Millie Jackson

My September started out with a bang. Normally my partner and I aren’t Labor Day travelers, who wants to deal with crowds and traffic. However this year we decided to road trip it through Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania in order to get to Bethesda, Maryland. Why Bethesda? Two words, Millie Jackson.

Back in 2012 we were lucky enough to see Millie Jackson in concert at BB King’s Night Club in New York City. She blew us away and hoped to see her again. I found out she was going to be in Bethesda but I thought that was too far (I’m geographically impaired and have no clue where Maryland is) but my partner said it was doable and it didn’t take much convincing to get me on board…tickets were purchased within minutes. In my gay opinion, it was the best decision we could have ever made.

On the 1st we loaded up the food dishes for the cats, the car with our backpacks and the stereo with podcasts. After six hours we arrived at our hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a quick shower and change into the required “business casual” attire. Back in the car for another hour and a half drive to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club (7719 Wisconsin Ave). The club has table seating with a $20 food and drink minimum per person on top of the ticket price. Our $40 bill was spent on one salad, one veggie and dip platter, and one apple tart for dessert. What the “supper club” lacked in filling food it made up for in ambiance and a friendly staff. Thanks to our waitress bringing extra bread, we didn’t have to raid CVS afterwards for snacks. A laid-back DJ was spinning smooth R&B during dinner and giving birthday shout-outs.

The show started with Millie strutting on stage in mile-high stilettos with her hair teased out and wearing a black bedazzled skin-tight body-suit covered by an 80’s inspired jacket with shoulder pads and adornments galore. She set the tone for the evening with a sexy version of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. Millie may be in her 70’s (I needed to Google it to believe it) but she could teach younger divas a thing or two. Most of the set list was a surprise to the audience and the band as well with Millie picking and choosing songs at whim from her illustrious career. There were requests shouted out from the audience, she graced some requests with a few lines from the songs but the majority got shot down in a verbal assault. Millie was a loose cannon full of high energy, unparalleled talent, and a treasure trove of colorful language.

After two hours it was time to bring the night to a close with her hit song “Something You Can Feel”. Millie climbed onto a table and down to a customer’s chair so she could make her way into the audience. She sang her way through the crowd asking various gentlemen along the way if they had “something she could feel” or asking their escorts if it was worth her time. Were the gents growers or showers? Millie gave a running commentary of what endowments she encountered. The crowd was up (so to speak) for the challenge with hoots, hollers, and camera phones aglow. I was laughing so hard with tears in my eyes until I was staring into her eyes and she asked me if I had “something she could feel”? Millie Jackson was talking to me. ME! Mentally I’m thinking “Self, it’s Millie Jackson, play it cool”, then I giggled like a school girl and screaming “GO FOR IT!” Playing hard to get was never my forte. Ecstatically I was groped by Millie Jackson. My partner thought he was safe until she turned on him, he shrugged, and was manhandled as well. She stopped the show, got on the mic, and gave a “public service announcement” to the predominantly black audience that the rumor about white men having small dicks was untrue. She then climbed back up on stage from another table and was gone.

My partner and I left knowing that Millie had ruined us for all other divas. How can any show top that. This month I also saw Marina from the 13th row and Madonna from the 6th row but neither of them touched my heart or my privates like Millie.

Welcome To My September!