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WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE
Hello to all my Boppin', Walkin', Line Dancin' & Steppin' friends.
You finally convinced me to come into the 21st century and get myself online.
I gave "The Original Olde Timers" 30 years of recognition by keeping
the set, we all started many years ago, going strong.
Now that I have branched
out and launched my own website I can get
the words out of my heart and onto your
computer screen. I truly appreciate
your support, your friendship and your love
over the years and I hope
I can keep being a part of the "VET SET"
(Veteran Boppers/Steppers
that keep
our "Older" Boppin'/Steppers moving
with the music from our
error with a bit
of new music so we present a little bit for everyone.
Want to remind everyone, as they do in Chicago Steppin' Guide Magazine (published
by DJ Jerome "Famous" Amos & DJ "King George" Smith)
,
"WALKERS ON THE OUTSIDE ... BOPPERS/STEPPERS ON THE INSIDE".
There's lots of good things in the site and we hope you enjoy them all. Let's
hear
from
you with those emails to me at blackmaryofchicago@yahoo.com.
If you ever wonder "Where in the World is Black Mary going next?"
find out
by clicking HERE
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"WHAT A DREAM" |
I dream a dream of keeping Dusty Music alive and also keeping our way of dancing alive: you know - dances like Boppin', Walkin', Cha Cha, Mambo, the Bus Stop, The Monkey, Dog, Twine and all the different line dances we used to do.
After "Disco" came to town, no one wanted to play old dusties. All the clubs played Disco and had stopped playing dusties. But I, Black Mary, was determined to keep dusty music alive, so I started to ask any and everyone to let us start a Dusty set, but no one wanted to take a chance. I begged everyone I knew, but they all said "NO! - dusties are dead".
In 1976, I tried once again to work the "dream" of having just one place to play dusties where we could go and do all the old dances. Once again no one wanted to take a chance. In 1977, I continued to beg all the different DJs and lounges and still everyone said no. In 1978, I asked Mr Athins of the Park Pavillion Ballroom if he would rent the ballroom to us for a dusties set on Sundays, maybe once a month. Mr. Athins said "NO" because of all the churches in the neighborhood.
Out of a dream that took so very long to develop, came a beautiful dusty set every first Sunday. From this club's perseverance dusty music had a resurgence and dusty music was once again played on the radio stations in Chicago by such fabulous DJs as Herb Kent (who coined the term dusties), Richard "The Best Music Of Your Life" Pegue, Richard Steele, Kitty Neely and many, many more Chicago area DJs.
This dream created a new style of partying. Out of this dream of mine came "The World's Largest Stepping Contest", "Steppin' at Club 7" "Can You Step With Me", the Steppin' movie and play, all staged and/or filmed right here in Chicago, as well as about 60 new steppers clubs.
Now my dream has become so large that I can go out seven nights a week and hear good music. I am so very proud of my own dream. Whenever I hear or see a new club starting, I can feel the results of my dream just getting bigger and bigger. I'd like to give thanks to all the clubs with different DJs, you've done a great job mixing and playing it with the new music. Sometimes I cry because by my determination to keep my dusty music and way of dancing alive, they have survived to become what they are today. A special thank you to all of you who have had a part in keeping Black Mary's Dream alive. |
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