Mr. Whitekeys, also known as W. Keys, is a musician, recording artist, entrepreneur, writer, media personality and

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

in the U.S. state of Alaska. He was the owner and operator of a nightclub called the Fly By Night Club, located in the Spenard neighborhood of

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

, from 1980 to 2006. In part due to his flamboyant public persona and penchant for humor (and to a more limited extent, penchant for self-promotion), he figures prominently in the modern history and folklore of Spenard. He has released sporadic recordings over many years, starting in 1972, mostly under the band name The Fabulous Spamtones.

Biography

Mr. Whitekeys spent his early years living in South Dakota, Iowa, and Arizona. He came to Alaska in 1970 with a friend, who left Alaska shortly afterward. Not long after his arrival, he began working as a bar band musician, particularly for Mike Gordon at his new Spenard establishment Chilkoot Charlie's. He coined what became Chilkoot Charlie's slogan, "We cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you." Gordon's success with this bar led to a short-lived attempt on his part to expand into a statewide empire, as he established Chilkoot Charlie's locations in Girdwood and

Fairbanks Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

during the mid-1970s. Whitekeys originally came to Fairbanks as part of this expansion and remained for several years, where he played in numerous "Two Street" bars during the

construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System The construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System included over of oil pipeline, 12 pump stations, and a new tanker port. Built largely on permafrost during 1975–77 between Prudhoe Bay and Valdez, Alaska, the $8 billion effort required te ...

and the economic boom which accompanied it. After many years spent playing throughout Alaska, and later a short-lived stint in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, he started his own nightclub, the Fly By Night Club, which opened for business on July 31, 1980. The Fly By Night Club, along with the Flying Machine, were the last occupants in a historic building on the eastern shore of Lake Spenard, originally the home of the Idle Hour Supper Club and not far from the site of

Joe Spenard Joseph A. Spenard (1879–1934) was an early settler of Anchorage, Alaska. Lake Spenard, Spenard Road, and the city of Spenard, Alaska (now incorporated into the Municipality of Anchorage) bear his name. Biography Joseph A. Spenard was born in ...

's original resort. The building was demolished in 1984 to make way for a large hotel, currently the Lakefront Hotel. Whitekeys moved the club further up Spenard Road, one block north of Spenard's post office. Both locations of the club were described in advertisements featuring an extensive list of past building occupants, with the motto "Going out of business regularly in the same location for over 30 years." The primary attractions of the club, described by Whitekeys in terms of the need to be different, were a food menu heavily based on

Spam Spam may refer to: * Spam (food), a canned pork meat product * Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages ** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages ** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ( ...

dishes and a schedule throughout the year of shows such as ''Springtime In Spenard'', ''The Whale Fat Follies'', ''The Freeze-Up Follies'' and ''Christmas In Spenard''. ''The Whale Fat Follies'' was performed from June to September and was largely geared towards tourists, being advertised as "the Alaskan show The Department Of Tourism does NOT want you to see." The off-season shows tended to be more topical, catering to locals. The club operated until September 9, 2006. Whitekeys sold the establishment to Allen Choy, the owner of a popular South Anchorage nightclub, and his partner Jeff Matosky. They reopened the club as Players House of Rock. Whitekeys maintains a steady public presence, at least in Anchorage. He regularly contributes humor-tinged commentaries to ''The Alaska Almanac: Facts About Alaska'', ''Alaska'' magazine and the newscasts of Anchorage television station

KTUU KTUU-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside dual CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate KAUU (channel 5). Both stations share studios on East 40th Avenue in ...

. He is also the president of the Anchorage Audubon Society, listed on their website as "W. Keys." He performs with various musical acts in the Anchorage area as a keyboard player.

Discography

*(as Mr. Whitekeys & The Fabulous Spamtones) **''Mr. Whitekeys & The Fabulous Spamtones'' **''The Whale Fat Follies!'' **''It's Not Easy Bein' Sleazy'' Song Tracks
1. Viva Spenard
2. I'm My Own Grandpa
3. My Favorite Things
4. Schedule D
5. The History of Cereal
6. Blame It On El Nino
7. The Wrestling Song
8. Martha Goes Camping
9. Ride On Loren Leman
10. There's No Nuggets Like Moose Nuggets
11. Jewel
12. Here Comes Menopause
13. The Lewinsky Sisters'
14. The Moose Nugget Blues
15. Don't Let Me Go To Costco
16. Fishita
17. Orange Blossom Special *(as Mr. Whitekeys featuring Kenny Blackwell) **''The Bluesaholics'' *(as Dick & Dubya) **"The Liar Sleeps Tonight" single (2004). This song became popular that year on Dr. Demento's show. *(on various artists compilations) **''Livin' In Rhythm: Alaska Celebrates "Sourdough" Mike McDonald'' **''Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes 9'' (2001) contains " Martha Goes Camping"

Bibliography

* ''Mr. Whitekeys' Alaska Bizarre: Direct from the Whale Fat Follies Revue'' * DVD: ''Alaska: The First 10,000 Years'' (2008)

References

External links

Official website

* - Whitekeys and "

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

" star in " Girls Just Wanna Have Guns" {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitekeys, Mr. 1947 births 20th-century American writers 21st-century American writers American filmmakers American keyboardists Businesspeople from Alaska Living people Musicians from Anchorage, Alaska Writers from Anchorage, Alaska