And now on to 2017!

We hope you all had a great holiday season. We certainly brought their friends and family to our last two “holiday shows” (so many that we could barely move!) and we also did some very nice holiday parties including a new years party at la Canada Flintridge Country Club in which they had a “candy bar”!

And Roxy loves her candy bars!

The year ended on a sad note with the loss of George Michaels, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds and that just added to all of the other great entertainers that we lost on 2016. I have spent many hours listening this year to David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Leonard Cohen, Sharon Jones and Prince and it reminded me of many, many years ago when Minnie Ripperton died and I binged on her music for days. I have spent four days listening to George Michaels music (so much good stuff!), wore a Star Wars t-shirt to bingo last week in honor of Carrie Fisher and watched “Singing In The Rain” last night in honor of Debbie Reynolds. Tonight I plan to watch “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” just for one more fix. But please, no more deaths- I have work to do.

Anyway, I promised a “best of” 2016 and then I changed my mind.

I decided instead of doing a 2016 recap, I would go back even further. Ten years to be exact. To the year 2006. When I began looking at the photos I couldn’t believe how things have really stayed the same all of these years! I know, I know, I look exactly the same but also the fun, the faces, the charities, the celebs- still happening and it all seems exactly the same! Okay, maybe even better.

This year I introduced “Drag Queen Bingo: The Home Game” and it has been a wonderful experience. Took a lot of work and money but each time someone tells me how much fun they and their friends and family have had playing the game at home, I am honored and thrilled. Also on a side note, the game has been used for some good causes. I was able to donate a couple of cases to the hospital in Florida where the Pulse Nightclub survivors were recovering (so that they would have something uplifting to share with visitors) and the game is also used as a treatment tool at a memory care facility in Burbank for the patients! Additionally the parents of a trans pre-teen play it as a family to show support. Awesome!

So here we go, a look back at the year 2006. George W. Bush was the president and that 2006 was the year that Donald Trump told Howard Stern that it was okay for him to call Trump’s daughter Ivanka “a piece of ass.”

Look how far we’ve come in 10 years!

February 2006- Jerri Manthey of “Survivor” is our guest at Legendary Bingo in Orange County (did you know there used to be a Hamburger Mary’s in OC?) with Jewels as the hostess. Jerri is now a private chef with a huge clientele!

In 2006 we also traveled out to Palm Springs to the local Hamburger Mary’s and did bingo once or twice a month (that location is now closed too). Lots  of fun. At that time, The Fabulous Belle Aire was my only bingo hostess. On the right is Ann Walker of “Sordid Lives.” In the middle is a crazy guy named (I think) Michael who used to come to bingo in drag.

Back in WeHo in May of 2006, we had an incredible Dolly Parton impersonator as our guest. People actually thought she was the real Dolly and I did not correct them. Maybe some day???

Also in May-

Not an impersonator. The real Anna Nicole Smith. It was a surreal night and she was wonderful, taking photos with everyone and calling bingo like a pro. We made the tabloids after that night but you will have to look it up.

Wait I just noticed Christmas decorations on the wall behind them. Maybe this wasn’t May after all. Or maybe Mary’s kept the decorations up for months. Who knows. Let’s just skip the “month” part from now on.

At some point in 2006 we did a huge party at the estate of John Paul Mitchell who owns (or owned) the Paul Mitchell hair care line. It was a retro 70’s party and this guy was the dj. His name was Eddie and I can’t believe I remembered that.

We also did a party for APLA in Eric McCormack’s backyard. If you look to the right you can see actor Andy Garcia playing bingo. He called a false bingo and then got angry and wadded up all of his bingo cards and threw them at us. He is a bit scary so we just stood there and smiled.

Okay “people of a certain age.” This is Karen Valentine of “Room 222.” I had such a crush (as a very young boy) on her so it was amazing to meet her. I know this was October because I am in a Halloween costume (a rare thing) dressed as a character from “Jackass.” I had also heard that Ms. Valentine was attracted to bad boys so…

This little guy was at one of our Sierra Madre Rose Float bingo nights. Why do I show this? Because this kids is now 11 years old and still comes twice a year to the events! Man, I am old!

In 2006 they came out with a 25 year anniversary edition of “Mommie Dearest” and we headed back out to Palm Springs with our very own Joan Crawford impersonator for a special show with “Mommie Dearest” prizes! We gave away wire hangers, an ax, a swim cap, some Comet, bed restraints, vodka, a raw steak and….well, actually none of those things but now I realize that would have been a great idea. Damn hindsight.

Another “blast from the past for those of a certain age.” Pamela Sue Martin of “Dynasty”! She was also in “The Poseidon Adventure” and “Nancy Drew Mysteries”! Do you remember which other cast member of “The Poseidon Adventure” we had a Legendary Bingo?

Answer: Stella Stevens

Well, I think that is enough for now. I have to go and get ready for bingo this week. One show on Wednesday night and then back to our regular schedule on Sunday. Also…

WE ARE AT GRAND CENTRAL MARKET THIS THURSDAY NIGHT!

Our first of the year and we are looking forward to getting back with our DTLA friends!

Thank you for another great year and we look forward to this, our 19th year raising money for great causes, spanking bad bingo players, yelling, screaming and pelting!

xo

Bingo Boy, Willam, Roxy, Calpernia, Deven, Joel & Ingenue!

Don’t forget to print out your DOUBLE GAME COUPON below!

And see you this week at BINGO!

xo

Bingo Boy