Coming Out from Behind Closed Doors

For gay and lesbian musicians, it’s the music that really matters

June 2004 – By Daniel Shewan Since the origin of music, nothing has been more of a muse to musicians than love, sensuality, and of course, sexuality. But, does a person’s sexual orientation define how they play and hear music? Does a divide exist between straight and gay or lesbian musicians and their followers? And perhaps more importantly, are gay and lesbian musicians known more for their sexual preference, or their musical talent?

Of course, many musical artists have achieved notoriety and commercial success with their songs, regardless of their sexual orientation. Artists such as Adam Ant, Marc Almond (of Soft Cell fame), Joan Baez, Joan Armatrading, K.D. Lang, Tracy Chapman, and even such well-known heavyweights of the industry as Leonard Bernstein, Johnny Mathis, and, of course, Elton John, achieved the pinnacles of commercial musical success. Their sexuality never hindered their progress, and in some cases added to their allure as performers.

In the celebrity gossip culture of many contemporary magazines, musicians’ sexual habits inevitably become more interesting to the public than their musical merits. For example, if you ask the average person who Melissa Etheridge is, they would probably identify her by the extensive media coverage her sexuality has received, rather than her musical achievements.

One musician who has never compromised his work for the sake of his lifestyle, Jeff Krassner, a New York-based solo artist, believes that sexual orientation should never affect how someone sees him or herself as a performer. In an interview with GayReading.com, Krassner stated; “I do what I want to do! I’d say I’m a singer and a songwriter who’s gay, not a “gay” artist. Chris Williamson, Romanovsky and Phillips, I would say are gay artists… I think my music is a lot more accessible, a lot more mainstream in its theme.”

Krassner began his musical career on the popular show “Catch a Rising Star,” and opening up for performers such as Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield and Jerry Seinfeld. In 1999, one of his songs was featured in the movie Trick, a definitive move to bring his music into the realm of mainstream audiences

However, although some musicians strive to ensure that their sexual preference is not associated with their music — an increasingly difficult task in today’s society — some performers use their private lives as a tool to further their careers. One of the most notorious examples is contemporary shock-rocker Marilyn Manson. Indulging in the hedonistic lifestyle common to rock stardom, Manson revels in his ambiguous approach to sexuality, both in his image and the way in which he approaches his role of media and rock ‘superstar.’ The album cover for his third album, Mechanical Animals, defied convention. It portrayed Manson as the apotheosis of the androgynous, the singer appearing as a perfect combination of the two sexes. This theme ran throughout the album — owing a great deal to David Bowie, who is bisexual and dabbled in transvestitism early in his career with his glam-rock persona Ziggy Stardust.

Other artists have achieved nothing less than infamy in the music world, both for their musical talents and for their less than subtle sexual preferences. Elton John is one of the most successful gay artists of contemporary times, never bothering to mask his lifestyle choices for the benefit of the music consumer or his critics in the music press. The sheer quality of his work as a recording artist has dwarfed any concerns the public (or music press, for that matter) may have once had about his sexual identity. Despite the objections of traditional religious groups as to the moral wrongs of homosexuality, Elton John has provided nothing but a fine example to couples all over the world, both gay and straight, having been with his partner, fashion designer David Furnish, for over ten years.

Do gay and lesbian musicians share the same respect and credence their heterosexual counterparts do? The answer seems clear — regardless of sexuality, when it comes to music, there’s only one rule: let the songs speak for themselves. It would seem that ears have no strong feelings about their owner’s sexuality, or the sexuality of the musician. Despite what the magazines may tell us, it’s the music that really matters, not what goes on behind closed doors.