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Atlanta's Godfather Of House Music: Ron Pullman
Bonus Episode • 5th October 2024 • Queue Points • Queue Points LLC
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In the season finale of 'I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife,' host DJ Sir Daniel interviews Ron Pullman - Atlanta’s godfather of house music. They explore Pullman's extensive career spanning four decades, his influence on the city's music scene, and the challenges and changes within Black gay nightlife over the years. Pullman reflects on the evolution of clubs, the impact of hip hop and digital media, and emphasizes the importance of community and respect in nightlife spaces. 

I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife strives to tell the stories of Atlanta's gay nightlife from the perspective of the people who lived it.

Check out all episodes from I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife: https://qpnt.net/icaseries

Topics: #RonPullman #Atlanta #LGBTQIA+ #QueerCulture #BlackPodcasters #BlackMusic #MusicPodcast

A special thanks to the Counter Narrative Project Media Roundtable 2024.

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Transcripts

Speaker:

DJ Sir Daniel: The views, thoughts, and

Speaker:

opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views,

Speaker:

thoughts, and opinions of Queue Points.

Speaker:

Welcome to I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife.

Speaker:

I am your host, DJ Sir Daniel.

Speaker:

This series strives to tell the stories of Atlanta's gay nightlife from the

Speaker:

perspective of the people who lived it.

Speaker:

Words can't express my gratitude for your support.

Speaker:

And we've come to the season finale of I Come Alive, and I can't

Speaker:

think of a better way to put the exclamation point on this series.

Speaker:

Then with a conversation with Atlanta's godfather of house music, DJ Ron Pullman.

Speaker:

Since 1986, Ron Pullman set a standard for how a party should sound.

Speaker:

He has also cultivated a community that continues to hold space for the

Speaker:

divine vibration we call house music.

Speaker:

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Ron Pullman.

Speaker:

while

Speaker:

I was getting, um, fixing the stuff to get in here, I had a quick recollection of I

Speaker:

want to say that, uh, brother Jamal or.

Speaker:

Um, Stan, Stanley, the music man, somebody put it in my ear that I needed

Speaker:

to go while you were playing and go up to the booth and introduce myself

Speaker:

to you and like, observe you playing.

Speaker:

And I remember doing that one time at the Eagle when it was

Speaker:

on Ponce, the old Kodak factory.

Speaker:

And it just came back to me like, Oh yeah.

Speaker:

I, first of all, that's wild that somebody would suggest that I come

Speaker:

and like introduce myself while a DJ is at work, because that doesn't

Speaker:

always go over well, necessarily.

Ron Pullman:

That is the truth.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: But you were very gracious to me.

Ron Pullman:

You just pointed out a couple things about how things work.

Ron Pullman:

At that particular venue, like what you were using, because I believe it was

Ron Pullman:

some CDJs and the mixer and whatnot.

Ron Pullman:

And I was just like, listen, I appreciate that.

Ron Pullman:

I'm just going to step back and watch you for a minute, because we

Ron Pullman:

all know as a DJ, you just don't.

Ron Pullman:

It's cool to have somebody observing, but you don't want somebody

Ron Pullman:

observing and asking a whole bunch of questions at the same time

Ron Pullman:

because that's interrupting the flow.

Ron Pullman:

You, you know very well.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: So before we go into this conversation about Atlanta history.

Ron Pullman:

I want the listeners to know more about your history and just tell us a little

Ron Pullman:

bit about the Pullman soul movement.

Ron Pullman:

Well, um, I've actually been DJing for four decades.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, it's been over 40 years, to be honest with you.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, so it would be 30 something years for Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

I didn't start, I'm originally from the Midwest.

Ron Pullman:

Born in St.

Ron Pullman:

Louis, uh, went to high school in Denver and shockingly out of all

Ron Pullman:

places, that's where I, uh, started and learned to DJ is in Denver, Colorado.

Ron Pullman:

And so, uh, but my, uh, music background and influence come from my dad.

Ron Pullman:

My dad was a, uh, singer, musician, mostly, uh, gospel music.

Ron Pullman:

So growing up as a kid around the house, I'm constantly being

Ron Pullman:

influenced by him practicing, singing, and so on and so forth.

Ron Pullman:

And one of my, uh, siblings, my oldest brother was into music.

Ron Pullman:

So between them two, those were my earlier, uh, first influences is in

Ron Pullman:

the music and getting into music.

Ron Pullman:

Cause I said, Denver is where I started doing private parties,

Ron Pullman:

gigs, and so on and so forth.

Ron Pullman:

It wasn't until 1984, uh, where I had my biggest or first big club

Ron Pullman:

gig was at a club in Houston, Texas.

Ron Pullman:

It was called the catch one.

Ron Pullman:

It was actually a sister club of the catch one.

Ron Pullman:

In la.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: In la, okay.

Ron Pullman:

Yes.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

The

Ron Pullman:

original catch one was LA but they had a, a

Ron Pullman:

another club in Houston, Texas.

Ron Pullman:

And that's where I did my first big club gig in 1984 in Houston, Texas.

Ron Pullman:

And so it wasn't until 86 that I moved to Atlanta and started spinning and, um,

Ron Pullman:

connected with, if you know the club, um, later became, well, it was Trax.

Ron Pullman:

But prior to Traxx, uh, I connected, how, how I got connected in the

Ron Pullman:

Atlanta scene was through, uh, uh, the late David Hampton and, uh, his

Ron Pullman:

partner, uh, Phillip, Phillip Boone, uh, who's still around those guys.

Ron Pullman:

We were doing, uh, they were doing parties called the Ritz boys, late night parties,

Ron Pullman:

underground parties here in Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, I moved here around the spring of 86.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, two weeks after I moved here, I started playing for

Ron Pullman:

those guys is how I got started.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, that's what, uh, kicked off my DJ history career here in Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

But, uh, answer your question, I'll, uh, respond about the Pullman Soul.

Ron Pullman:

GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: Yes.

Ron Pullman:

That name or title didn't come along until, be honest

Ron Pullman:

with you, until the late 90s, 2000.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, a good friend actually, uh, thought it would

Ron Pullman:

be a good catchy name for me.

Ron Pullman:

And since she created that, I've been riding with it since

Ron Pullman:

probably 99, 2000, I think.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, but yeah, that's, so, there's a lot of history I can give you about it.

Ron Pullman:

If you want me to expand on it, I will.

Ron Pullman:

But yeah, as I said, 86 is when I started with the Ritz Boys.

Ron Pullman:

Did that for a couple of years, uh, we, uh, then by 89, we, uh,

Ron Pullman:

that's when Traxx opened up and, um,

Ron Pullman:

yeah, it was on initially you would enter in on Marietta street,

Ron Pullman:

then they changed it to lucky street, depending on the night.

Ron Pullman:

You can enter in either, either street entrance.

Ron Pullman:

So, um, Yeah, that's what started that, uh, the, uh, playing a track.

Ron Pullman:

It was, uh, the, the resident DJs was, were, uh, Stuart Gardner and myself.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, we did that for a couple of years and then both left and

Ron Pullman:

went on to some other club ventures.

Ron Pullman:

So, um, you know, people, entitled or called me Atlanta's Godfather

Ron Pullman:

House, and that's very appreciative.

Ron Pullman:

I, I'm honored and flattered to, and I embrace that.

Ron Pullman:

However, I surely do not claim to be the first, the longest, or whatever.

Ron Pullman:

There were several, several DJs who were doing things here, such as

Ron Pullman:

a guy named Al Tolbert, Rod Cole, Stuart Gardner, as I just mentioned.

Ron Pullman:

So, and Dash Wright, DJ Smash, all those guys.

Ron Pullman:

It was, and a lot of people I'm probably missing.

Ron Pullman:

So, uh, Unfortunately, those guys, uh, some are no longer here or some just

Ron Pullman:

were smart enough and got out of the business earlier and no longer doing it.

Ron Pullman:

So if I'm rallying on, just cut me off anytime, but I'm giving you

Ron Pullman:

the history, I think you're asking.

Ron Pullman:

So I'm leading up to how I got into it and how, how, and I'm

Ron Pullman:

still doing it 40 years later.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, so yeah, I, uh, we, we, we did Traxx, uh, as I said, and then for

Ron Pullman:

a couple of years, like 91, I think I started doing just other than I started

Ron Pullman:

doing radio mixes for Atlanta's V 103.

Ron Pullman:

I was doing parties in the college scene.

Ron Pullman:

I was, I was doing both straight and gay, uh, clubs at that time.

Ron Pullman:

I was like, and working a full time job at Atlanta public schools.

Ron Pullman:

And work and DJ and three, four nights a week.

Ron Pullman:

So, yeah,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: that's heavy.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, a lot of people do that these days, but I don't think like your,

Ron Pullman:

your average DJ that's coming up to date, they don't understand that.

Ron Pullman:

At that time, you carry your library was in crates and that

Ron Pullman:

could took a truck or a lot of manpower to take with you everywhere.

Ron Pullman:

So that's a lot of manpower.

Ron Pullman:

Whereas today, you know, you fold up your laptop and you pack your

Ron Pullman:

hard drive and you're good to go.

Ron Pullman:

That's true.

Ron Pullman:

So I don't think a lot of people,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: um, have an appreciation for how much work it

Ron Pullman:

took to rock a party back then.

Ron Pullman:

You, um, so you're saying from 86 and we've gone on, you, you mentioned working

Ron Pullman:

the full time job and spinning for three to four times a week doing mixes

Ron Pullman:

on, um, for V one Oh three, which was.

Ron Pullman:

It's still considered, it's a, it's still considered the largest urban

Ron Pullman:

radio station in the city of Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

It's now a heritage stations in my opinion, because it's

Ron Pullman:

been around for so long.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, I actually worked there at one point myself.

Ron Pullman:

Um, yeah.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, Early 2000s, but I'm back to I guess the paint a picture for the average

Ron Pullman:

listener right now that wants to know in those late the mid to late 80s early 90s.

Ron Pullman:

If I wanted to go out, how would I have found out about the Ritz boys

Ron Pullman:

or Traxx if I to say I'm completely new to Atlanta, there's no internet.

Ron Pullman:

Um, I don't know if if the flyers were being circulated at that time,

Ron Pullman:

but if I wanted to be to find out.

Ron Pullman:

Where I could go party with my community.

Ron Pullman:

How did I find that out?

Ron Pullman:

How did, how did I find that out?

Ron Pullman:

How did I get that kind of information and know where to hear Ron Pullman

Ron Pullman:

and, and those other DJs spinning?

Ron Pullman:

Well, it definitely was a heavy, heavy flyers.

Ron Pullman:

We doing that era in time, flyers were definitely essential.

Ron Pullman:

Um, um, so at, at that time, Atlanta had.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, I think a decent amount still do a decent amount of, uh, gay

Ron Pullman:

clubs, uh, are just immense.

Ron Pullman:

So I would say the promoters, how you could find out the promoters were

Ron Pullman:

very diligent and very, uh, good about just putting up posters or putting up

Ron Pullman:

putting flyers on cars or, or in the barbershops or the whatever businesses

Ron Pullman:

have, they were very, big about putting up posters or leaving flyers in places

Ron Pullman:

that they knew, uh, perhaps the family would go and, and would pick up flyers.

Ron Pullman:

But the biggest thing that always worked and in business still to this day, word

Ron Pullman:

of mouth, if you got something hot that's going on and people know if the word is on

Ron Pullman:

the street and they talk, connect and talk to the right people or just happened to,

Ron Pullman:

uh, bump into a person that, and if they just say, Hey, I'm, I'm new in town and

Ron Pullman:

this is what I'm looking, I'm looking for underground house music party or so on.

Ron Pullman:

If it's hot and the word is on the street, they'll, they

Ron Pullman:

will, people will let you know.

Ron Pullman:

But like I say, during that era in time, just like you say, How it was so true

Ron Pullman:

what you say about what the DJs, the music we have to carry and the work we put in,

Ron Pullman:

but even the promoters were so they were to the streets or I had a street team.

Ron Pullman:

So yeah, everything now, of course it's digital or social media, but yeah, during

Ron Pullman:

that era of time, you did your work.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: So I want to tell you a funny story that happened one time.

Ron Pullman:

I was given a flyer at one point that said, this was a hip hop party at.

Ron Pullman:

The warehouse, cause they were calling Traxx, both, they were calling it the

Ron Pullman:

warehouse on certain nights and they were calling it Traxx on other nights,

Ron Pullman:

and they would change that depending on which entrance

Ron Pullman:

you would go through as well.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: So imagine my surprise when I got there thinking this was

Ron Pullman:

going to be a hip hop night and I was clearly at the wrong night

Ron Pullman:

Yeah, but see that's what you're talking about came

Ron Pullman:

along after it initially opened.

Ron Pullman:

but the first two, maybe two and a half years, surely three, uh, It was straight

Ron Pullman:

up, uh, underground blockade club.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: So what I know about you, Ron, is that you, you have a history with,

Ron Pullman:

um, a landmark of a record store here in Atlanta called earwax and recently last

Ron Pullman:

year, late last year in 2023, earwax had a celebration, um, for, and there was

Ron Pullman:

a, uh, A museum type exhibit created to mimic what air wax looked like in the 90s.

Ron Pullman:

And of course, you know, I, I saw the pictures and there's Ron Pullman

Ron Pullman:

alongside, you know, JC, Applejack, uh, Kemet, all of those brothers.

Ron Pullman:

And so, I'm wondering, as DJs in the community, like, and you are already

Ron Pullman:

doing your thing, when you're making your rounds and making your name for yourself

Ron Pullman:

around the city, does the conversation about playing at gay clubs come up

Ron Pullman:

with your peers, with your DJ peers?

Ron Pullman:

Most of them knew.

Ron Pullman:

Most of them knew that I played.

Ron Pullman:

They, I mean, and they would, and, and a good amount would come.

Ron Pullman:

Let me, I don't know if I should tell this story and Nah.

Ron Pullman:

That, but anyway, , I mean,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: if we

Ron Pullman:

have name, I'm gonna, I'm gonna describe this in a way that you

Ron Pullman:

people could probably figure it out.

Ron Pullman:

Okay.

Ron Pullman:

Long as a popular.

Ron Pullman:

producer, um, who, I mean, who's doing extremely well, at least for

Ron Pullman:

years he did, uh, who used to DJ with me, uh, at one of the gay clubs.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, he just would just, and he would just come and just

Ron Pullman:

watch and so on and so forth.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, it was for some reason, it seemed like it wasn't a big deal or a big thing.

Ron Pullman:

These guys, they, um, you know, for whatever reason, they, I don't know

Ron Pullman:

if they just wanted me to mentor or they just actually enjoyed coming

Ron Pullman:

to hear me play and it was great.

Ron Pullman:

But they didn't have, they would come and hang out in the booth most of the time.

Ron Pullman:

And they was just, uh, like I say, are some of them would, um, come and spend,

Ron Pullman:

I'll let them open up for me and so on.

Ron Pullman:

So again, but most of them knew from everybody I've worked with at earwax.

Ron Pullman:

To like you say, JC, Kemet, all the guys, uh, knew that I played at

Ron Pullman:

Traxx or most of the popular black gay underground clubs in the city.

Ron Pullman:

And then, you know, they all just, it's just, they're like, Hey, you know what?

Ron Pullman:

You do your thing.

Ron Pullman:

And it was just mad respect.

Ron Pullman:

It was no biggie.

Ron Pullman:

And if they felt like coming out that particular night or

Ron Pullman:

weekend or plan, they would.

Ron Pullman:

It was no, it was no biggie.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, And I love them guys, appreciate them, because that's,

Ron Pullman:

that just speaks in volume that, you know, about, about who they are, and

Ron Pullman:

how, and confident in who they are.

Ron Pullman:

And more importantly, it's about the music.

Ron Pullman:

You're not worried about being, you shouldn't be uncomfortable

Ron Pullman:

if you know who you are.

Ron Pullman:

GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: Mm hmm.

Ron Pullman:

And so, yeah, it was, yeah, but they, yeah, I mean, everybody,

Ron Pullman:

pretty much any and everybody, surely everybody I worked with at Earwax

Ron Pullman:

knew that the gay clubs is where, is what I was known for and planned.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, yeah, it was just, it was just, uh, just, just bad respect and support.

Ron Pullman:

And like I said, I love, I still have some of these guys that I've known

Ron Pullman:

for years that may come up, come to the Eagle and I'll they're coming out.

Ron Pullman:

Some of them, I feel like they can rock the crowd at the Eagle.

Ron Pullman:

I'll allow them to play.

Ron Pullman:

But I'm very, very protective of my equal crowd.

Ron Pullman:

I don't just let anybody play that straight up game.

Ron Pullman:

They got to come with it.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: They got to come with it.

Ron Pullman:

And I'm so glad you said that, that you're very protective of your

Ron Pullman:

crowd, because I always feel like the relationship between the DJ and the party

Ron Pullman:

and party people is a reciprocal one.

Ron Pullman:

And like, after now, 40 years of doing it, do you feel as if the audiences

Ron Pullman:

are still giving you what you need?

Ron Pullman:

Um,

Ron Pullman:

yes, I would say yes for the most part and reason why I

Ron Pullman:

hesitate, um, because since the new Eagle location, the dynamics of the

Ron Pullman:

crowd has changed, but it's good.

Ron Pullman:

As you know, coming to the older Eagle.

Ron Pullman:

You come in on first Fridays.

Ron Pullman:

It was just the, just the energy and the vibe was, I mean, it was, um, as

Ron Pullman:

you see, I'm not trying to brag a boss, but it was something to be reckoned.

Ron Pullman:

You know, you just, no,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: no, please, please brag because you listen, everybody that's

Ron Pullman:

listening to this podcast or watching a clip or whatever has to know the name

Ron Pullman:

Ron Pullman is synonymous with like, not just house music, but superior.

Ron Pullman:

Parties and having people still actually dance at parties.

Ron Pullman:

So please, please do not hold back.

Ron Pullman:

As a matter of fact, I may be hiring you as my agent.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Please let the people know, but you're absolutely right.

Ron Pullman:

I can say that as somebody at, as a DJ and somebody that's attended, I can

Ron Pullman:

say that you completely have a grip.

Ron Pullman:

On the crowd like other and other DJs come to witness it to Tracy Levine,

Ron Pullman:

all of you know, all people like that that are here in the city that

Ron Pullman:

are especially the house heads know they will follow you wherever you go.

Ron Pullman:

And that that's a testament to what you do, but you were saying you were

Ron Pullman:

talking about audiences still giving.

Ron Pullman:

Giving back to you what you need from them because we feed off of

Ron Pullman:

them as much as they feed off of us.

Ron Pullman:

Absolutely.

Ron Pullman:

So yes, to answer your question, yes.

Ron Pullman:

Um, um, I, I referenced the, the old eagle because it was just, I mean,

Ron Pullman:

it took a little time to build.

Ron Pullman:

we've been doing the eagle as far as me being affiliated with the

Ron Pullman:

eagle, it's been about 14 years now.

Ron Pullman:

to answer your question about if the crowd is giving me what I need.

Ron Pullman:

it's just a little different because the dynamics is different at the new location.

Ron Pullman:

the new crowd or, uh, is.

Ron Pullman:

Much younger and is a little bit more diverse,

Ron Pullman:

First Friday was, was probably 90 percent African American or black And

Ron Pullman:

now it may be 70 percent where It's, um, it's more young, uh, more younger

Ron Pullman:

people, which is great because we need younger people to keep this vibe going.

Ron Pullman:

I embrace it.

Ron Pullman:

but it's a catch to it.

Ron Pullman:

it's, uh, sort of a catch 22 situation.

Ron Pullman:

So due to the new location and its popularity, the new Eagle

Ron Pullman:

location, the older heads is feeling like it's, it's taken away.

Ron Pullman:

It's taken, they not able to dance like they, with the freedom of the

Ron Pullman:

space, like they're accustomed to more like, of course, it's losing some of

Ron Pullman:

its, um, undergroundness, I guess, if that's how one wants to put it.

Ron Pullman:

we should embrace growth if it's the right growth and technology,

Ron Pullman:

but you don't want to lose, you don't want to lose the substance or

Ron Pullman:

whatever it was that made you popular.

Ron Pullman:

And so it can be a little tricky keeping that balance.

Ron Pullman:

So fortunately, a good amount of the people still come, but some of the

Ron Pullman:

heads don't come, so which I can when I'm looking out into the crowd, people

Ron Pullman:

are dancing and moving, but it's not that energy that the old eagle had.

Ron Pullman:

they would go in hard at the old eagle the energy and the vibe of

Ron Pullman:

the older location, um, it was, it just had become, it was just a spot

Ron Pullman:

you can go to and you can release

Ron Pullman:

It may not have the energy completely as the previous.

Ron Pullman:

I hope that answers your question, right?

Ron Pullman:

I'm yeah,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: it does.

Ron Pullman:

And I'll, and I'll say this as.

Ron Pullman:

Somebody who's been there.

Ron Pullman:

I think the difference, one of the differences at the, at the, we'll say

Ron Pullman:

the Kodak, the old, um, Eagle was you were there, I can literally reach out

Ron Pullman:

and touch you like at, In that space at the Eagle and there was enough, like

Ron Pullman:

you said, there was enough room for everybody to dance that you could see the

Ron Pullman:

bar from from the booth and vice versa.

Ron Pullman:

We can still see you at the new location because you are you

Ron Pullman:

are centered upstairs, right?

Ron Pullman:

Right, I'm upstairs, upstairs,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: and I think and because there are different

Ron Pullman:

levels is also the outdoor patio.

Ron Pullman:

I think I'm wondering if that separation kind of has something to do with it,

Ron Pullman:

because I know that I've, I've played places where if I'm, if I'm separated

Ron Pullman:

from the people and I don't see them.

Ron Pullman:

I'm just.

Ron Pullman:

I'm just playing music.

Ron Pullman:

I'm not really vibing off of them and vice versa.

Ron Pullman:

So I think, so I feel what you're saying and I think that might have

Ron Pullman:

something to do with the dynamic and it's Interesting that you bring up

Ron Pullman:

the two different venues now and the different places and the different,

Ron Pullman:

all the different venues that have been come and gone in the city of Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

do DJs, specifically black DJs, do we have to have a responsibility to

Ron Pullman:

take, take a stand against venues that benefit from black dollars, but

Ron Pullman:

don't necessarily respect the patrons?

Ron Pullman:

Yeah, absolutely.

Ron Pullman:

We should take a stand.

Ron Pullman:

I can say I have been,

Ron Pullman:

I have been through the phase of, uh, been unappreciated, And, and I feel like,

Ron Pullman:

uh, people are taking advantage, As much as people may consider me a DJ if I, if

Ron Pullman:

I go into an establishment and start a residency or monthly or whatever, it is

Ron Pullman:

important to me, I don't just show up just to play music and get paid and leave.

Ron Pullman:

It is important to me that my Supporters, crowd, family is treated right.

Ron Pullman:

it was a club that I was doing a monthly at several years ago.

Ron Pullman:

They didn't even have the air conditioning working.

Ron Pullman:

And I told them, you will, this crowd coming here and

Ron Pullman:

they make you a lot of money.

Ron Pullman:

If you don't get this air condition fix, I'm leaving.

Ron Pullman:

It's important to me that.

Ron Pullman:

you're not going to treat my crowd and my people less than if it was another crowd.

Ron Pullman:

No, we bring you a lot of money.

Ron Pullman:

our dollars is very important

Ron Pullman:

going into a place and, and, and I'm just playing and I'm just getting paid.

Ron Pullman:

No, I, I, I want the, the sound has to be right.

Ron Pullman:

People are, I'm known for being a jerk if the sound is not right for me

Ron Pullman:

because I can't do my job properly.

Ron Pullman:

I'm like, if people coming up, my, my crowd, the people that support me

Ron Pullman:

mostly come out and they want to dance.

Ron Pullman:

They want to hear They want to know that I'm not perfect.

Ron Pullman:

I have my off nights, but they want to know that if I'm, if, if the sound is

Ron Pullman:

right, if I'm doing, doing whatever, because they've had a rough day, week

Ron Pullman:

or whatever, or what's going on, they coming out, they want to release.

Ron Pullman:

So, so yeah, me going into bars, clubs, venues, whatever, it is important.

Ron Pullman:

There's so many things, it's quite a few things that I want to be right.

Ron Pullman:

Nothing's going to be perfect, but I want it to be right.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, and my people to be treated right.

Ron Pullman:

So yes, I will say this, what I, what I love about the owner of the Eagle.

Ron Pullman:

I, I, he has been very, very accommodating.

Ron Pullman:

He is truly about the community.

Ron Pullman:

Black, white, Latin, whatever.

Ron Pullman:

He, he is truly, for my years of dealing with him, he is truly about the community.

Ron Pullman:

Um, and he understand the importance.

Ron Pullman:

And he don't take for granted what we have accomplished at First Friday.

Ron Pullman:

So I would say pretty much if, if there's an issue or something I need

Ron Pullman:

or whatever, he is very accommodating.

Ron Pullman:

And that's important to me.

Ron Pullman:

Like I said, it's not all about me.

Ron Pullman:

Yes.

Ron Pullman:

I want the things, whatever it takes for me to do my job or my gig properly, but I

Ron Pullman:

also want my people to be treated right.

Ron Pullman:

And probably that is very important to me.

Ron Pullman:

I had a, Another club in the city, um, not too far from, uh, from the Eagle

Ron Pullman:

wanted me to do a night and I declined because I didn't like the way particularly

Ron Pullman:

my people would be treated there.

Ron Pullman:

That's important to me.

Ron Pullman:

And so, you know, all money ain't good money.

Ron Pullman:

So

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: That's what they say.

Ron Pullman:

And I'm, I'm so happy to hear you say that.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, because I, I believe, I'm gonna use my, an I statement.

Ron Pullman:

I believe the city of Atlanta, the city of Atlanta owes its

Ron Pullman:

appeal, its economic growth.

Ron Pullman:

I think it owes a lot of that to its black queer citizens.

Ron Pullman:

Because if you've lived here for a certain amount of time, you know that

Ron Pullman:

After every holiday weekend, and you know, the black gay community, we love

Ron Pullman:

a holiday weekend because that's people are going to come in from out of town,

Ron Pullman:

and we know that we're going to be entertained, whether it be specifically

Ron Pullman:

DJs that are coming to town to play or the DJs that are residents here.

Ron Pullman:

There might be performance, etc.

Ron Pullman:

So you've got all the holidays, Labor Day weekend which has become

Ron Pullman:

Atlanta black gay pride weekend.

Ron Pullman:

After each of those.

Ron Pullman:

Milestones every year.

Ron Pullman:

I know that there has been tremendous population growth in the city of Atlanta,

Ron Pullman:

and that brings economic growth as well.

Ron Pullman:

Absolutely.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: So, I'm thinking to myself, is there something that

Ron Pullman:

the, and I'm wondering out loud, is there something that the city

Ron Pullman:

of Atlanta could do economically, to To empower ownership of spaces

Ron Pullman:

created for the black gay community.

Ron Pullman:

Because I hear what I hear a lot, what people are saying, well, the

Ron Pullman:

reason why the clubs are disappearing is because nobody owns the bill.

Ron Pullman:

You know, we don't own these properties.

Ron Pullman:

We don't own these buildings.

Ron Pullman:

Well, is there something maybe the city of Atlanta could do to say, look, this

Ron Pullman:

is we, I don't know, through some type of, um, uh, movement or some type of,

Ron Pullman:

you know, thing that they put in place.

Ron Pullman:

We, we have empowered this black promoter, this black group of people,

Ron Pullman:

um, to get some type of economic stimulus so that they can have this

Ron Pullman:

building so that we could point at it and say, this here is a landmark.

Ron Pullman:

This is for, this is a place where the black community has gathered

Ron Pullman:

for the past 20 plus years.

Ron Pullman:

As a place, as a space, is there something that the city

Ron Pullman:

of Atlanta could do, you think?

Ron Pullman:

Almost like a reparations, you know?

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

It sounds like reparations.

Ron Pullman:

No, I mean, no, definitely.

Ron Pullman:

The black gay community definitely has made a strong impact and definitely

Ron Pullman:

need to be acknowledged without a doubt.

Ron Pullman:

Yes.

Ron Pullman:

If, um You've been around for the past decade or few or so long.

Ron Pullman:

Yes, it is.

Ron Pullman:

You, you will see what, what the black gay community has, um,

Ron Pullman:

provided for the city of Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

You're right.

Ron Pullman:

That's what, what, um, bring a lot of people.

Ron Pullman:

If not move here, surely come here on a regular basis.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, you know, I mean, it's so funny.

Ron Pullman:

I want to get a sidetrack cause I'm gonna get back to your point, but to, to, to To

Ron Pullman:

sort of piggyback on what you're saying, just, just the people coming here and

Ron Pullman:

they, they come here whether for a weekend or, or, but I, I, I talked to guys who

Ron Pullman:

come to the Eagle now, even at the old location who come in from DC or New York,

Ron Pullman:

they come into the city once a month.

Ron Pullman:

Maybe not always, always, But they do come in for once a month to come party

Ron Pullman:

and hang out because they're not getting Atlanta need to stand up and be proud.

Ron Pullman:

It's things that this city is given the black gay community, but you

Ron Pullman:

don't even get in other major cities like LA, you don't even get stuff in.

Ron Pullman:

And then I'm not trying to put these cities down.

Ron Pullman:

I'm just saying that we offer, uh, that we offer so much.

Ron Pullman:

for the black gay community in this city that, yeah, Atlanta, city of Atlanta

Ron Pullman:

should just be, should definitely recognize and be proud, be proud.

Ron Pullman:

you know, back to your point, um, what the city could do.

Ron Pullman:

And if, if I think, If I think some, what you're, what you're asking

Ron Pullman:

also, you was, you were mentioning something about, uh, a black owned, uh,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: business.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah, black owned spaces or, you know, because that's, that's the, the, the,

Ron Pullman:

the common thread is the reason why these spaces, these safe spaces are disappearing

Ron Pullman:

is because there's no ownership, no real ownership in the community.

Ron Pullman:

Well, um, I don't know if it's necessarily because

Ron Pullman:

black is widely disappearing.

Ron Pullman:

Um, because I've known people who have had black, who are black owners

Ron Pullman:

have had black queer spaces, and they were lucky to last a year or two.

Ron Pullman:

Um, let's just be honest.

Ron Pullman:

Um, like I said, people come here and.

Ron Pullman:

And this is a, on the same token.

Ron Pullman:

So it's, it's two things that I see why, why the spaces are, uh, maybe even more,

Ron Pullman:

but two particular why things don't sustain, uh, one with the younger crowd.

Ron Pullman:

Things are trendy.

Ron Pullman:

If something is hot six months, it may not be hot a year from now.

Ron Pullman:

And the other thing with my age group, particularly.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, once a month seems to, seems to work for them.

Ron Pullman:

If I was to buy and do a club, I would be afraid that, I would be afraid that,

Ron Pullman:

I will be able to sustain because people in my age group, maybe a little younger.

Ron Pullman:

So I'm even a little older, they don't come out every week.

Ron Pullman:

And so I would have to result to, um, some other crowds to keep me afloat.

Ron Pullman:

GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: And

Ron Pullman:

then if that crowd is there and who they don't like.

Ron Pullman:

let's say a hip hop crowd, a young hip hop crowd, they'd be like, okay,

Ron Pullman:

Ron is catering to these folks and I'm not going back to his club.

Ron Pullman:

So, you know, you, those are the things that you, the challenges

Ron Pullman:

you have being a club owner.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, if you don't have the resources, uh, to sustain And you know, a lot

Ron Pullman:

of things closed down during the COVID, the COVID era period that was

Ron Pullman:

not able to sustain black or white, it didn't matter if you weren't not

Ron Pullman:

being supported, you just lost out.

Ron Pullman:

But, uh, again, I just think the challenge with Atlanta, it's, it's particularly

Ron Pullman:

with the younger crowd is trendy.

Ron Pullman:

They, like I say, whatever's hot.

Ron Pullman:

The six months, it may be something different six months or a year from now.

Ron Pullman:

And so you didn't invest it, your savings, a lot of money, and you'll

Ron Pullman:

be SOL a year or two from later.

Ron Pullman:

And I, you know, so I mean, you know, people have asked me all the time, you

Ron Pullman:

know, why don't you get your own club?

Ron Pullman:

I, you know, and I've thought about it many times, but I'm like, do I

Ron Pullman:

want to take that chance or risk?

Ron Pullman:

And, and, uh, and not be supported, you know?

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

People come out once a month to hear me play.

Ron Pullman:

And like I say, my age group, mostly who comes out once a month, that's all

Ron Pullman:

they need, that's all they feel like that's all they need or they want.

Ron Pullman:

And so, uh, but again, back to your point about the city recognizing, uh, black

Ron Pullman:

and stuff, there's definitely need to be some black spaces that need to be, um,

Ron Pullman:

to acknowledge and so on and so forth.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, I don't know of any black, particularly black clubs, establishment

Ron Pullman:

that are that are exclusively black owned or ran right now.

Ron Pullman:

Maybe there aren't.

Ron Pullman:

I'm just, I'm just can't think of it.

Ron Pullman:

Um, you know, I don't want to keep referencing the eagle, but I will

Ron Pullman:

say again, the relationship that I have had with the owner, uh, he has

Ron Pullman:

been a very accommodating to me.

Ron Pullman:

And if I have an issue or something that I need to address and that's particularly

Ron Pullman:

pertaining to the black gay car, he's, he's, he's been very accommodating.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, yes, I wish we, I'm sorry to be rambling on, but yes, I wish that we had

Ron Pullman:

our own, uh, and, and we would support it.

Ron Pullman:

If we, if, if, if we have our own and we support it, I'm down for it.

Ron Pullman:

Let's make it happen.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, but it's, it's, it's a challenge or it's a risk.

Ron Pullman:

I don't have that kinda money to spare

Ron Pullman:

, GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: listen this a square

Ron Pullman:

to, to, uh, to take that risk.

Ron Pullman:

But I do plan to do some things that hopefully that will, that

Ron Pullman:

will, uh, that would help out.

Ron Pullman:

I, I, I have some things and

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: planned.

Ron Pullman:

Okay.

Ron Pullman:

All right.

Ron Pullman:

Well, that's, that's hopeful.

Ron Pullman:

That's, you know, I like hearing that.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

And I, I'm glad you brought up that perspective of, because I

Ron Pullman:

fall into that crowd as well, where my friends and I, you know.

Ron Pullman:

First Friday is first Friday is a thing and that's okay

Ron Pullman:

because you're absolutely right.

Ron Pullman:

We're not in that, that space anymore of, you know, back in the days, it was Monday

Ron Pullman:

nights at Traxx for the Monday night show, Tuesday night, dug that Tuesday at

Ron Pullman:

7 0 8 Wednesday, Bible study, Thursday, you back it, um, you're at 7 0 8 again.

Ron Pullman:

Um, Friday and Saturdays, you know, the Marquette this Traxx and then Sunday

Ron Pullman:

you're in church, you know, there was a time where we literally we'd be

Ron Pullman:

going out every single day of the week.

Ron Pullman:

As you get older, you're absolutely right.

Ron Pullman:

We can't sustain that at our big ages and our bodies are not

Ron Pullman:

allowing us to do that anymore.

Ron Pullman:

But I'm

Ron Pullman:

sorry, let me just say this before we move on to the next point.

Ron Pullman:

And another thing we also that that sort of.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, I want to use my words correctly.

Ron Pullman:

I don't want to say ruin, but, but change the dynamics of clubs being supported.

Ron Pullman:

Let's just be honest.

Ron Pullman:

Um, people are online and social media.

Ron Pullman:

They get they fix and they hook up online that they don't feel like they

Ron Pullman:

don't have to go out to the club.

Ron Pullman:

They get door service these days.

Ron Pullman:

So.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Let's call a thing

Ron Pullman:

a

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: thing.

Ron Pullman:

Let's call a thing a thing.

Ron Pullman:

You're absolutely right.

Ron Pullman:

I was laughing with another friend the other day.

Ron Pullman:

We were laughing about those, um, the phone chat lines.

Ron Pullman:

Before, because of course, we didn't have, we didn't have cell

Ron Pullman:

phones, we didn't have the internet.

Ron Pullman:

And

Ron Pullman:

GMT20240625-221355_Recording_640x360: so you

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: met people on chat lines at that point.

Ron Pullman:

Um, But you're absolutely right.

Ron Pullman:

And to, to, to harken back a point we made earlier about you particularly

Ron Pullman:

creating a sense of community with, with your, um, with your crowd, um, you know,

Ron Pullman:

you're able to go out and do parties at, you know, Local parks and people will

Ron Pullman:

come follow you because you, you bring a great sound shout out to your, um, to

Ron Pullman:

the people that provide sounds for you.

Ron Pullman:

One of them is my guy, Herbie.

Ron Pullman:

Um, DJ Herb does a lot of sound, you know, he and I used to work at V.

Ron Pullman:

So that's how I know him.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, you know, You always bring great sound and people will

Ron Pullman:

come to you wherever you are.

Ron Pullman:

And I think that's very important to, to say again, because you've cultivated

Ron Pullman:

that, that kind of relationship.

Ron Pullman:

So I'm wondering, is it on the DJs?

Ron Pullman:

Do we, is it us and not necessarily promoters or club owners, do we need to

Ron Pullman:

start cultivating these relationships with the community so that they

Ron Pullman:

feel like they have some place?

Ron Pullman:

trustworthy to go to and will be able to feel like they'll be protected,

Ron Pullman:

they'll be safe, they'll have, and they'll also be entertained with

Ron Pullman:

the music that they want to hear.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, absolutely.

Ron Pullman:

Um, yeah, I absolutely believe the DJ, that's not a bad

Ron Pullman:

thing for, um, most DJs to do.

Ron Pullman:

I, uh, Uh, I just know today DJs wear more hats than you once were.

Ron Pullman:

You just don't show up like you did back in the day with

Ron Pullman:

the crater records or whatever.

Ron Pullman:

Obviously you show up with a flash drive and headphones.

Ron Pullman:

And if the, if the establishment have what you need, uh, you just show up, but

Ron Pullman:

no, um, but to your point, um, you, you should, I know for me, I wear more hats.

Ron Pullman:

It's important for me again, to, uh, I, I, uh, again, like I said, having a

Ron Pullman:

relationship with the club, the sound people, my, the promotion aspect, all

Ron Pullman:

those things from, it's important to me to, to, I think that's what has helped me

Ron Pullman:

have a successful run in this business.

Ron Pullman:

I've, uh, for quite some time, I, I, like I said, I, I wear, I wear a lot

Ron Pullman:

of hats or several hats to make sure.

Ron Pullman:

That my events, perhaps my night is, is, um, successful overall, because

Ron Pullman:

as again, I'm a jerk when it comes to sound, it's, and that's important to me.

Ron Pullman:

But again, like I say, it's, I want people to feel comfortable when they

Ron Pullman:

walk into the establish, establishment.

Ron Pullman:

I want the, from the staff greeting them and being polite to, to going

Ron Pullman:

to the bar that they not being gouged or they not being, all

Ron Pullman:

those things are important to me.

Ron Pullman:

Again, and I, I, of course, unless somebody bring it to

Ron Pullman:

my attention, but I'm playing.

Ron Pullman:

So I'm DJing.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, I know what's going on with somebody being

Ron Pullman:

treated unfairly and whatever.

Ron Pullman:

Again, I'm getting sidetracked, but, um, but yes, it's not a bad idea for a DJ

Ron Pullman:

To, uh, be more involved and, uh, and, and, and making sure and reaching out to

Ron Pullman:

people and making sure things are correct.

Ron Pullman:

I hope that answered your question.

Ron Pullman:

I may have gotten sidetracked.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: No, actually, I appreciate your answering

Ron Pullman:

your answers to that question.

Ron Pullman:

Um, because I feel that as far as having to wear multiple hats and, you

Ron Pullman:

know, you got to promote yourself.

Ron Pullman:

And what I do have a question of a fun question, uh, if you were able

Ron Pullman:

to bring back any venue in black gay Atlanta and that black gay Atlanta

Ron Pullman:

passive clubs, which club would that be?

Ron Pullman:

Oh, wow.

Ron Pullman:

Any black gay club.

Ron Pullman:

Um, I, Ooh, that's a tough one.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, I would say I wasn't involved with this, but I, I would say what I

Ron Pullman:

enjoyed when I moved here, um, maybe a year or two after I had been here,

Ron Pullman:

uh, So there was this female promoter, a woman named Gloria, and she had a,

Ron Pullman:

she had an organization called Friends.

Ron Pullman:

And Friends, she did parties at different locations, she, but probably

Ron Pullman:

her longest, venue or spot she used.

Ron Pullman:

So it was a club that was across, across from Loretta's used to be called 688.

Ron Pullman:

It was used to be called weekends.

Ron Pullman:

We, uh, we can, uh, it used to be called weekends, 688 spring street.

Ron Pullman:

And this turns to

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: the Apache.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

It was like, okay.

Ron Pullman:

You know where the alleyway, where Apache is located?

Ron Pullman:

Yes.

Ron Pullman:

Uhhuh.

Ron Pullman:

. If you were to the back entrance, that alleyway if you walked Okay.

Ron Pullman:

You know what's Concentra now?

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Yes.

Ron Pullman:

Uhhuh . The, the, uh, this was actually a club called

Ron Pullman:

6 88 back in the day.

Ron Pullman:

Oh,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: okay.

Ron Pullman:

Okay.

Ron Pullman:

And the back

Ron Pullman:

entrance was in the alley, be by, right behind Apache.

Ron Pullman:

Wow.

Ron Pullman:

And it, it was only a short period of time.

Ron Pullman:

And I think Loretta's was, might have been open at the same time, I think.

Ron Pullman:

And maybe Loretta's opened up shortly afterwards.

Ron Pullman:

Because Loretta's was a lot of fun.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, it's, it's hard for me to say, but I'm, what resonated

Ron Pullman:

with me the most was that club.

Ron Pullman:

I, um, Uh, so, uh, uh, Rod Cole was the DJ and, uh, but it

Ron Pullman:

was, uh, it was a lot of fun.

Ron Pullman:

It wasn't a huge club, I would say easily probably 250, 300

Ron Pullman:

people packed was in there.

Ron Pullman:

But, I mean, it was just, the crowd was just great.

Ron Pullman:

It was just, Rod did an excellent job with music.

Ron Pullman:

Um, The crowd was it was it was more mixed than it is today.

Ron Pullman:

You will see more.

Ron Pullman:

It was more mixed.

Ron Pullman:

It was predominantly black, but it was more mixed women and men, gay

Ron Pullman:

women and men just we just don't get that too often here in Atlanta.

Ron Pullman:

And that's what house music particularly to me is like, the era I've come from

Ron Pullman:

and what I try to still make happen to this day, it's about, it's inclusive.

Ron Pullman:

Everybody is welcome.

Ron Pullman:

I, you know, I, I want everybody to come as long as you don't have

Ron Pullman:

a problem with anybody, just, just come and enjoy the music.

Ron Pullman:

But that's what I miss about weekend.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, the, um, friends was at this club called Weekends, Weekend Warehouse.

Ron Pullman:

So, and so, um, That's what would have come back, but I

Ron Pullman:

had great times at Morelos.

Ron Pullman:

I had great times at Trax.

Ron Pullman:

Um, I had, um, even a decade before, uh, several years before moving here,

Ron Pullman:

there was a club called In Between.

Ron Pullman:

And that was, uh, yeah, that was the early 80s.

Ron Pullman:

And it was, that was, that was, that was nice.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, but Atlanta has had so many clubs.

Ron Pullman:

I mean, gosh, I'm probably drawing blank.

Ron Pullman:

There's been, I mean, you know, you think about the palace, you think about, uh,

Ron Pullman:

gosh, that's just been so many clubs.

Ron Pullman:

Like the seven, seven or eight.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Backstreet.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

Backstreet, which was a

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: place called the Metro.

Ron Pullman:

It was a Metro, I think on, on peach street.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, and that was, uh,

Ron Pullman:

Um, I've, I had only been a couple of times, but it was a little more

Ron Pullman:

like a little small bar from, uh, but, uh, also during the mid to late

Ron Pullman:

eighties, that was, uh, what, what was a before Loretta's was fosters.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, Falster's, um, was on, um, Peachtree right at 10th.

Ron Pullman:

It was, uh, right next to what's called the Margaret Mitchell House.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Okay, yes.

Ron Pullman:

Right

Ron Pullman:

there, right next to that was, uh, was Falster's.

Ron Pullman:

And that was a fun, uh, that was a real nice club, uh, bar that people attended.

Ron Pullman:

Well, the, the lady Loretta who owned it moved over to Spring

Ron Pullman:

Street and opened up Loretta's.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Okay, I have, so a person I call my play mama who is

Ron Pullman:

here, who, you know, party here years before I was old enough to come,

Ron Pullman:

you know, relocated to Atlanta and start partying, start hanging out.

Ron Pullman:

He would tell me about a place called, was it the Pearl Garden?

Ron Pullman:

Paragarden.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Paragarden, okay.

Ron Pullman:

And was that?

Ron Pullman:

Girl,

Ron Pullman:

girl, you got me, it's the

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Paragarden.

Ron Pullman:

The Paragarden, okay, so it's the Paragarden.

Ron Pullman:

Was that downtown?

Ron Pullman:

Because from what I understand, if I recall, like vaguely, there was a

Ron Pullman:

place down by where the Georgia State Rialto Theater used to be, you know,

Ron Pullman:

where on that, what street is that?

Ron Pullman:

Lucky 3.

Ron Pullman:

No, it wasn't lucky.

Ron Pullman:

It's actually down to down there where the Rialto is now that a part of the Georgia

Ron Pullman:

state campus where that, um, Ooh, I'm losing my train of thought now, as far as

Ron Pullman:

the name of that street is concerned, but

Ron Pullman:

was it in a little, a little alleyway or was it on the main street

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: in that year where the broad street and, um, That little

Ron Pullman:

one way street kind of section.

Ron Pullman:

I just remembered there were a couple of places.

Ron Pullman:

I wasn't even old enough to get into those places, but I heard about them.

Ron Pullman:

And when you said Ritz boys earlier, I remember there

Ron Pullman:

was a place called the Ritz.

Ron Pullman:

I think you had to go upstairs.

Ron Pullman:

Yeah, and it, you, you could see literally the Coca-Cola

Ron Pullman:

sign, the old Coca-Cola sign.

Ron Pullman:

Okay.

Ron Pullman:

So I, I'm, I'm not making, making, yeah.

Ron Pullman:

That came, that came along later.

Ron Pullman:

Okay.

Ron Pullman:

That came, yeah, that the Brits came along

Ron Pullman:

later, but it was the same guys.

Ron Pullman:

It was Philip and David and, and those guys that own it.

Ron Pullman:

But ironically, that's what you're, the area where you're describing is, is where.

Ron Pullman:

I started with them.

Ron Pullman:

It was a little, little bitty street called Poplar Street.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: And that's Poplar Street.

Ron Pullman:

Yes.

Ron Pullman:

Okay.

Ron Pullman:

So yeah, I, uh, started off with them there.

Ron Pullman:

We do late night parties and, uh, and yeah, so, uh, yeah, that was, uh,

Ron Pullman:

that's why I started with them guys.

Ron Pullman:

And then, like I said, after we left there, we did actually, we

Ron Pullman:

did a club around the corner just a block over on Lucky Street.

Ron Pullman:

It was called Secrets.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, we did that for probably about a year before we opened up Traxx and, uh,

Ron Pullman:

Sylvester actually came perform there.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, and so, yeah, it was, it was, uh, really a nice, nice, nice spot.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, we did several things.

Ron Pullman:

Um, gosh, it was even a hotel right there on Lucky Street

Ron Pullman:

called the Atlantean Hotel.

Ron Pullman:

We used to do parties on the rooftop there.

Ron Pullman:

It was quite a bit.

Ron Pullman:

Atlanta is fun and it's still a lot of things going on.

Ron Pullman:

Uh, but for you asked about clubs and the period, the, the, the, the era that

Ron Pullman:

did it for me was when I moved here in 86, I would say up to the early nineties.

Ron Pullman:

Atlanta, um, club scene was just, it was really a lot of fun.

Ron Pullman:

It was really a fun period of time and Atlanta had definitely had its share

Ron Pullman:

of, uh, queer and, and, and queer clubs and, you know, even just a ton

Ron Pullman:

of black, uh, clubs during that time.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, so to answer one particularly.

Ron Pullman:

I only, I only use friends, the organization friends slash

Ron Pullman:

weekends because musically that's what appealed to me.

Ron Pullman:

I enjoyed it pretty much every time, but I enjoyed going to several spaces.

Ron Pullman:

Like I said, it could have been Loretta's, but I mean obviously I

Ron Pullman:

was playing at Traxx, maybe still playing at Traxx during that time.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, but it was just, it was just several, several things.

Ron Pullman:

And it was just, if you didn't feel like being in a dance club, you

Ron Pullman:

could have went to the, to a little drink bar like the Pear Garden.

Ron Pullman:

Or, you know, You know, and just several spaces throughout the city.

Ron Pullman:

Like you said, it could have been a metro, it could have been wherever.

Ron Pullman:

Or you could have went to those places earlier, and then you felt like dancing,

Ron Pullman:

you would come to Loretta's, or you would come to Trax, or you would come to, you

Ron Pullman:

know, uh, 688, a weekend, or whatever.

Ron Pullman:

But, um, so yeah,

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: as we wrap up, I, something you were saying, this

Ron Pullman:

just made this pop up in my mind.

Ron Pullman:

Another memory was unlocked.

Ron Pullman:

I recall.

Ron Pullman:

Um, and I believe, I'm not going to say it was, I'm not directly quoting, but

Ron Pullman:

I believe it was DJ Cedric once said that the, the biggest change or the

Ron Pullman:

change when he knew this, he knew that things had changed in Atlanta was when.

Ron Pullman:

They moved the house DJ upstairs into the boom boom room, which was

Ron Pullman:

at the very top and brought the hip hop downstairs to the main.

Ron Pullman:

To the main floor and he marked that as a pivotal moment in, um, and I guess

Ron Pullman:

the culture and I guess, um, just the appreciation for house music and things

Ron Pullman:

changing as far as dancing is concerned.

Ron Pullman:

Would you agree to say like, like my generation, we came in, we started

Ron Pullman:

integrating hip hop Into, um, into the party and because hip hop had become the

Ron Pullman:

major culture, especially for us come coming up, that's what we related to.

Ron Pullman:

And so, yes, we love some house music, but then we were also

Ron Pullman:

wanting to hear some Biggie and some little Kim at the same time.

Ron Pullman:

Um, what was your, what were your thoughts in around that era when things shifted?

Ron Pullman:

Well, I, I agree with Cedric.

Ron Pullman:

It, that was a very pivotal moment.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, you know, fortunately for me, I didn't, I didn't go through it per se

Ron Pullman:

because I, I left Atlanta for a few years.

Ron Pullman:

So that was that mid 90 ish era when, when that occurred, when he, and you're right,

Ron Pullman:

and I, but I would come back here or wherever I am, I would, I could see that

Ron Pullman:

happening and, and you, what you stated is so true and, um, you know, It was,

Ron Pullman:

I want to use my words, it was, I don't want to say disheartening, but it was, it

Ron Pullman:

was, it was, I know, again, we progress with times and we, we go with things that,

Ron Pullman:

and in most cases go with things that are happening during that era in time.

Ron Pullman:

So, you know, we can't always be stuck in the past, if you will.

Ron Pullman:

Um, but I knew that that was,

Ron Pullman:

The hip hop thing, when it became popular, and it had, uh, integrated into

Ron Pullman:

the black gay clubs particularly, it was, because obviously, you know, I'm

Ron Pullman:

a, I'm a house head till the day I die.

Ron Pullman:

Right.

Ron Pullman:

But I mean, I have an appreciation for hip hop and all that, because

Ron Pullman:

obviously I worked in a record store, so I know various forms of music.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, so I appreciate that.

Ron Pullman:

But to see that culture, integrated into the Black Gay Club, uh,

Ron Pullman:

it was, uh, it was a little sad for me because The black gay clubs and

Ron Pullman:

black Latin and the gay clubs have always were known for the trendsetters

Ron Pullman:

We didn't follow what was mainstream.

Ron Pullman:

We didn't follow what was on radio.

Ron Pullman:

Just now we set the tone for fashion for music for Whatever was hotness

Ron Pullman:

in that and to see that The Black Gay Club particularly wanted to follow

Ron Pullman:

radio and the videos on TV and stuff.

Ron Pullman:

It, it, it changed the dynamic.

Ron Pullman:

So yeah, that's, uh, he, he makes a very valid point.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, and so, um, By it becoming that, uh, we lost, we lost the house.

Ron Pullman:

I think, I just think that I'm trying to say this without being

Ron Pullman:

negative or coming across the fence.

Ron Pullman:

I'm sure not every club that integrated hip hop was, was a

Ron Pullman:

bad or negative experience, but I just think when it became that.

Ron Pullman:

It changed the dynamic and, and, and even the, uh, mentality, if you will,

Ron Pullman:

of how gay men carry themselves, you know, trying to emulate what they

Ron Pullman:

see and perhaps on video or listening to music, it was just, it was just

Ron Pullman:

shocking and mind blowing to me.

Ron Pullman:

So, uh, so, uh, yeah, he's right.

Ron Pullman:

And so when I moved back to the city, which was around the Olympics time and

Ron Pullman:

stuff, I started DJing again, but I started playing mostly on straight clubs.

Ron Pullman:

And then eventually got back to playing both.

Ron Pullman:

Now I play pretty much.

Ron Pullman:

exclusively Black Ink Club or Grout.

Ron Pullman:

And so it's been refreshing to me to see over the past decade that it's been an

Ron Pullman:

appreciation, a resurgence, if you will, for, uh, what started off as a And even

Ron Pullman:

though it's once a month or twice a month now what I do, but to see, again, back to

Ron Pullman:

the point you were making earlier, to see, get back to the house and what I do and

Ron Pullman:

the younger crowd is really embracing it.

Ron Pullman:

That's what, um, So I feel good.

Ron Pullman:

But yeah, during that era in time, it changed the 90s, mid 90s ish.

Ron Pullman:

It changed when the crowd embraced hip hop.

Ron Pullman:

It changed the dynamics of the club.

Ron Pullman:

So Cedric is right.

Ron Pullman:

It did change.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, again, to your point about establishment, um, I know business has

Ron Pullman:

to do what's in their best interest to make money, but again, all money, it may

Ron Pullman:

not, if it's something that you're doing and you change it, the dynamic, it may

Ron Pullman:

be successful for six months or a year.

Ron Pullman:

But if you don't stick to what's, um, who's been supporting you

Ron Pullman:

and, and, and, and, and, and being consistent, you're going to

Ron Pullman:

probably lose out in the long run.

Ron Pullman:

I know I got sidetracked to your question, but I just, it's making

Ron Pullman:

me think about all of that.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: No, and that, that, but no, I want you to express

Ron Pullman:

that because I think those are all the things that, that go into.

Ron Pullman:

a sentiment that is being felt, but nobody knows how to put it into

Ron Pullman:

words specifically about what has happened to the landscape and to the

Ron Pullman:

atmosphere of the places that we're going to and that we're frequencing.

Ron Pullman:

Um, but I am happy that I've had this opportunity to speak with you and to

Ron Pullman:

revisit those days but also to, to, to give people an idea of what it really

Ron Pullman:

takes like community is, it's like what people say about the church churches in

Ron Pullman:

a isn't a building churches wherever.

Ron Pullman:

You know, you are, you know, they say we're two or more gathered and that's

Ron Pullman:

a sentiment that I think we can, we can take with us and explore, but please,

Ron Pullman:

um, Ron, uh, I'm, I'm so appreciative of your time, but please let the people know

Ron Pullman:

how they, where they can find you online.

Ron Pullman:

And how they can, you know, if they're not already a part of your flock, how

Ron Pullman:

they can, you know, become a part of their flock and make sure that they keep up with

Ron Pullman:

you, whether you're in Atlanta or wherever you're, you know, you tour, please let

Ron Pullman:

them know how they can keep up with you.

Ron Pullman:

Well, social media is going to be the best way to follow me right

Ron Pullman:

now, or to stay up with what I'm doing.

Ron Pullman:

Of course, I am on Facebook as Ron Pullman Soul.

Ron Pullman:

Pullman Soul being one word, you can reach me on Facebook, and

Ron Pullman:

on IG, Instagram, Pullman Soul.

Ron Pullman:

And usually on both of my accounts or pages, uh, I have, uh, I keep

Ron Pullman:

the latest, uh, flyers or I keep a schedule of events that I'm doing.

Ron Pullman:

So you can, um, just hit, just hit me up on those.

Ron Pullman:

And, uh, that will be the best way to contact me as well.

Ron Pullman:

Stand up on the events that I'm doing.

Ron Pullman:

It's, um, again, my social media pages and, um, but also.

Ron Pullman:

If you're in the Atlanta area, you can catch me first and third

Ron Pullman:

Fridays at the Atlanta Eagle.

Ron Pullman:

That's the Atlanta Eagle.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Ron Pullman.

Ron Pullman:

Once again, thank you.

Ron Pullman:

Thank you so much.

Ron Pullman:

Not just for spending this time with me and, um, doing this, this, uh, interview

Ron Pullman:

for the podcast, but for what you've done period, like for the building blocks that

Ron Pullman:

you've laid down for, um, not just the party people, but also, you know, for

Ron Pullman:

people who come in behind you who want to DJ, who have this, um, ambition of

Ron Pullman:

becoming a DJ, not necessarily a house DJ, but Knowing that there's some foundational

Ron Pullman:

things that we all as DJs need to practice and the community that you created,

Ron Pullman:

I think is a long lasting testament to all the work that you've done.

Ron Pullman:

So thank you.

Ron Pullman:

I appreciate you, Ron Pulma.

Ron Pullman:

Well, no, thank you.

Ron Pullman:

I appreciate you reaching out to me and allowing, giving me

Ron Pullman:

this platform to express myself.

Ron Pullman:

And, um, I'm grateful to you and Jay for making this happen.

Ron Pullman:

DJ Sir Daniel: Thank you for listening to I Come Alive: Stories of Black

Ron Pullman:

Gay Atlanta Nightlife brought to you by Queue Points Productions.

Ron Pullman:

Special thanks to the Counter Narrative Project 2024 Media

Ron Pullman:

Roundtable for their support as well.

Ron Pullman:

Make sure you become a Queue Points subscriber so that you don't miss

Ron Pullman:

the next episode of I Come Alive.

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