Sitting high in the Platinum club DJ compartment overlooking the bar, the stages, and everyone in the room is Jesse surrounded by sound equipment and panels from which he can control the club's lighting. Some DJ's blend in, changing their music, while unobtrusively working in the background, practically unnoticed by the club's patrons.

Then there's Jesse, cracking jokes, calling out to the club's better known patrons, as everyone looks up at him, wondering, "Now who is the hell is he harassing now?" Few moments later he dismounts from his platform, strides quickly across the room, greeting everyone in sight, then gets on with "God knows what" because he's always full of surprises.

Now that's a good DJ. Quiet, sky guys need not apply. To really be worth your salt in this business you need to be a "character". Better yet is to be the kind of guy people want to come in and see and listen to even if there's tons of gorgeous women running around half naked. A man like this, he's worth his weight in gold. Vital, pivotal part of the total club experience.

Jesse's got a Harley. For some this might seem to be the in thing to have. But Jesse's Harley is no ordinary Harley which reflects the tastes of a man who is individualistic to the core. Liking Jesse from the first moment I met him, I ended up calling him for the following interview. We started talking about his Harley.

Jack Corbett------------"Jesse, you were telling me before about your Harley. Not exactly ordinary is it? What model do you have?"

Jesse--------"It's a 1995 Fat Boy. Expensive paint job. The fly wheel's shaved and balanced. Has a close ratio transmission and a hot cam."

Jack Corbett--------"That should give it a lot more horsepower. What does the stock model have compared to yours?"

Jesse--------"Normally a Harley like mine has around 72 horsepower at the rear wheel. Mine produces around 95."

Jack---------"Had any motorcycles before it, Jesse? I've had half a dozen bikes myself."

Jesse---------"I"ve had a couple including a Sportster but I got this one for traveling."

Jack--------"Any trips planned in the near future?"

Jesse--------"I'm going to make it to Sturgis this summer. Then out East later on. We are going to hit a lot of concerts out

 there."

Jack--------"I've been to Sturgis. It's close to Deadwood, South Dakota. There were thousands of motorcycles out there then for that annual motorcycle run. How many do you think we will be there Jesse?"

Jesse--------"Hundreds of thousands. I don't even know. Tons of them. It's the biggest festival of its kind."

Jack--------"I have no idea how many I saw. Motorcycle riders in all the bars throughout the area. Roads jammed full of motorcycles like locusts. How many miles do you think you will be driving this year on your Harley?"

Jesse--------"Around 10000. All highway miles."

Jack--------"That's a lot of miles on a bike," I replied thinking that tires often have to be replaced every 5000 miles or so on a street bike. By the way, how long have you worked at Visions?"

Jesse------"I've been at Visions for 10 months."

Jack-------"And you are from Missoula, Montana. How in the hell did you end up way over here?"

Jesse------"I was living in Columbia, Missouri which is not too far from here."

Jack------"Did you go to University of Missouri?"

Jesse-----"No. I went to Oklahoma University."

Jack-------"What was your major?"

Jesse------"Psychology."

Jack-------"Then what landed you in Columbia?"

Jesse-----"Much of my family is in the St Louis area. This is definitely my wood pile."

Jack-------"What got you involved with strippers in the first place?"

Jesse--------"In Columbia I got involved with this guy who owned a local strip club called Vogue. He also owned a tatoo shop. I auditioned and was there for 2 years."

Jack-------"How did you start working for Visions?"

Jesse--------I got hired as a disk jockey at PT's but they wanted me to cut my hair and there was no way. Then I interviewed at Platinum club in Brooklyn and accidentally gave Ron the wrong phone number so he couldn't get hold of me to tell me what my schedule was."

Jack------"I know Ron," I replied, remembering a few times I watched and listened to him at Platinum. Then several years ago when I was with Lori Mellon who was stripping there and Lori and I almost got into a fight with a guy when Ron and another large black man stepped between us. Much later I would see Ron making the rounds at Dollies and other strip clubs in the area. "Do you like working at Visions, Jesse?"

Jesse--------"It's a great place to work for. I'm glad I'm here. There's no problems. None of the infighting you have at many other clubs."

Jack--------"Anyone here you want to talk about, Jesse?"

Jesse-------"Charles and Charlie are great. As managers they really take care of things and we all get along outside the club where we often get together."

Jack-------"How about Bob, the General Manager, who represents the restaurant outfit that owns this club?"

Jesse------I worked with Bob for months on day shift. Get along great. This was his first jaunt into this business (topless clubs). Now he's just taking it all in stride."

Jack-------"He's a straight shooter by me. Always been a man of his word and seems very business like. Jesse...I guess that about does it. I'll see you in the club real soon. (I was there that night).

Some of my friends don't like DJ's. One of them said this to me a few minutes after I got off the phone with Jesse. But guess who kept going up to the DJ"s stand later that night? Asking Jesse to play Led Zeppelin. Or cutting up with him. The guy who said he didn't like DJ's. Obviously he had just not met the right ones. As I had explained to this friend on the phone, the best DJ's keep a place fired up and are very compelling personalities. He just had to meet Jesse on his own to find out what I was talking about.  

 

 

 

 

 

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