You’ll never guess who Barta wants to get lipo from.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SYUJI HONDA

By Mike Jeknavorian

Where did you grow up?  In the Bronx.  I’m New York born and raised!  What do you miss about it there?  I have so many wonderful memories with my mom there.  So, more than anything, I miss our Sunday brunches and shopping trips.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  About two and a half years.  Why did you move here?  Because I have tons of family here, for the warm weather, and for the more relaxed lifestyle.  I’m a senior citizen at heart (laughs).  What part of South Florida do you live in?  Port St. Lucie.  What do you like most about living here?  The fact that I can swim in my pool in the middle of January!  What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone?  The Saint!  That probably dates me (laughs), but it’s where I had my first gay kiss.  Where do you hang out in South Florida?  I love Rosie’s—the “Big Helga” is my favorite appetizer of all time.  Wilton in general is a ton of fun.  Clematis for dinner, or even Jensen Beach in Port St. Lucie. 

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What’s your claim-to-fame?  That depends on who you ask, but it could be as a Billboard chart-topping musician, or as a reality star, or as a guest on the Howard Stern Show!  Which one of your old jobs least prepared you for what you do now?  Doing proposals at IBM.  Who’s your favorite pop star?  Lady Gaga.  Who’s your favorite songwriter?  That’s also Gaga.  If God were to take you tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered?  I would like to tell them I was more than just a great set of boobs.  I was also an incredible pair of legs.  What do you want to live long enough to see?  Myself on my own reality TV franchise.  Will you ever retire?  Yeah, when I’m dead!  What’s the weirdest question that a fan’s asked you?  What my biggest fetish was.  What other celebrity did you act like a “fan” around?  Traci Lords.  Even though we’re friends, she’s an icon!  What’s the last thing that you looked at online?  Tumblr, but not for long.  What’s the best place that you’ve visited?  I love Chicago.  Who would play you in a movie?  Zac Efron, or Fred from Nickelodeon.

What are you superstitious about?  Nothing, really.  I believe in actions more than superstitions.  Do you believe in aliens?  Yes!  And if they ever abduct me, all I ask is that they just give me some lipo before they return me.  What’s the gayest concert that you ever went to?  The Night of a 1,000 Queens.  What’s the most times that you watched a movie or read a book?  I’ve seen the movie Clue probably easily over 100 times.  What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older? Patience.  What did you learn from your parents?  The value of hard work, and to never give up.  Who’s your favorite performer?  RuPaul.  What’s your best characteristic?  My work ethic, my loyalty, and my perseverance.  How do you enjoy spending your time?  With my family, with my boyfriend, and with my friends.  Oh, and eating.  What celebrity do you have a crush on?  Ryan Phillippe.  Who do you admire?  Marti Gould Cummings.  If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be?  My mom. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY SYUJI HONDA

Where would you go in a time machine?  To see my mom on a Christmas past.  What would your last meal be?  Ravioli a la vodka.  What do you worry about?  Falling short, and not making money.  What are you afraid of?  Death.  If you were a musical instrument, what would you be?  A rock guitar.  Are you more like a sheep or a wolf?  A wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Who depends on you?  My family and boyfriend.  Who are you closest with?  My boyfriend, my aunts, and my best friends.  What would your autobiography be called?  To Vodka, Thanks For Everything—Adam Barta.  What’s on your bucket list?  Scuba diving.  What’s your greatest regret in life?  Not meeting Gaga when I had the opportunity.  And I had it three times.  What’s something secretive about you that people don’t know?  It wouldn’t be a secret then if I told you! Where can we see you?  You can follow me on Instagram, or you can see me on my website!

 

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

POMPANO BILL

At almost 92-years-young, Pompano Bill discusses the joys of life, his crushes, and how he made—and continues to make—a unique contribution to South Florida’s LGBT community

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID WESSIN

Where did you grow up?  I’m still working on that.  However, I grew up in Norway, Michigan, which is in the upper peninsula of the state.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  Full-time?  Since 1987.  Which, at 91 years-of-age, is not long enough.  Why did you move here?  It was easy to leave La La Land.  What part of South Florida do you live in?  I live very close to gay Wilton Manors.  What do you like most about living here?  I like most of the community.  I like the weather, too.  What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone?  I’m old, you know, so I don’t really go out at night.  I used to love the Sunday tea dance at the old Sea Monster.  Where do you hang out in South Florida now, and why?  I like Rosie’s because the service is consistent.  I have lunch there about three or four times a week.  What’s your claim-to-fame?  I’m not famous, but I do enjoy being “known.”  I became adept at “profiling” people.  I was the first one around here who took headshots of people, and I named them—with the first name only—in the caption.  I also made sure that seniors got published, too.  I focused on the entire community, not just the bare-chested crowd.

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What’s the last thing that you looked at online?  I don’t recall.  And I don’t have time for Facebook.  What’s the last thing that you watched on TV?  The Late Show, with Stephen Colbert—he’s “real.”  And then I go to bed.  What’s the best place that you’ve visited, and why?  “Place” has many meanings.  However, I enjoyed visiting people along the California coast, my four trips to Italy, and the two gay cruises that I took.  How do you most enjoy spending your time?  That’s a difficult question.  I enjoy spending time with people who I like.  What celebrity would you like to sleep with?  Only one?!  Currently, John Krasinski.  What two historical figures would be your ideal parents?  I can’t think of any.  Most have skeletons in their closets.  If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be, and why?  Abraham Lincoln.  The “why” is obvious.

PHOTOGRAPH BY POMPANO BILL

Where would you go in a time machine, and why?  I’d go forward, to 2020.  I’m hoping… really hoping.  What would your last meal be?  Hopefully, not before an execution.  Lasagna and a salad would be nice.  What do you worry about?  The country… the world… the planet.  Are you more like a sheep or a wolf?  Baaaaaa!  Who do you depend on?  As few people as possible.  But every morning, my good friends John and Michael—who I’ve known for over forty years—call me at 9:30 to make sure that I’m not room temperature.  I also don’t drive anymore.  If I go somewhere, it has to be Driving Miss Daisy.  Who are you closest with?  Good friends, first.  You can choose your friends.  Family is second.  What would your autobiography be called?  Things in my Head.  What’s your greatest regret in life?  Not having one lifelong person to love.  Tell me something that you’ve never told anyone else.  It’s still a secret.  You might be a blabbermouth.

Pompano Bill’s weekly column, “Outlook,” can be seen in Hotspots Magazine.