MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Events

TERRY HAMMOND DEBUT’S AT CHARDEES

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By all accounts, Terry Hammond is the longest-running pianist/singer in LGBT nightlife in Wilton Manors, if not LGBT nightlife in all of Broward County.  Hammond, who has not performed at any LGBT venue in South Florida for several years, debuted at Chardees on the Fourth of July.  And despite the show coinciding with a typically outdoor-centric holiday, many friends and fans came out for it.  One of the first songs that Hammond performed was the title song from the film Where the Boys Are, which was met with cheers of familiarity and a hearty singalong when Hammond reminisced about how the song was the first one that he ever sung at the beloved Marlin Beach Hotel.  Throughout the show, Hammond showcased his humor with comments such as, “The Sun Sentinel had a contest for the best song about Fort Lauderdale.  I submitted this next song for the contest.  And I won… (long pause) a t-shirt.  It didn’t fit then, and it still doesn’t fit.”  Hammond also did his own take on “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music, skillfully delaying his re-written naughty verse until the end of the song.

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

TERRY HAMMOND

Julliard-educated composer & performer Terry Hammond talks about what Judy Garland once told him, the legendary Marlin Beach Hotel, and how he’s poised for the next chapter of his life 

PHOTOGRAPH BY POMPANO BILL

Where did you grow up?  I’m from New Hampshire, but we moved to New York City when I was very young.  My parents saw that I had talent, so we moved there.  I majored in piano at Julliard.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  Since 1979.  Why did you move here?  Before moving here, I was working in TV and Broadway in New York.  I had a two-year stint in Europe, and a friend suggested that we swing by Fort Lauderdale.  I was enchanted with here.  I decided to move here because the notion of having my own home was appealing, and I had friends here.  Also, I believed that my writing skills were of primary importance, and I felt that I could do that anywhere.  Besides, the guys are hotter here than in New York.  What part of South Florida do you live in?  I live in Coral Ridge neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, which is by the intercostal highway.  What do you like most about living here?  There are three things that I like most about living here—the weather, the weather, and the weather.  What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone?  The Marlin Beach Hotel.  It had everything, and that was the very first place that I performed at when I moved here.  Does anyone still remember it?  Where do you hang out in South Florida now?  In my lovely home, which is filled with everything that inspires me and that I love.  But when I need a break, I hop over to Le Boy.

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