Anthony Rapp, After "Rent"

I love the musical "Rent," and when the show came out I especially became a fan of Anthony Rapp, who played videographer Mark Cohen in the original Broadway cast, in 1996. "Rent" was a success beyond the definition of success, and while this show is, so far, his major claim to fame, he has done a number of prominent roles in the theatre, film and on television. And, I'm kind of also partial to his solo CD "Look Around," from 2000, which has (gasp) some lyrically gay songs.

In 2006 he released a book, a memoir, called "Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent." And last year that became a CD show, of his performance. And...I...loved....it. It not only goes through the story of how he became involved with "Rent," but also is the very moving story of his dealing with the illness and then death of his mother from cancer. More than once I misted up just listening to it. It's a musical and emotional triumph.

Anthony Rapp on Facebook

One Common Heartbeat, A Leather Anthem

Hear "One Common Heartbeat"

In 1998 on the twentieth anniversary of International Mr. Leather, in Chicago, the leather community got an anthem. The founder of IML, Chuck Renslow suggested one was needed and approached Gary Aldrich to write it. Aldrich and Kevin Tyrrell supplied the music and lyrics and Aldrich, known for his operatic singing in venues including Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, took the lead. Among those supplying backup voices were members of the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus. The CD of the almost five minute song is still for sale, with proceeds going to Chicago's Leather Archives & Museum. And everything you'd want to know about the anthem can be found at its site.

One Common Heartbeat Website

Mary's Naturally - The Song

In Houston, if you ask anyone what was THE iconic gay bar in its history, and the answer would be Mary's Naturally. It closed in November 2009, after 39 years serving as a front-and-center force in gay visibility in the city. Located a block from the gay crossroads of Montrose and Westheimer, it was definitely in your face. And that was perhaps made more visible by the striking mural artwork, done by Scott Swoveland. I've a webpage displaying some of that art.

Mary's Naturally -- The Murals

and also see...
Mary's Naturally -- The Story

But this blog entry is to  highlight something kind of special, which very few gay bars anywhere can claim: its own song, as done by local entertainer.

And the song not only praises Mary's but in its almost six minutes it name checks about every other gay club in the area. I believe the song is from around 1988 and do not know if an actual record was pressed, but I'm glad to share a listen.

Click to hear "Mary's Naturally" 

Mary's was much more than just a bar, it celebrated the community, and there are two Facebook pages dedicated to its memory. The first one listed is an effort to help coordinate efforts for a proposed memorial which would celebrate the human spirit of Houston's gay community during Mary's 40 year existence, 1970-2009.

Make Mary's Matter

Mary's Naturally Closed

Paisley Fields - Windows Fogged Up In Your Pickup Truck

The Paisley Fields

The last time I played the music of James Wilson on my OutRadio show, it was under the name of his act then called Frightened Cellar. But some folks just keep evolving, and how he and long-time collaborator Jessica Kimple are known as The Paisley Fields, and I'm delighted with their new video. And what's not to like, it's a gay love story mini-movie that I didn't want to end. See what you think...

Rev JM Gates - "Manish Women"

Something different for me...an anti-gay recording, or at least one condemning acting like the opposite sex. Rev Gates was probably the most successful ministers in the South. He was definitely of the fire-and-brimstone call-and-response type, and was unique in that many of his sermons were recorded, about 200 of them, done between 1926 and 1941. The label Document Records has reissued nine CDs of his work. But this one track, "Manish Women," is the one of interest to me, as it storms against women of that, ...er, style, who "try to walk and talk like a man," and doesn't leave out "some men trying to walk and talk like a woman." Released on Okeh Records, #8779, in 1930.

Above clipping from October 15, 1897

The Battle of the Bette Davis Impersonators

Okay, sometimes I amuse myself in unusual ways, and for example, a number of years ago for one of my QMH shows...on a show called Gender Benders, I put together a sort of medley of comedy clips from several female impersonators, all doing impressions of Bette Davis. Of course many drag performers "do" Bette Davis, but I picked some of the best. This week I decided to add one more drag artist, and make this medley into a video slide show, and it turned into a 14-minute one. It features, in order, Arthur Blake, TC Jones, Charles Pierce, Ty Bennett and Jimmy James. Jimmy is the only "modern" one and has been performing for many years. I saw him in 2011, and he's flawless. I encourage you to seek out the many "Bette Davis" videos of Jimmy James on YouTube.

You can decide the winner, and they are heard in order:
Arthur Blake, from "Curtain Time," 1957
TC Jones, from "Himself," 1959
Charles Pierce, from "Live at Bimbos," 1971
Ty Bennett, from "Queen for a Day," circa 1961
Jimmy James, from "The One & Many Voices of Jimmy James," 1999

Rod Stewart's "The Killing of Georgie"

  

Rod Stewart's "The Killing Georgie" reached #30 on the Billboard Charts in July of 1977, the third of four singles to make the Top 40 from the huge selling LP from the previous year, "A Night On The Town." Of course, "Tonight's the Night" was the big hit, stuck to the #1 spot for seven weeks, and I loved that album. The song "Killing of Georgie" was quite unusual fare lyrically for a chart record, dwelling on the gay bashing, and murder of Georgie. This was pretty somber stuff for mainstream radio then, and now. And, no it was not the first Top 40 hit to deal with LGBT topics...for example, "Lola" by the Kinks reached #9 in 1970, but still, this was a top artist broaching the subject, and rather sympathetically.

In a 1995 interview Steward explained, "That was a true story about a gay friend of The Faces. He was especially close to me and Mac. But he was knifed or shot, I can't remember which. That was a song I wrote totally on me own over the chord of open E." As to why he wrote it, "It's probably because I was surrounded by gay people at that stage. I had a gay PR man, a gay manager. Everyone around me was gay. I don't know whether that prompted me into it or not. I think it was a brave step, but it wasn't a risk. You can't write a song like that unless you've experienced it. But it was a subject that no one had approached before. And I think it still stands up today."