In Memoriam

Darlings, I don't usually get too sentimental here on the ol' bloggeroo, but today I want to acknowledge someone very special who passed away yesterday...the day before her birthday...after a long and brave struggle with cancer...Heather Artena Hughes.

I've had the pleasure of working and laughing with Heather, aka Betty Sommers , on several episodes of MatchGame Belltown...where she's always brought a note of raunchy hilarity to Betty's 'cougar' persona. In and out of character, always a funny, warm and caring person who is obviously loved by many here in Seattle, especially those in the performance community.

Heather, Happy Birthday! Bless you...and may peace be with you! Your friends and admirers back down here in dumb ol' Seattle will miss you very, very much!!

Here's a clip of our Heather in that classic Seattle grunge-era movie, SINGLES...

 

Photo credit Gregory White

Our Founding Flounders

Well, lookee here! It's the MatchGame Founders Day Festival Edition...coming up this weekend as part of the Belltown Founders Day celebration...and guess who gets to be on the panel...and give a very special performance?? Why, it's Belltown Betty 2011-Gams Galore!...(that ravishing beauty!) And not only do I get to share the stage with Mr.Belltown...but also with some very special pals...like good ol' Gary Gloryhole!

Then, Sunday night features the 7th Annual Belltown Pageant...and alas, my darlings, this means that my reign is at its end and I must pass on the 'Presitgious' Belltown Betty crown to the next chump lucky contestant!

Match Schtick

This past Sunday night marked the second big Match Game of the season...now in its fabulous new home...Re-bar!! So far there's been a great turnout and we've recruited some new fans along the way, so thaaaat's good...the only thing I miss is drink service...and snacking during the show, since they don't cook anything at Re-bar except Bacon!

Aaanyway...I donned my most mysterious black wig and eyepatch for this month's James Bond theme...

...then made my getaway to Re-bar to enjoy some martinis (shaken, not stirred) along with the antics of this month's special guests...The Ghost of Amy Whinehouse...the scourge of the Galore dynasty, Penis Galore...and everyone's favorite Naughty Nazi, Gaydolf Hitler!

Here I am with the sensationally seductive Miss Anita Poussé...

...aaaand...amazing vocalist Adé!

We die-hard Match Game fans are a courteous group who always make sure to dress for the occasion...

Just don't piss us off or we get very...very...ANGRY!!!

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for December, when the traditional holiday theme is a Snowball Fight with Jesus...and a certain U-No-Hoo will be a very special guest herself with a very special holiday song...hmmm...I wonder who it could be???

Don't forget to take a peek at my Good Answer blog on Tumblr for oodles of answer cards from Match Game! And I think that's enough of the black wig for this year...I have to get back to concentrating on my BLONDE AMBITION!!! for cryin' out loud!
Gaydolf pic courtesy Tony James 

Good Answer!

Introducing my newest Tumblr page...
Good Answer...Filling in the blanks of life...doesn't that have a pleasant ring to it? Enjoy an ongoing selection of orange answer cards once used as celebrity answers on my favorite local gameshow, Match Game Belltown! From whimsical to raunchy, you're sure to find the answer you're looking for today!

Sometimes a question is the answer...or is it the other way around?

Stay Tuned...

It's almost time for almost everyone's favorite game show...Match Game Belltown! From October to June, it's the most fun you can have for $10 or less on a Sunday night! Get ready to match the stars!!











The posters are part of the fun...awesome art by Neil J.Devlin

Match Gams ~2~

I just got ahold of these great fotos from last month's Match Game Belltown! Your pal Gams was dee-lighted to be chosen as one of the guests on the celebrity panel. Remember I mentioned Match Game a couple months back? That time I was randomly selected from the studio audience to match the stars, resulting in a dazzling win and prizes galore...but, lucky me! This was the second season I got to be a panelist, thanks to my nautical friend, Nelson Heston Reilly.

Truth be told, I'm not sure which was more fun...as a contestant, I got to dance...but as a guest star, I got to sing! I chose my version of Tipsy, because everyone consuming alcoholic beverages in the audience can always relate to those lyrics. It's comforting to know that the drunker everyone is, the better I sound! Yay!



The audience was also treated to a performance by another guest panelist, Maurice Caldwell Junior...a uniquely talented and eclectic singer/guitarist...he of the ever-changing bindi and dashing wardrobe! I love it when folks take time to dress to the nines when they go out on the town! Seattleites are so in love with their bluejeans and baseball caps...it's tres refreshing to see someone wearing a nice cut of cloth for a change, ain't it?




Host Richard Rugburn and the other panelists ~ Bing Wheeler, Betty Sommers, Nelson Heston Reilly, and Vincent Drambuie ~ are completely, utterly sick...bless their hearts...ya gotta love 'em! I was tickled pink when one of the questions was about little ol' me! It went something like this: "In 1976, Gams Galore made it onto Let's Make a Deal by shaking her _________ in Monty Hall's face!"

I'll leave you to fill in that blank, darlings! xoxo

(pix courtesy of Jackie Kingsbury)

Match Gams!

Yes, yes, I know. My essay on "What I Did Over The Weekend" is two or three days late. Excuses? I don't need no stinking excuses......and besides, my dog ate it.

So, get over it already, while I tell you all about my experience in the winner's circle at Match Game Belltown's Queer Film Edition ~ a part of last week's SLGFF. As you know, I'm neither L or G, but I am a bona fide disco queen straight from the 80's who was randomly selected to be one of the contestants!



Just why, you ask, would it matter that I'm a vintage disco queen? Because the final round was tied and came down to a dance-off, that's why! And not that my young opponent wasn't worthy, but, honey, everybody knows a gal in blue jeans and Doc Martens just can't bust those disco moves like one in silver spandex leggings and platforms can! Soooo...I WON! I WON!!



Unfamiliar with Match Game? Surely you remember that great old game show hosted by Gene Rayburn, with celebrity regulars like Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Sommers...where two audience contestants "Get Ready To Match The Stars!" (if you're too young to remember, you can watch excerpts on youtube) Well, Belltown's version is pretty much the same, only totally insane and shamelessly fixed!



Hosted by the virile Richard Rugburn, regulars include 'celebrities' like Nelson Heston Riley, Vincent Drambuie and Carrot Bottom, with a revolving assortment of guest panelists. I, myself enjoyed the antics of panelists OB-GYN Kenobi, Betty Sommers, EmpeROAR Fabulous, Lucky Penny, Nessie Lashes, and Syfelice Navidad.

A guest performance or two was enjoyed between rounds. This is always special, and I'm proud to say that yours truly, Gams Galore, was lucky enough to be one of the performing celebrity panelists on last year's God's Good Green Earth edition. Since it had a green theme, I performed my tribute to Michael Phelps and his bong...Hashpipe! (And I have to confess that because I was just the teensiest bit wasted after hanging about the green room, I flubbed a line...I know, I know...but, naturally, I salvaged it with my razor-sharp quick-wittedness, so all was well and my song and I met with avid audience approval! Phew!)



I love a winner, though...especially when it's me! As such, I was presented with a bag chock-full of terrific prizes with a "Vegas" theme: the "Vegas Showdown" game! A silver slot machine drink dispenser! A slot machine bank with real bell action sounds! Playing cards! (curiously, nudie girls and presidential portraits...) A canned ham! A Best of Match Game DVD set! Another DVD of the most fabulous movie ever made, Vegas in Space! A Match Game Belltown T-shirt! Free tickets to a couple shows! A box of Massengil Douche! All in a snappy shopping tote, perfect for my next trip to Rite-Aid for cheap red wine! Thanks, Match Game Belltown for a helluva good time...again! Love, Gams

(ps all pics except top one credited to Debora Spencer)