Infected by the Key West virus
Tom Luna “Infected by the Key West virus”
Tom Luna and Will Thompson emceed the Key West Musicians Festival for many years.
A southern boy, Tom Luna was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1952. He jokingly says they were a totally homophobic bigoted family. At age seven, he saw the Bolshoi Ballet on the Ed Sullivan Show and told his parents he wanted to be a ballet dancer. He played piano, the double reed bassoon in the high school band, and at age 15, he began working in theater while living in what he termed a “don’t ask, don’t tell’ existence in Alabama.
Tom and Will emceed the sold out Full Mon Saloon concert in 2018. Tom sang backup with the Nervettes.
Tom worked one summer in theater in Cherokee, North Carolina in the late 60s. The experience was illuminating. It was an accepting unpretentious environment where no one seemed to care about anything but creativity. There were dancers, singers, and actors in the play, “Unto These Hills” which is still going strong. Tom was in awe of the troupe.
On Tom’s 18th birthday, one of the actors, Randy Stauterman asked him what he wanted to do. Tom quickly replied that he wanted to be a ballet dancer. Later, Tom received a call from Gene Hammond of the Tidewater Ballet Association in Norfolk, Virginia. He was accepted for a full scholarship to their ballet school on a recommendation from Randy. After a year, Tom was also accepted into the American Ballet Theater in New York in 1975 with a full scholarship.
Tom always felt in the ballet world you were never good enough. He continued to learn and study. Male ballet dancers are always in demand and could always find work. Tom traveled with different shows for six years. He was young but had gotten a late start for a typical ballet dancer.
Tom with artist Sherry SweetTea, and Charlie Bower at the Key West Musicians Fest.
He began acting extensively in Nashville, TN, Newport, RI, and Lexington, KY while also singing in cabarets. On January 2, 1989, Tom visited a friend in Key West and never left. He was infected with, what he terms, “the Key West virus.” Tom says the community was much different back then with not as many snowbirds and a tighter knit group of friends. His first job was bartending at the Top of the La Concha, an amazing bar for grand sunsets, cabaret singers, great music, and entertainers with huge crowds, and required four other bartenders.
In 1989, Tom worked nights at a bar called Foley Square and would get off late, nearly the same time as Robert Albury who worked as a janitor at Sloppy Joe’s (before they realized he was a great vocalist). They would often find themselves together riding their bikes down an empty Duval Street, at or near the crack of dawn.
These were always great moments – the streets deserted at that hour of the morning, so hearing Robert Albury’s amazing voice, coming from this then unknown singer, bicycling down Duval Street, was kind of like a secret. Tom says, “I was the only witness to this amazing music. I followed behind him on my bicycle and sang harmonies to his lead.”
“At first I honestly don’t know if he was aware of my presence. It was maybe a few weeks before he acknowledged me. One night when we got to the same street on upper Duval to go our separate ways home, he turned and smiled. It is such a wonderful Key West memory for me.” After they split apart going their separate ways, Tom reveled in the thought that he was singing backup to the great Robert Albury.
Later, he worked at the Rooftop Café. The owner, Tom Schmidt was also the president of the Waterfront Playhouse and encouraged Tom to perform in several plays. Tom also performed at the Tennessee Williams Theater and the Red Barn, starring in musicals such as Spamalot and Xanadu. Tom and Vicki Roush were the King and Queen of Fantasy Fest in 1992.
Bobby Nesbitt and Tom worked together at the Pier House. He was a bartender but would also come out from behind the bar and sing. He considers Bobby ‘a Key West legend’. One of Tom’s working highlights was performing in several small shows together.
Tom and Will Thompson had the best jobs in town together. For six years they hosts Club Hour on Key TV drinking in every bar in town.
Between 2005-2011, Tom had a Keys TV Show called Club Hour that required him and his partner Will Thompson to be videoed drinking at local bars all over Key West. What a great job! Sampling the bartender’s specialty drinks and talking to customers. For several years, Tom and Will were emcees for the Key West Musicians Festival. Will termed it ‘the greatest cat herding experience in history’. Tom was also an outstanding MC of two sold out Coffee Butler performances. Tom was
Tom striking a pose.
the MC for the Epidermal Art and Tattoo Competition at the Green Parrot during Fantasy Fest, always a hoot. Tom and his partner, the late Gary Atkins, were together enjoying all these Key West experiences for over 25 years.
Tom met guitarist Dave Hoffman (aka: Crazy Dave) when he was part owner of Peppers of Key West. He’s doesn’t remember the exact circumstance but their friendship has lasted over 20 years. They ride motorcycles together and have shared many fun experiences. Dave had a recent and very serious stroke while in North Carolina. Tom quickly drove to his friend’s bedside and stayed for over almost three months until Dave could safely travel. Tom lost his job and his apartment but not his friend. Dave is now recovering and the two friends continue to have nearly adjacent apartments in Key West. “That’s What Friends Are For”
Stop by the Gardens Hotel on Sunday evenings and have a drink with Tom he’s working during the Sunday Jazz gig.
Stop by and see Tom at the Gardens Hotel for Sunday Jazz.
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