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April Hall of The Rialto Report writes:
Aaah… Billy Dee. It’s complicated.
I’d wanted to contact him for years. But accurate information about him was just difficult to find.
He was one of my favorite porn actors – who got started in the golden age of adult films in the 1970s and survived into the video era of the 1980s.
I heard he’d served in the armed forces during the Viet Nam years, or that he’d done time in prison for drugs. Some said he’d taught tennis at a nudist camp, but others remembered him having his own successful male stripping group before The Chippendales were famous. People couldn’t even agree on his race – was he black or mixed race?
And some said he’d left adult films to attend Bible College. He’d become a preacher, a Southern fire and brimstone evangelist, who shunned his porn past and wouldn’t welcome anyone asking about it. And so no one had heard of him since then.
I looked for him everywhere and eventually managed to reach him last year. The thing is I didn’t get a reply back from him until just a few weeks ago. It turned out that he was wary about talking about his career in adult films. He explained that when he stopped making films, he made sure that he really disappeared. Even his partner, actress Nikki Knights, didn’t know where he’d gone.
In the end Billy Dee agreed to talk. And it turns out he’s a salesman living in Scotland.
Like I said, it’s complicated.
April Hall interviews Billy Dee in this special extended edition of The Rialto Report.
This episode’s running time is 134 minutes.
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Billy Dee – Yesterday and Today
Billy did a fantastic scene with the leggy Tamara Longley on a boat, he also got to work with Jessie St James and the sultry Melissa Melendez in a Miami Vice parody with Buck Adams. He was the man in the 80’s. Billy also did a smocking scene with the late Tiffany Rose, one of her last scenes before she died in a 1988 car crash. Did Billy ever work with Tiffany Clark?
Billy was always the most in shape male actor in the industry, the guy was never without his washboard abs, his girlfriend Nikki Knights also looked like she spent a lot of time in the gym they were porns fitness couple. I’m surprised in the recent photos I see Billy smoking and drinking?
Epic, epic episode… The longest Rialto so far (?) and one of the most engaging too.
Billy should go on a lecture tour. He is a natural storyteller and he held my attention from start to finish – what a life. Thanks Billy for coming out of hiding and for such an honest and touching interview. This was seminal.
Brother Billy is the man. Always was and always will be.
I guess a comeback is outta the question…?!
Larry Peters you are preaching to the choir! I would love to see Billy Dee and Field Marshall Bradley and King Paul (if he is still alive?) do a comeback tour together. Almost like a reality series where all the young porn stars of today get to have sex with these legends who are old enough to be their grandfathers. Maybe even get some of Billy’s co stars from the 80’s like Nikki Randall appear with them too!
What a great interview and thank you for sharing this, Billy Dee is the man! Was hoping he would mention Carol Titian even since she did so many scenes with him in her career. Is there any way to track her down and possibly do an interview with her as well if she’s still around? That would be amazing if so, she always been one or my favorites too.
Billy Dee…still one of the coolest there is.
To each his reach indeed D. man!
Roy.
What a cool character! Loved the Amber Lynn story. Also interesting to hear about the Swedish Erotica days. Would love to hear an interview with another Swedish Erotica starlet, Little Oral Annie aka Andrea Parducci. Any chance of that in the future?
I was most struck by how often Billy says how great the questions are. it’s a common thread through these interviews. Both you and Ashley put your subjects at such ease that the words just flow.
That’s a gift and thanks for sharing–with us and with them.
Guy has more stories than Mark Twain, wow.
Trichomoniasis not trichinosis, Billy.
BTW Anyone know what happened to Angel?
Billy Dee is the man! And still looking great today!
Please find F.M. Bradley, Rialto guys… We need to reunite Billy and F.M. for a podcast.!
I am 100% with you on hat Jeff, what the hell is the Field Marshal up to these days?. back in the 80’s interracial wasn’t as it is today. It was a big thing when a VHS tape came out and there was the Field Marshall having sex with porns Miss America Stacey Donovan or blonde Goddess Amber Lynn. He also received a BJ from Tamara Longley while sucking her toes in Girls of the A Team. I would have liked to see FM work with Melissa Melendez but for some reason she refused to work with him and I would have loved a scene with Field Marshall and Kimberly Carson together. If anyone can find FM it’s the Rialto Report
Damn you Rialto Report. All I want to do is listen to you Guys😅🤣 Another classic report always loved Billy Dee. Great Guy. And the Ladies Loved Billy Dee
Your movies were my favorite when I was growing up as a teen during the eighties. I always rented a movie that had either you, Karen Summer, Angel or Kay Parker. I loved seeing you in a film because it was great to see a mixed race man in adult film and that made me feel good because I’m mixed race and I was an outcast as a teen. I absolutely loved this interview and April Hall did an incredible job. I admire you even more now!!!
Well said Jay.
I had a similar reaction to seeing Billy Dee on VHS in the 80s. I loved John Leslie, Herschel and all, but Billy stood out as a rare mixed race actor……. who had talent too!
Some people just have a charisma. Billy was one of the few.
Thanks Kent.
Ashley and April are such great interviewers that they bring out the charisma in all of the people that they interview. A constant factor that comes through in all of the episodes is that they are happy that they are allowed to talk just about their lives as human beings who just happened to do this for a living. I always felt that the tagline for “Rialto Report” should be “Every ‘body’ has a story to tell”. I thought that Candy Samples basically described how everybody else felt who’s interviewed by them when she said to April later into the interview “You’re very nice. I like you”. That’s why this podcast is so brilliant.
Amen! Couldn’t have said it better!
Thank you so, so much Jay!
What an interview! Just an incredible story!
A classic show about a classic person.
I had the honor of working with Billy in INNER BLUES, wherein he played a retired defensive back named Barney, and I played a retired middle linebacker named Rocky. During a moment of dialogue, I commented that he was “the only man that I would trust behind me.”
Nobody does it better than THE RIALTO REPORT.
Previewed first with Bill Margold and Herschel Savage on their highly entertaining Porn Star Radio show Pop Shots!
Great film! Yes Billy Dee and Bill Margold played retired Detroit Lions players and the banter between them seemed real like two old teammates just hanging out. I believe they did a scene with Frankie Leigh that was pretty hot in that film. I just wish both of these fine actors had the chance to perform with Gina Valentino and Crystal Breeze! but Frankie was great too! Go Lions
Treat your interview subjects with respect, and they open up like a flower. Another superb interview, April.
That is very kind Roger – thank you so much!
Are you a journalist April? What else have you done ? I am a pretty tough critic and your talent is through the roof. I listed to your Serena interview the other night and I was so moved by your empathy for her.
Billy and Rick Savage seem pretty happy with their career choices. the women seem more ambivalent…perhaps due to the stigma on women?
I also would be curious about any feminist dimension to this. I get most of the women performs liked sex and were themselves rather adventurous but I wonder if they felt that the emphasis on facials was demeaning. I remember going to a few of the shows featuring these performers and I remember them closer to a gynecological exam than a striptease. Didn’t really find these shows erotic.
Also what about interviewing Mai Lin or a woman of color? Mai is in SF area….
Billy Dee is/was always on my A-list of Actor/Star that I had the pleasure with as a photographer to work with, so thankful he is happy and well.I’m sure his journey will continue to dispel his grace and gifts and we will all benefit from his gift to live…. miss you Billy… Vincent
I was so happy to reunite with my buddy Billy through this interview. One of the best people I have ever known. Brings back all the great memories from that era.
I work with Billy very often on the food and drink show circuit
And I can honestly say he is one of the nicest and inspirational
Guys I have ever met
Billy you rock
Billy Dee was always one of those big actors from back in the day where u couldn’t find any interviews he did. Well this podcast is the only one we’ll ever need. It was amazing. Thank u Billy for sharing your life and thank u Rialto Report for presenting it to us, the fans.
Thank you Skirm – and thank you Billy for opening up and sharing so many of your memories and feelings!
Well I never knew tha the guy I met and worked with (for a short time, but was fun) was a star. He’s such a great person too. Way to go Billy Dee. Love Olive ???
Fucking great podcast.
April, hand over the next one to Ashley, because after a third consecutive one by your likes, I ‘ll fall head over hills for you.
…and I am just around the corner from where you live, about 6,000 miles to be exact.
….and Taija Rae gets a mention too.
Come on RR, you GOTTA get her up here!!! Thousands of fans are waiting with baited breath to see how she’s getting on these days. 😉
I would lose it if RR ever tracked down and interviewed Taija Rae. Have heard conflicting stories about her over the years. Would love to know the real dealio. C’mon Taija… for your fans… ONE TIME, BABY!
It would be the holy grail for all fans of Rialto Report. TAIJA RAE is missed by a whole generation of men that would have loved getting older with her. We can only dream or imagine what has become of her . I loved her in the 80`s and she was never out of my thoughts. I still love her.
Hey, Billy Dee! Great to catch up with your story here on the other side of the rainbow. Always enjoyed seeing you on the set. Thought you were a good man, then — think you’re a good man now! Wish you and yours all the best!
Very, very much appreciated getting to spend this afternoon with you and April today!!!!
Bravo to you both . . . and thank-you!
H.
What a fascinating character. Grounded, but also all over the map. 😉
RR, you’re the best.
Hey Billy Dee,
Good to hear your story and to know you’re doing well.
Remember “Memphis Cathouse Blues” and one of my favorite scenes shot almost
in silhouette, crackling fire and sweet talkin’?
Good interview April!
Thank you Kay! xo
So what is Nikki Knights up to now? I kept waiting to hear.
Billy, great to know you’re doing well. You sound like a real people person. I can easily see you being great at sales and any endeavors involving interpersonal skills.
What a fantastic interview. What a humble and cool dude 🙂 It’s so interesting to
hear Billy’s life story after all these years.
Just listened to this episode and it was AWESOME. Possibly the best one you’ve done yet. Billy looks and sounds great, but is that a cigarette I see in one of those pics? C’mon man, try the patch or e-ciggies (which worked for me) or whatever – we want you to stick around!
Don’t know why but Billy Dee popped into my head about 2 weeks ago and I wondered what happened to him. And now by chance I find this great interview. Thanks April and all the fine people at the Rialto Report for your great job!?
By the way April your voice is smooth as butter baby!
The “funny” thing about this is that it’s easy to forget (or not to have known) that “interracial” was a pretty big taboo back in Mr. Dee’s era, and he became a part of a phrase with a LARGE number of white female performers, that being “…except Bill Dee”, meaning that they wouldn’t “work” with any of the black actors but that they would with Mr. Dee, Christy Canyon being one of the primary examples here. Why I said “funny” is that since this is America, you will always be defined by how close to being white you are. After all, when was the last time you heard of someone “mixed race” or “bi-racial” being defined as white? We all know, as do they, you are either white here or you are not. That said, I admire Mr. Dee’s ability to have worked through what had to have been a very difficult time in adult cinema while watching his black brethren get skipped over for roles. Had to be tough. And he was. And my fave here will always be Billy Dee vs.Peter North, wow what a movie!
Great interview. It was very informative. Billy Dee has always been my favorite adult movie actor. He is great in the movie “Doin’ It,” in the hot tub scene. It was a very hot scene at that.
what is with Suzannah French?
NPR. Has nothing on your journalistic insight!
Has anybody heard of or seen CONNIE PETTERSON?
This is a great interview. I loved every minute. Billy was always great in his scenes. He always seemed into whoever his scene partner was. Thank you April and Billy for the wonderful interview. I am so happy to hear Billy is still alive and doing well
Thanks so much Tom!
Terrific rich in info journalism. What a journey… u mention talking to Nikki Knights about Billy … what about Nikki Knights ? One of the most explosive covers on Hustler 1988. Very passionate performer.. actually started a Facebook w updated but limited photos no response. As many films he’s done with her why isn’t she mentioned ? Did I miss it? Hope you share more about her. Billy recollections so colorful and entertaining… thank u sis for helping bring that out of him.-= c
Totally agree. I’ve been a fan of hers for years and wonder what happened to her. She is my #1 all time favorite. An interview with her would be much appreciated.
Actually .. re listened and located his stories of them together . So sad about her son . No one looked like her w the hair etc . Very fun to watch . Just like listening to this interview . You got a voice for radio almost sounds like ur gonna say “94.7 the wave “ … ur that good . Thank you .-chris
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments Chris!