BOOM BOOM BOOM!

THE RETROCRUSH INTERVIEW WITH PAUL LEKAKIS
By Randy Waage

There was a time in the 80s when you could hardly go to any club without hearing the pulsating beats of "Boom Boom Boom, let's go back to my room!" blasting on the dance floor.  retroCRUSH recently caught up with the song's performer, Paul Lekakis, and took him up on his offer!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Lower Westchester County, New York. Most of my younger years were spent in Yonkers. I went to High School in Mamaroneck. 

Did people always compliment you on your good looks?

In High School I started coming into my own you could say, but before that no. More towards High School is when I started blossoming.

You started off in modeling. Did you like it?

I started modeling around 19. When I moved to New York I studied to be a dancer while I was modeling. Then I went to Europe 6 or 8 months after I started. They told me that's what you had to do. To work with a photographer & to get magazine tear sheets for your portfolio book.

Why do you think you were driven early on?

Basically I liked the arts. I was always in choir when I was young. Mostly I didn't feel a part of where I was. That was the drive to get me out of town. I knew I had to get out of there.

I heard a record producer discovered you while dancing at a club in Italy?

I went out to the clubs the models went to when there was no work going on. They liked the way I danced so I hooked up with the producers at a club. Then I went to their car to hear some of their music. 

They asked me if I sang and if I'd be interested in doing something like this. I said, "absolutely". I recorded half of Boom Boom first to do a test and then they liked it so we finished the song. Part of the stipulation was for me to stay in Italy for a while to promote the record. I made the choice of living there for 8 months. 

Were the clubs different in Italy from New York?

They were smaller and had less people. They still had extravagant people. There were the wacky millionaires, models, and 50-year-old women. There were still those types of people.

You modeled for a couple of famous brands. 

The one that got the most press was for Emporio Armani. It was the first year Emporio came out. 

I recently saw a photo of a woman looking in a mirror & you in the background. I remember seeing that back in the late 80's and early 90's. 

That was a famous poster that photographer Pamela Hanson had shot. That was first created for an ad for cosmetics section of the Joseph's Store in London. They reference the store in "Absolutely Fabulous" a lot. 

Later Pamela started to launch posters of her ads. That was one of her most famous posters that reached worldwide status. When I went to Paris they'd be bootlegging it on the street. 

I think many of my friends owned the poster at the time. 

It was in all the malls across the country. 

Was it overwhelming to go from obscurity to instant fame?

Everything that I did felt good, but people thought it was easy for me and they were a bit miffed. Well, I had to go to London to do that. Then I had to go to Italy to do get into singing and I was by myself. Not a lot of people would go there by themselves. 

You recorded the Boom Boom song in Italy, but then it took 4 years for you to create an album. 

It took awhile before Boom Boom got popular in the United States. I promoted it in Europe some and then it was popular here. I was alone managing myself at the time. I wasn't happy with the contract that I signed with the Italians. They kind of pushed me to sign it.

I think that happens to many recording artists.

It does. Especially when you deal with other countries and I wasn't as experienced. An older Secretary came out & she wanted me to sign the contract. She told me she was going to get fired if I didn't sign. There's manipulation. 

I didn't sign the best contract with them, but I did have money coming to me. I came back to the United States and the Italians weren't doing anything, but licensing the song to other record companies around the world. 

The icing on the cake was they wanted me to do a follow up record that was absolutely horrible.

You've mentioned that it was a high-pitched song you didn't want to sing?

Well, it was called, "Meet my friend Dick". 

That's a little bold.

Boom Boom was bold enough and they wanted to push the envelope. I was like dude that's not going to go over well in the states. I told them there's no way I'm going to do this song. Then we got into legal stuff and it took me awhile to get out of that. 

I walked away from them and anything I had coming to me to go to work with Sire and Shep Pettibone who had worked with Madonna. 

Shep had worked with many great 80's and early 90's bands: Depeche Mode, the Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, New Order, and Janet Jackson. 

I was friends with him in Europe and I had a hit record. I think the album was only moderately successful comparatively to the Boom Boom song. The Italian contract took a couple of years to get out of and music is pretty timely. Even though "My House" was quite popular and I did a video. 

What was it like making the video?

That was fun. I made it here in LA. It was my first video and there was a lot of dancing in it.

You mentioned that you liked Dead or Alive in a previous interview.

Back then I did. Italian Disco or European style was kind of similar. I love driving, energetic dance music. Music with a little balls to it. 

Are there other groups that influenced you?

I liked Madonna's stuff back then. I have an appreciation for harmonies. I'm writing more of my music now. I have a single coming out in October that I wrote. That will be on Act II Records out of New York. When I was younger I use to listen to the radio more. I can hit Diana Ross and Donna Summer, but I'd be horse all day. 

Anything I couldn't hit I'd go to the harmonies and sing those parts. Things that have harmonies I relate to. Even Abba was big on harmonies. I also always appreciated Wilson Phillips and popular music.

Was it hard dealing with all the fame that came from Boom Boom and the album "Tattoo It"?

It was hard. When you go through first fame. You're not prepared for it. It does something to you. Your ego gets up there. You don't quite know what to do with it. 

You mentioned before that you didn't even have to pick up any tabs or pay for anything?

With being a celebrity or popular artist you get treated well. Even if the paychecks are or aren't there. People treat you well. That's part of the perk. The fame is tough in the beginning and I think everyone has an issue with it. Then once it changes you can realize what it is and get on with life. 

You started appearing on some shows too? Dance Party USA? MTV?

I was on Dance Party when I was promoting the album and I toured a lot. I toured to gay clubs. I went all over the country.

I remember seeing you at Studio One in LA.

I went to a lot of places where people wouldn't go. I went to clubs where all they had were drag queens. They never had a singer there before.

How did you cope with female fans?

At the beginning I did all clubs. I think that's what made me more of a universal appeal at first. I did gay clubs and straight clubs, but after awhile the straight clubs were tough. If they're older they're cool. If they're really younger they're usually cool. 

It's the people in the middle that give you problems?

It's the people in the middle. The guys are jealous of you. The girls are drooling over you. There's this bad thing happening. If they're drunk, screaming for the music, and into the music they don't care about all that crap.

So the straight clubs tend to be rougher?

Big mixed venues are great. I think I've just had not too great of experiences in straight clubs. 

What about LA gay pride last year?

I did some this year too. I think I do about 4 or 5 each year.

Even though it was a straight crossover thing. Boom Boom is sort of a gay anthem.

I think it was popular in the gay clubs first. Then it moved over to the straight clubs during Spring Break and with the college crowd. I think people remember it from the 80's and the 80's are having a comeback. 

It's an unusual resurgence. I think people are nostalgic for their youth or they become parents. Then they tell their kids about the 80's. 

I think it's just a natural progression of things that happens which is great for people like me. I have music out and I've done independent films like Circuit. I have another one coming out called: Sex, Politics, and Cocktails. I was in this small movie too called Hellbent. 

What is Hellbent about?

It's a horror movie. I have a smaller part in that. 

I love Horror! Do you get stabbed?

I can't tell you everything.

I don't want to blow it for you.

I have a song in that film too. I'm getting more into acting and doing films. 

What happened to you? After your first album Sire records ended up dropping you. 

Music changes. That's why most everyone who was popular around that time isn't still out there. I always consider myself still out there because I have music coming out. Plus, I've done films in the last 3 years and a few that will be released soon. I don't know what other people like the Covergirls are doing right now or all the other groups I was clumped with back then.

Where there other groups you remember touring with?

Biggest Sin, TKA, India, Brenda K. Starr, Tony Moran

I don't remember them. You must have been the most famous.

I guess Debbie was the most famous and Expose. Company B who sang "fascinated". 

You talked about that being one of your favorites. 

I also liked "Gloria" by Laura Branigan. 

Gloria is a great song actually. It's goofy, but you still want to get out there and dance to it.

It is goofy, but it's good.

I'll also run out there for Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman". 

You know I've always loved Whitney.

By 1994 things were looking not so good for you?

It's such a cliché, but it's what happened. Why it's cliché is that it's a popular and powerful trap. 

I think LA or maybe fame in general does that?

When you're famous you go into this fame circle. Where you're famous because of your beauty, you're a millionaire, your music, your art, or you're an actor. There's this whole level of upper decadence. There's this overabundance of everything. 

Everyone is giving people things. Money's not a problem. Here's drugs, here's this, here's bags of this, here's bags of that. I definitely got caught up in the whole drug thing. 

I can see that too. When I saw Circuit I remembered going out in my early 20's. It's chaotic. In the gay club scene it's tough to keep grounded.

Now with having gone through all that I've been sober for 6 1/2 years. 

You were prostituting for a while too. 

Yea. That was related to finding out I was HIV+ in 1988. 

That's so early in your life.

I had a recording contract. I was soon to be 24 years old and I was in Manhattan in the early 80's. Everyone was dying and no one talked about it. 

Fortunately you were young when you became HIV+. That must have helped you to stay alive.

It was devastating because of the secrecy. 

It was a different time.

It was a completely different time then it is today. 

HIV just seems different now. It was terrifying back then. I think things are hopefully a little more under control, but it's still a scary thing & we should all be careful. 

It is a scary thing. I'm finding out things have changed from my friends who have recently discovered they're positive. I think that the prostitution for me was a big nasty word for something gay men do everyday of the week. 

You're right.

In hooking I hung out with people who had money, still wanted me, and where willing to do anything to get into my pants.

Early on you prostituted yourself in a different way. 

Well yea. I could have done it when I was 18 or 19. I could have been a porno star, but I wasn't. I had no problem with my body and I posed nude a couple of times. I feel like I'm not a porno star. I could have been if I wanted to. It wasn't my road. 

When I found out I was positive there was this allowance to be more promiscuous.

Maybe you get to the point where you've done so many drugs and different things that you still want to survive. You don't want to be out on the street. So you use your last asset, which is your body. 

I wasn't dealing with the fact that I was getting sicker. I wasn't taking care of myself. There weren't as many structural community services as there are now. I was traveling all around the country touring. There wasn't too much help out there. I think mostly I started using more drugs. 

You mentioned in a previous article that you started off, as a singer who stripped off a few clothes and slowly became a stripper who sang. 

It's part of who I am. You know sex sells and the body thing. For a time the strip shows were making more than singers. Even with people like Martha Wash of the Weather Girls.

They bring singers in and the strip shows would make more money. Well, I thought I could do that just like female singers Britney or Madonna. They're half naked on stage. It's not a problem for me I'm a man. I can take my shirt off. I can go down to little Navy shorts and it's not a problem.

I think much of the male gay world is about our sexuality. 

Exactly. I did get in a bad space. I think a lot of it when I look back is depression and I'm HIV positive anyway. It's a certain amount of allowance of I can hang out with these people. 

At the time it was the drug addicts, the prostitutes, and the IV drug users who were getting HIV. I felt like I was accepted in that realm. There's a given I'm suppose to be HIV positive without directly telling people because nobody talks about it. It's some sort of weird I don't have to explain myself in these realms. 

It is strange how there sometimes is a denial of everything going on as far as HIV.

There is. That of course doesn't work and didn't work. 

Were there any sorts of unusual clients? 

There were some weird clients, but it's not something that people don't do anyway. Especially today with the Internet stuff. I've done the same if not more. When I stopped hooking I just stopped taking money, which has its own baggage. 

I still have the ability to do what I want. It's a gift to be able to have a certain kind of sex as long as you're not hurting anybody or yourself. There's an okay ness to it.

I just have to look at today and go: Am I disclosing? Am I being safe? What's the progress? I'm not taking money. I'm not lying about it. There's this progress I've made if I'm going to go down any of those roads. 

Was there a point where you hit rock bottom?

I was doing drugs everyday. It took me on the ride rather than me taking it. It was using me rather than me using it. I knew I had to stop, but by that time the biggest problem was I didn't know anybody who didn't use. 

It's hard to get out of that circle.

Once you're in that circle you don't know anybody who's sober.

Is it hard in that you still live in the same area? There's still temptation.

I was fed up totally, broken down. I was ready.

It's hard to do when you're nestled right in West Hollywood.

They come staggering into 12 step programs all the time.

Where you at the point where you still needed a fix every couple of hours?

What happens when you get into the whirlwind is that you get chemically screwed up with the highs, the lows, the sadness, and depression. You're not able to control any of your emotions.

You get use to it. If I want to get up I do a bump. If I want to go to sleep I'll take a Xanax. It's all around you. The people around you are doing it. 

It's easy stay in it because they're supporting it.

Your drug use is supported by the people who surround you. The people who were around me had Xanax and Valium prescribed to them through their doctors or they were drug dealers. Everything was right there in their desk.

They got you hooked so you kept spending on it.

Just like if you drink or smoke cigarettes. Lets say you go to a friend's house and they serve you Martini's. You know every time you go over there it's going to be the Martini house.

You went through a 12-step program and cleaned up. Are you at the point where you can't have a drink at all? 

I don't drink at all. I don't smoke anything and I don't do any drugs.

Why do we have to beat ourselves up?

It's all gotten accelerated with all the new drugs. All the drugs are right there. The downfall can happen at an accelerated rate. You can ruin yourself really fast.

You did do independent movie  called Circuit in 2001 which showed the seedier side of the gay club scene. 

When I read the script I knew I was right for the part. That happens only once in awhile.

You had a friend who went through similar experiences?

I could have played any character in that movie and related to it: the person who moves to a big town, the hooker, the dancer, or the filmmaker. 

I remember certain parts of that movie being terrifying to watch.

It was a very excessive, inside look into what the Circuit theme is about. It was weird to play sober, but what's great about acting is you learn to go there. You learn to brush it off and come home. 

Part of the craft is going there and coming back. Saying I know exactly what this is. I've been to these places. It was weird sniffing Vegetable powder.

Where you expecting it to kick in?

It was weird in that I had not done it for years. Then when you do it the physical sensation of it hitting the back of my throat was like "oh my God". 

I've never been to any of the Circuit parties, but I grew up in the Bay Area. I've done the San Francisco scene. The Circuit scene is on a whole grander scale. 

It is. I was at the parties before they were called Circuit parties in New York like the Saint. Every time there was a holiday you went to the Saint party and there were 3,000 people. 

I remember the first time I went to a big gay club. It's at times crazy and fun.

It's a new entity and it's commercial. You can go and have fun. I went to the White Party after that a couple of years ago when Jennifer Lopez was performing. It was a fun night. I got tired early. You go there for three hours you're going to have a great time. You're with your friends. It's exciting.

I imagine as long as you're able to keep yourself in check.

It's interesting being sober and walking around an event like that. You see people fucked up all week long. I kept thinking they couldn't be having a good time. Their eyes are bloodshot; they've been up for two days. They look exhausted. 

What about Jim J. Bullock from the 80's TV show Two Close for Comfort who co-starred with you in Circuit?

I see him at the gym. 

He appears to be a funny, crazy guy. I'd love to interview him.

He is funny and nice. I like Circuit because he was in it and Nancy Allen was in it and the Greatest American Hero guy. 

The guy from the Greatest American hero TV show?

That's him. Those two actors were both in Carrie together. Nancy Allen was the girl who spilled the blood on Carrie. The one who played in the Greatest American Hero, William Katt was Carrie's date to the prom. 

That's too funny. Is the director into camp?

That's what was so fun about it because I knew who these people were. I get to work with them. Great!

If you grew up during the 80's you'll remember those shows.

Nancy Allen was in "Dressed to Kill".

I LOVE that movie! That was the best movie ever.

I grew up watching "Dressed to Kill". 

That was the first R rated movie I ever snuck into and I was blown away. Michael Caine played such an incredibly creepy role in that movie.

And Angie Dickinson

I love Angie Dickinson and am a BIG fan. I've tried to get a hold of her. I did send her an interview request via fax.

That was the big thing about her doing the masturbation scene in the back of the cab in that movie.

Do you think it's tougher as you get older in the gay scene? You still look great. Is it genetic?

You know it is tough. It isn't genetic for me to have this body. My father was 15 pounds heavier than me at this age. Genetically I would feel better bigger, but since I'm an actor and a singer. I have to keep my weight down.

Part of my job is to look a certain way. I'm in the performing arts. It's that pressure. I'm in better shape than I was 5 years ago. I am 38. I'll be 39 in October. 

It does get tougher. The metabolism does change. It's not what it use to be. I work out a lot. I switch it up a lot. I'm slowly looking at turning 40. I don't look my age. People meet me. Oh...he looks like he's 33 instead of 38.

In Hollywood you can be 40 and look 33. You can be 47 and look 40. It's healthier living too I don't drink, do drugs, and smoke. It's all in the lighting and the sobriety. I contribute my health to taking care of myself.

Have you made a whole new circle of friends?

I have a couple of close friends from back in the day in New York. The ones who are still alive. Drugs leave a lot of death in their wake. 

You should be happy that you survived it all. What about the Chippendale movie?

That was from my string of stripper movies. I did Circuit and I did the Chippendale movie. 

In the Circuit DVD there's an outtake where you're naked?

There's one outtake. They asked me about that and I was fine. I don't care.

Especially if you done nude photos before you should be proud of your body.

I was 10 years older than some of my co-stars. Hector was 25 and I was 35 when I played that role. I was hanging out with 25 year olds on the set.

He's very cute if I remember right.

He's adorable.

You like playing a stripper?

There's only a certain amount of parts that I'm offered. Hollywood will cast me as a stripper at 35 years old. I'm now 38. I was a stripper on Passions last year. If they still want me as a stripper that's fine. I won't be able to do it in another 5 years.

Sure you will just look at Jeff Stryker.

I have stripper on my resume. That's how they cast you in Hollywood. 

You did the Man show too. Where you a stripper on that?

I was a stripper on the man show. I was a stripper on Passions.

Do you feel pigeonholed as the cute, blonde "Boom Boom" guy? 

I think I'm starting to break out of that. You do get stereotyped to a certain extent. There's a part of me that says hey I can do this for another 5 years. I'm starting to realize if I put a suit on I'm going to look older. 

Maybe in 5 or 10 years I can play Detectives. It's part of the business. I want to work and be a working actor. I've played a stripper 4 times. I've had my limit with that. Unless I'm going to do it for a major motion picture there's no reason for me to do it again. 

Have they put you out on auditions?

I auditioned for Queer as Folk. I was a little late for that. I've been auditioning for musical theater.

You like to sing non-pop songs too.

In the last year or two I've been doing a lot of workshops. I've been auditioning for the touring shows 10 commandments and Aida. People don't know I can sing differently. It's different when you sing technical recording music. I personally don't think anything I've recorded is the best of my voice. 

I'm getting better and I have more of a range/variety to my voice. People are going to see what's popular for me. On September 30th I'm doing a show with some friends at the Bel-Age Hotel that is more like me with the piano. 

In West Hollywood maybe it's time for me to get out there and do it. I can go in there and prove to the people of 10 commandments I can sing well, but there are only 7 people there. 

You want to get the word out.

It's time for me to go out there and prove myself. I have more of a range than just pop music. 

You're now writing your own songs?

I don't play an instrument, but I'll come up with melodies and I'll write lyrics. I'll sing the chorus lines and the melody. The producer will put the music underneath it. Another time they'll give me a track that's already done and I'll put lyrics to it. Usually I'll come up with an idea. The next song I have coming out is called, "I need a Vacation". 

I saw that in your megamix on your website. You look nice in your suit all dressed up.

That's part of the video. There's a four-minute video coming out in October and an extended mix as well. A teaser to say I'm out again. 

There doesn't seem to be a high visibility gay singer out there anymore. In the 80's you had Dead or Alive, Erasure, and Boy George. With Boy George I don't know what he's been doing. He looks fat & creepy.

I think he's been DeeJaying. 

What about getting together with Shep? I'm sure he has a few good songs in him. 

I'd love to work with Shep again. I think he's semi-retired.

I don't know how old he'd be now.

He's not that old. He's probably my age. If not a year or two older. I think if he did do a project. It's like working with Stock Aitken Waterman, Baby Face or the Janet Jackson people. It's like that. Who has a million dollars to do an album? They'd have to put up quite a bit when you have that big of a reputation.

What else have you been up to?

I have a workout video called Partners coming out soon and I'm in the movie Sex, Politics, and Cocktails. I have a new record "I need a Vacation" coming out in October. I'll also have a new album and dance mixes out. 

We're also editing the music video right now. I'm doing more of the writing and producing right now. I'll be touring through fall and probably into spring.

Is there someone you have a retroCRUSH on?

The dark haired guy Paul Michael Glaser from Starsky and Hutch. I like them dark and hairy.

You can find out more about Paul Lekakis by going to his website at www.paullekakis.com. 

I've seen Paul's recent work in Circuit and he's really good. Paul's song Assume the Position which is featured in Circuit has a great modern, club sound too.

Circuit is my favorite Paul Lekakis movie, but his other recent movie Sex, Politics, and Cocktails is an entertaining comedy. With either one you can't go wrong.

randy@retrocrush.com