Tag Archives: gay artists

Jermaine Stewart, The Word Is Out, 1984. The slender, effeminate Stewart first gained notice for his flamboyant dancing on Soul Train, leading to gigs as a backup vocalist for Shalamar and Culture Club. Co-written with Culture Club bassist Mikey Craig, The Word Is Out, Stewart’s first single, was taken by gay audiences as a coming out anthem of sorts, even …

ABC has canceled tomorrow’s scheduled concert on Good Morning America in the aftermath of his controversial performance on Sunday’s American Music Awards. But CBS has jumped on his new availability. If you were hoping to catch Adam Lambert performing on “Good Morning America” this Wednesday, or maybe even see the free concert in person in New York, you’re out of …

Yesterday the ladies of The View discussed Adam Lambert’s controversial performance on the American Music Awards. Unsurprisingly, it was Elisa Hasselbeck who went off of Lambert. (Transcription via Towleroad.) “It seemed to be a sexual aggression that came across in the performance. Now, does anyone know what song he sang? Does anyone remember what he sounded like? Because, let me …

“It was my desire to stay away from talking about certain political and civil rights issues because I’m not a politician. I’m an entertainer. That is not my area of expertise. I can talk about relationships and personal experiences because as an artist those things involve writing lyrics and that part of my process. But I didn’t feel comfortable talking …

Next month Pet Shop Boys will release a five-song EP. Whee! Included on the five track EP, titled appropriately enough Christmas, will a new version of “All Over The World”, a song from the band’s most recent studio album, as well as an reworked version of “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas”, which was originally an exclusive Christmas single issued …

Bearotic reports today that BearForce1, the world’s most popular “bear band” (and there are a few) has broken up. Oh well, even with more cast changes than the Supremes, they were good for a laugh. I even saw them in “concert” at NYC’s Splash Bar and can still do the silly Bearforce1 dance. Here’s their first and biggest hit from …

-Rocker Reeve Carney has been named as the title lead for Spider-Man: The Musical. The lavish but troubled $40M production is scheduled to open sometime next year. Music by Bono and the Edge. -Green Day’s American Idiot musical is headed for Broadway after this weekend’s close of its Berkeley debut. No theater or opening date has been announced. -Dame Edna …

“Precious is really not a black story. I told it originally for a black audience, and I’m a black, gay filmmaker. So I told it with a gay sensibility, and I gave a black sensibility to it, because I’m African-American. But I think it’s a universal story, and it goes beyond sex and/or culture to be universal. “I met this …

My loyal companion Aaron writes from his exile in Oregon to suggest that opera fans here on JMG would enjoy Journeying Boy: The Diaries of the Young Benjamin Britten, which comes out today. A review in the Guardian UK headlined Boys, Bitching, Brilliance notes: Benjamin Britten’s early years are often ignored, overshadowed by the spectacular success of his opera Peter …

How about a sweet gay love song from Philadelphia’s woofy Aiden James as a nice palate cleanser from yesterday? (Tipped by JMG reader George)

A typically manic performance from Mario Cantone, complete with Liza, Cher, and Bette Davis impressions.

Go to Gayest Ever to vote on the gayest album cover of all time, of which the above two are selections. Not on their list is my personal pick, Rod McKuen’s 1977 campfest Slide Easy in…Disco, which includes the anti-Anita Bryant track, Don’t Drink The Orange Juice.

Here’s Adam Lambert’s first post-Idol single, the theme song from the coming apocalypse film 2012. Meh. Who wrote this, Diane Warren? Andy Towle warns that this clip may not be around on YouTube very long, so watch it now while you can. Maybe the inevitable dance remix will be better.

“Another real sadness about [Irish boy band Boyzone leader singer Stephen] Gately’s death is that it strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships. Gay activists are always calling for tolerance and understanding about same-sex relationships, arguing that they are just the same as heterosexual marriages. Not everyone, they say, is like George Michael. “Of course, in many …

Patrick Cowley, Megatron Man, 1982. I don’t even know how to begin a post about Patrick Cowley, the openly gay and still influential electronic music pioneer who so dominated the soundtrack of my early club life. Everything he released, from his collaborations with Sylvester (Do You Wanna Funk), Paul Parker (Right On Target), and Loverde (Die Hard Lover) to his …

Luther Vandross, Never Too Much, 1981. Vandross wrote and produced this first single from his debut solo album of the same name, after spending much of the 70’s as a backup vocalist for the likes of Roberta Flack, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, and many others. Never Too Much reached #1 on the R&B chart and #33 …

The Weather Girls, It’s Raining Men, 1982. On Tuesday, David Letterman’s band leader Paul Shaffer took an unusual turn as Dave’s guest to promote his new book, recounting an amusing chapter which highlights his co-writing of the gay disco anthem It’s Raining Men with the late (and brilliant) Paul Jabara, who died of AIDS in 1992. Jabara had won an …

Limahl, NeverEnding Story, 1984. The theme song to the movie of the same name, this one-off collaboration between openly gay former Kajagoogoo frontman Limahl and my all-time favorite producer Giorgio Moroder resulted in one of the most lovely dance tracks of its day. Moroder wrote the music and his frequent partner Keith Forsey wrote the lyrics. (Forsey won an Oscar …

Tanita Tikaram, Twist In My Sobriety, 1988. This spooky number from Tikaram’s debut album Ancient Heart was a top ten hit in most of Europe, but went largely unnoticed in the U.S. Except, of course, in the gay clubs where it became an immediate morning music favorite. In ’96 came a fleet of remixes, but for me they mostly lost …

JMG reader Ken sends us this clip of Matt Alber performing a torchy version of his hit End Of The World at the Governor’s Ball after the Emmys. Alber is presently touring the midwest, find dates and tickets here. End Of The World is currently being considered for use on So You Think You Can Dance, you can urge its …