Cody Raburn: Mr. Showtyme

It was 2009, Cody Raburn recalls, after a long day selling cars, when he and his buddy Chris went out for drinks to blow off some steam. Raburn was complaining about his job when his friend had an intoxicated epiphany: “We should be strippers!” After he sobered up, Raburn revisited the idea seriously. He auditioned at Gold Club Centerfolds under the nickname “Showtime” and found a new career. Now Raburn runs his own male entertainment company in Sacramento: Showtymes Entertainment. He went from selling cars to touring the world, appearing on Conan and even giving Macklemore’s grandma a lap dance. SN&R chatted with Raburn about the many accomplishments he has under his belt.

How did you get your stage name?

When I sold cars, I was like “OK, baby! Here we go, it’s showtime.” Everyone nicknamed me Showtime because I was the life of the party in the dealership … When I auditioned, they were like, “What’s your stage name?” … I was like, “Everyone calls me Showtime.” They were like, “That’s perfect.”

Is it difficult to be in a relationship?

I’ve been with the same girl for over six years, and we were able to have a boy in May. I have, like, Cody’s life and Showtyme’s life. So I don’t portray that I have any type of girlfriend on social media because it is a buzzkill for women when their attractive fantasy has a wife and kids.

How much have you made in one night?

I made $2,400 in one night doing three parties, and if you tell a female stripper you made that in one night, she would laugh at you. She would tell you, “Three shows and you only made two grand? That’s a terrible night.” … If you are a new guy, the average is $150 an hour, but hey—it’s $150 an hour.

What was it like your first time performing?

I came in and they called up three of us to the stage and they were like, “Alright ladies, one of these guys will be featured next month, you guys pick which one you want to see.”

Each guy had 30 seconds on stage; I literally had no idea what I was doing. So I went out there and moved my hips and took my shirt off. I gyrated my hips and used the pole … I was nervous, but once it was over, I won.

What is the craziest thing that’s happened to you while working?

I was doing a private party for a group of ladies in their mid-40s. After I was done wrapping up, the lady who hired me was like, “I’m going to get a pack of smokes.” …

She was driving crazy to the gas station, and when she gets out to get her smokes, this guy approaches the car. I rolled down the window, and he told me someone just called the cops. Meanwhile, I am dressed like a cop. … My driver then finds us and he tells us there are 13 cop cars down there, and all of sudden we hear “Put your hands up!” … We come out and I explain the whole story, and then they were like, “You are under arrest.” …

So I was put in the drunk tank for 6 hours dressed like a cop, and everyone in there got a kick out of it.