OT: Talk about an Outing!

[Cliffk]

I went with slight reservations to Donnie Johnson's gig at the Jazz Cafe here in London last night because I'd heard clips from the new album and hadn't been too impressed. Well, colour me wrong - totally; this boy's from the ATL an' he's a bad mofo! I've got the album and it's real. If you like your soul music watered-down and and your soul lyrics sugared-up, this isn't for you.

 

His singing was on point, the band was young and tight to bite - and he dropped one big bomb; here's how it went::

 

Donnie (between songs, with the band vamping on the down): You know, I'm tired of hating. I used to hate my country. My family. Even my race.

 

Audience (mostly black): Why?!

 

Donnie (exaggerating a Southern 'slave' accent): Cos blacks folks is meeeeeaan!!!

 

Audience member: Whatchu mean, bra?

 

Donnie: Ah, you know. We black folks gots problems with certain realities in life. We got complexes and... taboos and...what's that word people usin' all the time now? Oh yeah: we got... issues.

 

Audience member (uneasily): You playin' man. Ha ha, you such a joker!

 

Donnie (very serious now): Nah man, I gotta say what's true cos I know, and I know you know what I'm talkin' 'bout.

 

Audience: Yeeeeeaaaah! [a lone female voice]: We love you Donnie!

 

Donnie: I'm gay.

 

 

:eek:

 

 

Silence. The pin drops, and everyone hears it.

 

Needless to say, this was a shock to everyone there. Now I don't know if Donnie's homosexuality was common knowledge but he's a newish artist who's been pretty low on the mainstream music radar. So, he's gay and he's black. And he's damn good. And Motown dropped him a while ago after one critically successful debut album? So all this gets me to thankin'...

 

Anyway, there was a perceptible shift in the atmosphere of the gig, and he noticed it. But he soldiered on and by the end, people seemed to have been brought round again just by, if nothing else, the sheer quality of the music.

 

So I'm cool with this revelation and I'll always support him and others whose music I dig, for the quality of music they put out. But I often wonder about Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson, for example. We obviously have no idea about their true sexual orientation and, frankly, it wouldn't change my opinion one bit about their talent. But there's been quite a lot of conjecture surrounding them and this particular issue. So I wonder: would their fans have judged them more harshly had they revealed they were gay - in spite of their talent?

[Clifton]

I think generally, people are stupid enough to make a big deal out of such things. As you say, Michael Jackson may very well be pedo, but it doesn't diminish his achievements or his phenomenal talent. It did diminish his career though, oh my how it did

[Cliffk]

Well coming back to my question, I was wondering specifically about coming out after your public has known you for a while already and perhaps has taken for granted what isn't necessarily true. As for paedophilia, my judgement against that is total.

[Rod S]

Queen comes to mind. I'm not sure at one point Freddie openly admitted he was a homosexual, but it definitely didn't seem to hurt their popularity.

 

When Queen was in Brazil in 1985, the newspapers had newsbits about him in the 'gay redlight district' in Rio. No description needed of that part is like - worse than you can imagine.

 

Didn't hurt that they played to a crowd of 325,000 on January 11 that week! ( I was at the concert! )

 

The press went all over him when it was rumored he had AIDS, but Queen was already on a slow run due to his illness. The benefit concert they did post-mortem is considered in The Guinness Book of Records as "The largest rock star benefit concert.

 

Didn't Elton John at one point openly admit as well to the public? Can't remember when that was, but didn't seem to hurt either.

 

I guess it really depends how popular you are at that point. If you really are a established artists, I think people just don't give a shit what you declare, as long as it's not something completely outrageous.

 

I won't even comment on MJ, I think his whole existence is creepy and bothersome.

[Byrdman]

It was well known that Queen were gay quite early on - certainly at the time of Bohemian Rhapsody.

 

Unless you are hoping to score after the show I don't see that it is relevant to someone's profession - whether that profession be musician, tennis player, chartered accountant, or whatever.

 

Of course Freddie's death from AIDS was a tragic loss to music. If AIDS had been responded to as the health crisis it was when it first became prevalent instead of being ignored by a bunch of bigots he might still be with us.

 

The thing to have done would to have asked him how he felt his sexual orientation was reflected in his music.

 

 

[linwood]

Great name for a gay guy.

[kanker.]

It's a shame that it matters, but especially in the pseudo-maculine hip-hop influenced scene today, it does make a difference to a lot of RnB fans. It's a little less of an issue in the rock world because you have had such legends as Elton, Freddie Mercury, and Rob Halford come out. I really couldn't care, as long as the music's hittin, the rest doesn't matter to me.

[ITGITC]

 

To paraphrase... "It's the music, stupid."

 

Edited for brevity. (Hold your applause.) :grin:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark Zeger]

"Miami Vice" Don Johnson?!? He's calling himself "Donnie" now? I don't care if he's gay...but he's a jazz musician? The same guy that gave us "Heartbeat" w/Dweezil Zappa?!?

 

I can totally understand your reservations about going to see him.

 

[Blue JC]

I could care less if he's gay or straight, black or white, thin or fat, tall or short. He's on stage to perform music for paying customers - not unload his baggage in their laps. He should save this shit for Oprah.

[MidLifeCrisis]

"Miami Vice" Don Johnson?!? He's calling himself "Donnie" now? I don't care if he's gay...but he's a jazz musician? The same guy that gave us "Heartbeat" w/Dweezil Zappa?!?

 

I can totally understand your reservations about going to see him.

 

For those who are unaware of this, Don Johnson played some harp for the Allman Brothers Band back in their heyday. He was actually quite good.

Anyone who can record with these dudes and marry Melody Griffith is ok in my book.

 

[Prague]

I couldn't care less about lifestyles, but if they start opening their vaults, rather than just playing the music, they deserve whatever they get. It may go their way, it may not.

[BluesKeys]

I could care less if he's gay or straight, black or white, thin or fat, tall or short. He's on stage to perform music for paying customers - not unload his baggage in their laps. He should save this shit for Oprah.

 

 

Just don't reach for my putter and I am cool

[ProfD]

KC, I am not homophobic. However, I would have reservations about having a gay dude in the band. Why?

 

Women LOVE them!

 

If you think the guitarists and/or other frontman gets all of the attention and steals your limelight being hidden behind a wall of keyboards and/or a console, it could get worse.

 

Now, if you go ahead and throw some foundation on your face and mascara on your eyelids, your luck could increase exponentially. It worked for the hair bands.

 

 

[RABid]

I think the target audience is the main factor. I cannot imagine someone's career surviving that if they play country music or gansta rap. On the other side it has been played up in the pop scene since Elton John interviews in the 70's. Back then David Bowie was dressing up as a nurse on stage and his career never suffered. Even the hard rockers are tolerant as evidanced in their continued respect of Queen.

[Dave Horne]

Who was it who said he was a lesbian trapped in a male body?

 

I can relate to that.

[ITGITC]

KC, I am not homophobic. However, I would have reservations about having a gay dude in the band. Why?

 

Women LOVE them!

 

If you think the guitarists and/or other frontman gets all of the attention and steals your limelight being hidden behind a wall of keyboards and/or a console, it could get worse.

 

 

 

:grin:

 

PD, you're a funny guy.

 

 

 

 

[Tonysounds]

I'm pretty confident that DON JOHNSON (Melanie Griffith's ex and Miami Vice/Nash Bridges guy) is not DONNIE JOHNSON.

 

Although they're never seen in the same place are they.

 

Hmmmm.....

[Mark Zeger]

Maybe I should have used one of these:

 

:grin:

[DanS]

[a lone female voice]: We love you Donnie!

Donnie: I'm gay.

 

I guess he assumed she wanted to take him to the stars after the show? Could have been worse I guess, could have been a lone male voice.

[DafDuc]

Andy Bey had a successful career after coming out. And Sylvester seems like maybe that's what MADE his career.

 

I think his approach was kind of cool - bring it up after the audience has paid and got started, but early enough in the show to win them over.

 

Good call.

 

And it seems Vanessa Williams' career never suffered much for her on-camera same-sex dalliance. Although I imnagine we'll always be more willing to overlook the indiscretions of hot nubile young women...