When Roxy [Roc Neuhardt] left the Hoyt Hotel, he worked a few weeks at the Demas Tavern but then found a place where he could use his choreography/dance skills and that was at Sonny’s. His first year [1970] the advertising only listed him as a triple threat, “created, directed, staged by Roc Neuhardt”. He also became partners with Walter W Cole/Darcelle and enlisted Walter to costume the girls where the advertising added ‘wardrobe by Walter” [1971]- and as you can see, they did have some costumes, very reminiscent of various Gracie Hansen Hoyt Hotel and even the ‘62 Worlds Fair styles. He remained working there for two years until the place closed down. [For more on Roc Neuhardt go to Pioneers]

Per “Looking from my mirror” by donnie and Walter W Cole, “With Gracie making her move away from the Hoyt and running for Governor, things started getting shaky on who was really running operations. Roc’s job was up in the air, having nowhere to work, so I hired him as a server. Well, that didn’t last long – his talents lay in show business – why he couldn’t tell the difference between a beer or a glass of wine. Fortunately, he landed a job at Sonny’s – it was a female strip club owned by Sonny Teran, who right after he got the job, died and was now run by his widow, Margie, and his son. Sonny was the first club owner to bring Portland a topless dancer, the first to offer “topless luncheons, and the first to have topless shoeshine girls.” Advertisements in late ’69 said “Portland’s only topless production featuring the Northwest’s 1st topless band. Come where the action is! All blonde showgirls and this one I laugh at now, “First time west of Chicago that the Psychedelic Lights have been shown!” How did they think that would bring in men that wanted to see tits and ass – I’ll never know.

Sonny’s dream with bringing Roc on board was to develop a show that they could be taken to Las Vegas – which Roc knew a lot about, right? They worked hard developing a unison strip with four girls.

Roc directed and choreographed the numbers, and I made the costumes. Oh, and when I say costumes, they were G-strings with fake hair, so it looked like they were wearing nothing and letting it all hangout and their tits were covered with latex stuff that made them look like they were nude.

JR needed a job, and well, Roc needed someone to run sound so, even though my son JR was underage, somehow Roc managed to sneak him in. Since JR was too young to drive, Roc and I would drive out to the house on 168th and pick him up in my little square-back Volkswagen. JR would come out to the car, and off we went – Roc never went into the house at that time – I wasn’t ready for that kind of confrontation or conversation. I mean really, in this neighborhood where we had lived for all these years – I didn’t want gossip to start or make a big deal – I was trying to protect both my family and my relationship with Roc. Really, I don’t ever recall a ‘dinner conversation’ about gays or homosexuals with any Girl Scout parents or our neighbors. Let’s face it, in this neighborhood, it was as white as white bread could be, I think there was one Mulatto boy, but still – basically white, straight, families. East County back then was in a bubble, and maybe not in a good way. As for JR and his “Sonny” adventure - boy, did he brag about being there to all his high school friends?

And during this time, we decided to take our lives out into various circles – our circles. It’s October 31, 1970, and we are going to a Halloween Party at the Hoyt. I definitely would be more of Darcelle than Walter – I was growing comfortable in my skin, and it felt good. Roc was there all the way – he was my partner in the bedroom, at the tavern, and in my life – I could count on that.

It was all coming together – then Sonny died. Roc stayed at Sonny’s from 1970 to 1971. It started off pretty grand. Roc planned and debuted the first simulated live sex act on stage in Portland. During this time, Roc who had gone back for a short run at the Hoyt came home one day where he said that Gracie had just announced she was leaving. Her final day would be February 15, 1971.

BAKER’S DOZEN, The Oregon Journal newspaper, April 8, 1971 “Bottomless Talent Lack at New Topless Opening”.