Do you mind if I ask you how old you are? I’m 74, I’m 65
00:04
75 I’m 62. Do you ever look back at photographs of yourself? Yes. Yes, not really
00:09
I’m gonna show you pictures of your younger selves and get your response to them
00:13
Okay. Okay. Let’s go for it. Oh
00:19
That’s cute
00:20
these men are so cute
00:23
i love them
00:25
Where my head was bigger than the rest of me. And what’s happening in the picture. I was two how do I remember?
00:31
So that’s our little sailor. Uh-huh. I’m either three or four years old. Did your mother take you to a professional photographer?
00:39
Yeah. back then, when there weren’t as many cameras around.
00:42
and he still has hair
00:44
I think that can be said for all of us. Were you always bald? Was I? I don’t know that first picture of you was
00:54
that must be
00:55
sweet little old
00:56
innocent thing
00:58
You’re squiting. Waiting. You had to use the restroom. I didn’t like having pictures taken at me when I was little this was
01:06
1945 right after World War Two what a time to be alive
01:13
It was then not during the war. And you were a towhead?
01:18
Yeah, what’s the towhead? a blonde almost platinum Nordic looking? Were you a large child?
01:24
No, never chunky there was baby fat in the early years, but that wore off pretty fast. Is that you Mick?
01:32
No, it’s not me. Okay. I’m just grinning. It’s me in Palm Springs in
01:38
1954 that’s the road out there. There’s no gate or anything else. The cars just pulled up. What and no wall?
01:44
No protection from the street at all. And did you end up diving or is it just for show? just for show
01:49
He wasn’t gonna mess that hair up. No. Oh
01:53
Handsome. I had hair. Yeah you had some but it was awfully short
01:58
We kept it that way. Your whole life? it was pre afro. What year was that?
02:02
Whenever I was 16 count back 53 plus 16 what years that? 43 plus 16 would be… 53!
02:10
oh, that’s you
02:12
Look at that jawbone, you had hair too – that was my senior prom
02:17
Probably the last time in my life, there was a girl standing to my left. Did you know that you were gay at that time?
02:25
Oh Yeah, I had had my first gay experience about four or five years before that when I was around 12
02:33
That’s another one. You look so football-ish. Yeah, you look like a real jock. Do I? I was pretty queer
02:40
I did go out to football for one
02:43
Practice and I got tackled. The next day I joined the band
02:49
Much safer
02:51
Ohhh, we know who that is
02:53
What is that you? yes, I was 20. I’ve lived on the oceanfront with a man who was 25 years older than myself
03:01
This was a Polaroid he did for an oil portrait he was painting of me. I bet you had a good time?
03:07
Yep, but if I knew then what I knew now
03:11
Nobody would be safe. Oh
03:13
That’s Bill again. Of course, it is. Look at that jacket, babe you working it!
03:18
No! how old were you? I was 21. You look older there. You look like a used car salesman
03:27
Yeah, well I was in the men’s clothing business at the time. Is that one of your clothing attires you sold?
03:35
Yes, well, I remember when plaid was big. Oh, I had it too. Everyone had Indian madras shirts. It was the thing. Wow
03:43
That’s Mr. Mick. You could have stood in for James Dean. This was my first photo shoot taken in
03:51
1981 so I would be 25 ha ha
03:55
Now, he’s really smiling. At that time they were going for the blonde blue-eyed
04:00
That’s why I didn’t make it. I came out here to be a movie star which didn’t happen
04:07
We’ll see little late no, I it’s not late until you dead! that’s it now you look very athletic
04:15
There I was I played baseball and ran track. Did you dance acrobatic type dancing?
04:21
Not then no I was a good church boy and oh, we didn’t do that. Oh, oh I can still do that look. You can?
04:29
with the hair if I go and purchase some
04:34
Oh my God! Jiminy Christmas
04:36
That’s what I expect. That’s Mr. Man. Don’t tell me that was the same year
04:42
No, this was taken in 1991. So I would have been 35. I has abs then. six pack? I had a six pack
04:50
I wanted one of those? Oh
04:53
I guess you don’t have swim trunks on do you? the photographer did a beautiful job?
04:57
He had a good eye because he just caught everything except one thing
05:04
Yes, you had to ask? Wasn’t the first time
05:09
In show business, it means getting your kit off
05:14
No. It’s not me anymore. It’s that photo of a person at that time
05:19
Ah that’s Bob! Bad hair day?
05:22
You said you never did drag before? Well, I’m this is a clown. You look so innocent there. I know
05:30
I was! Ahh!
05:33
The lady rains forty years old. I love being a blonde those spaghetti straps
05:39
Just hanging down and that cleavage. Just you know. Painted in?!
05:44
You paint it to make it look deeper Oh
05:47
RuPaul, where are you when we need you. Did other people beat you you look beat for the gods. That’s for sure
05:54
You notice how we’re picking up the gay jargon?
06:01
It’s fun looking back and seeing from where we have come and how we have grown and how we’ve changed
06:09
Over the years. Yeah
06:11
Physically, the four of us have taken different paths and now we’re here.
06:17
Lucky to still be here to look at them. Amen. Almost
06:22
Everybody in the pictures I was looking at are dead now and I’m the only one who’s alive
06:28
I mean when I was growing up, I thought I’d be dead by 40 and now it’s 74
06:33
I’m just I’m amazed. Do you have any advice off for younger gays?
06:37
Live, enjoy life, don’t take it for granted, but laugh. Keep the laughter because it makes you young
06:45
Keep yourself around younger people because we’re learning from each other. and don’t take yourself too seriously
06:51
Relax, have a good time. Smile life’s fun
06:54
The younger people will get very disturbed about some little something that’ll go wrong
07:01
But in the perspective of your life, it’s such a little speck
07:06
It doesn’t have that much meaning so get over it. Move on
07:13
Thank you for sharing with me today my brothers, thank you. You’re welcome. It’s been fun. Good
Up next
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