They were a sacred space for him then: “You walk in and there’s a couple hundred people just like you,“ he said. As a young gay man in the 80s, he remembers hiding behind his clothes and accessories entering gay bars. James Hemphill has been performing drag for 35 years.
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Terrika performed two signature numbers: one with a Marry Poppins theme involving a naughty spoon full of sugar and another act that revolved around spanking people with a cricket bat to sweet dreams by Annie Lennox. James’ performances were all about sex, drugs and alcohol. Famous visitors included Madonna and Henry Rollins.ĭuring his time working at Embers, James Hemphill wore many hats - he was a cocktailer, a DJ, a lead cook, security, and his personal favorite - an entertainer - performing as drag queen Terrika St. The club moved to its NW Broadway location in 1979.Īt its height in the mid 90s, Embers was pumping out drag shows seven nights a week. EMBERS HISTORYĮmber’s was originally located on SW Park and Morrison next to the Virginia Cafe. A City Home customer with an affinity for Portland history took the statues home. In the late 80s, patrons of Embers salvaged two of the Gargoyle faces from the rubble of Portland’s Orpheum Theater demolition to display in Ember’s show bar. The Go Go Cages were a super fun addition to Ember’s dance floor. The wheel is a last vestige of one of Portland’s first gay bars. The owner, Roman Wydra, was Ember's owner Steve Suss’s primary partner. This brass ship wheel from Embers was originally on display at Roman’s Rip Tide on SW 10th & Stark in the late 70s to early 80s. These trees are massive … a quarter of the storage at Embers was dedicated just to their branches and it took three to four people three to four hours to put up each tree for the holiday season You can now find these trees for sale in City Home's showrooms. EMBERS MEMORABILIAīack in the late 80s, Ember's owner Steve Suss went to an auction for a department store that was closing and purchased 6 huge display trees for Christmas decorations for the club. We were happy to be a part of finding a home for these vintage pieces that tell important stories from Portland’s LGBTQ community. James Hemphill, an Ember’s long-time staff member of 26 years, contacted City Home looking for a buyer for some of the club’s memorabilia. His family had to make the difficult decision to close the club.
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At the end of last year, after almost 50 years in business, Embers Night Club opened its doors for the last time to a line that stretched from their entrance on NW Broadway all the way to SW Stark.Īfter suffering a series of strokes, owner Steve Suss became incapacitated and unable to speak or write.