Recently in Out in Music Category

Writer Brandon Voss has a terrific interview with George Michael in the new issue of HX and I wanted to share some of it with you on this scorchingly HOT Friday morning in Los Angeles. Somedoby, please, get me a popsicle!

Some excerpts:
Are you trying to please gay fans in particular with this tour?
There is such a large part of that audience that's stuck with me in America. In America I think there will be a lot of gay people in the audiences--I really think it will be 50/50. In Europe the front rows were just full of these gorgeous gay men, but when we got back to England, they were few and far between. Funnily enough, the more right-wing or Catholic the country, the more gay people were at the concerts; in places where gay people are still more oppressed, they will absolutely support a gay artist. In England, they don't feel the need to identify. I constantly chip away at my female audience by insisting on writing about my life--though you'd never know it when you go to the shows because they're all screaming their heads off. But I've literally paid a price just for being unapologetic, and I thought that was very important politically.

Did you feel a special connection with gay fans even before you came out in 1998? Surely you must've known it wasn't just girls eyeing your butt in the Faith days.
Oh God, yeah, I knew that. With all those number one club records and stuff, I really have had a great amount of support from the gay community in America in the last 15 years, so absolutely that's special. I actually write about my real experience now, and I think that's one of the things that makes it easier for gay people to listen to.

Did you get any positive feedback from a gay fan that made coming out professionally worth the drama?
Quite a few people have written to me over the years on that basis. From the moment I outed myself, when I wrote "Outside," immediately I thought, Wouldn't it be great to make a video for all those kids that are now where you were 25 years ago, with your only experience being cruising--and feeling terrible about it because you're 16 or whatever? If someone had made a video like that for my entertainment when I was a young guy, I would've loved it.

To read the interview in its entirety, click HERE.

Rufus Wainwright's speech at the GLAAD Media Awards last weekend was so honest and meaningful. I gained a lot of respect for this artist - regarded as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation - who I didn't really know very much about before. I was winging it during our red carpet interview:

Q. Sharon Stone is presenting your award. Wow!
Rufus: I asked her to so when she accepted I was extremely honored and felt somewhat almighty in my gay celebrity back pocket situation (laughs). We'd hung out a couple of times, not extensively but we will after this for sure.
Q. How do you feel about being honored tonight?
Rufus: "I'm honored to be honored. I must say though that I've been gay for a long time now and I understand why they are doing so. I've always made a real effort to be completely honest about who I am and to sing about boys and about my life as a homosexual so it's the right match.
Q. There are a lot more artists who are out now so you were maybe something of a trend-setter.
Rufus: I was technically, if not the first I was one of the first gay singer-songwriters who was out from the very beginning.
Q. Are you happy to have some company now?
Rufus: Yes, very happy. It is wonderful.

Then, during his acceptance speech, he said: "An artist's decision to live an authentic life should go hand-in-hand with success. The more honest you are and more willing to share, the more gratifying it will be for your audience."

He also touched on something that I have heard friends of mine express and I to some degree also feel (but much less so after my years of therapy!): "We have to work so hard to be so brilliant and be so fabulous all the time, we often forget that we are damaged and we are hurt. To allow gay people to think everything is fine - it's not."

I love how this man has been true to himself from the very beginning and has such openness and honesty.

The GLAAD Media Awards were a pretty star-studded affair but there was no star who burned brighter than the event's big honoree Janet Jackson who got the night's only standing ovation.

She only did a few non-televised red carpet interviews and, somehow, one of them was with me. So it was quite surreal experience to be talking to her then to suddenly be surrounded by, literally, dozens of tape recorders and microphones of other reporters horning in on our chat.

Janet just kept talking like it happens all the time, which I'm sure it does! I wanted to know how she felt about being honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation with its Vanguard Award for her influence in increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS and LGBT equality in the mainstream media.

"I love it," Janet said. "I never expected it in a million years so when I heard they wanted to honor me, I was really taken aback. It's just for the work that I've done with AIDS and acknowledging the gay and lesbian community through my music and so on. I'm just very appreciative."

Janet, whose chart-topping single "Together Again" was a tribute to the close friends she lost to AIDS, said she grew up in a very gay-friendly household.

"Even when I was younger, when I was growing up, my mother was very religious but there were a lot of kids who were dancers that she brought into the home and now that I think about it, think back, they were gay. They all called her mother and she treated every one of them like they were her children. And that's where it kind of started I suppose and I've been around the community all my life."

Janet's award was presented Saturday night inside a sold-out Kodak Theater in Hollywood by Ellen DeGeneres. Other stars in attendance included Billy Baldwin, Wilson Cruz, Jennifer Beals, Cindy Crawford, Sharon Stone, Christopher Gorham, Sally Field, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Leslie Jordan, Becki Newton, Michael Urie and Candis Cayne, among others.

More reports from the GLAAD Awards to come over the next several days!

I've always been a little lukewarm about Janet Jackson but I've become more of a fan lately. I just caught "Why Did I Get Married" on DVD and I was impressed by how really good she was in the film. And now that I've read her new interview with E!Online's Marc Malkin, I like her even more. Here are some highlights:

Q.When did you first realize you were a gay icon?
A. I never thought of myself as that, and it never even crossed my mind when people started calling me icon and legend and all this other stuff. I remember I was over in Europe and I called my boyfriend [music megaproducer Jermaine Dupri] once because they had introduced me on a show as a legend, and I said, "You know they introduced me as 'the legendary Janet Jackson', " and he said, "You are." [Laughs.] I never thought of that or looked at myself in that way. But I'll wear the title. I'll own it.

Q. What's a good Janet drag queen?
A. They really study you. They truly study you. But you know, they pour it on more, which I absolutely love. They give more than I do and I love that. The first time I went to the Baton in Chicago and saw this show, I was with some of my [female] dancers. Afterward, I said to my dancers, "We've gotta pull up because these bitches are hitting it. They're giving so much femininity and we look like boys onstage." The next night we had a show and we were trying our hardest to ooze with that feminine touch.

Q. The AIDS epidemic started and then we were at the height of it when you started to hit the big time with albums like Rhythm Nation and Control. Do you remember when you first heard about the disease? Was it when you started losing friends?
A. I lost a lot of friends. Friends from the show Fame who I had danced with, some of the kids from Nasty, some of the kids who danced with my brothers who I knew. Makeup artists. I lost a lot of friends to AIDS and one who I absolutely adored so much. His name was Jose, and we worked a lot together in Europe. He would put these eyelashes on me that he would make from real hair. His sister would cut her hair so he could make these eyelashes. They were the most beautiful things. He was so much fun to be with. I had heard he was sick and he was passing, and it was just so sad. It's so sad.

Q. You appeared in a PSA to combat hate crimes that was produced after 15-year-old Lawrence King was murdered in February because he was gay. Why was that so important to you?
A. That broke my heart. He was finally coming into his own and being himself and being OK with who he was. He was feeling good about that and not living in this shell and pretending to be someone else. He was letting all of that go and saying, "This is me." But being murdered for being who you are, for being real--we were crushed by that.

There's lots more to this interview. Go to Marc Malkin's site to read the interview in its entirety!

Well, what gay man hasn't spit out the lyrics of "I Will Survive" while getting over a break-up? If you have not and you are over the age of 35, then you must turn in yoiur gay card pronto! Let's face it, gay people are survivors and that's what makes us great and what makes us strong. We've gotten through so much and had to fight really hard to define ourselves and to live our truth.

I just love being gay.

I'm sorry folks, but I just watched the above video of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and all those thoughts just sorta welled up in me and I just went with it! You see, after "American Idol" ended last night, I left the TV on and "Don't Forget the Lyrics" was on (BTW, wouldn't Wayne Brady make a far better host for "Idol" than annoying Ryan Seacrest?). Wayne noted that it was the 30th anniversary of Gaynor's landmark hit "I Will Survive" and she took the stage and belted it out with all the energy and enthusiasm that she had way back when. She does not appear to be tired of sinigng this break-up anthem, thank God!

In the last three days alone, I've interviewed dozens of stars after three consecutive nights of party coverage. I'd like to think I was calm and cool during all of it.
I'd like to think.
When Natalie Cole walked up to me on the red carpet of last night's Los Angeles Confidential Party at One Sunset in West Hollywood, I greeted her with a big ol' gush.
Me: "It's so great to meet you! I've loved you ever since "This Will Be" came out!"
Natalie was very gracious ("That's so sweet!") and appreciative but I am now cringing a bit at the memory. Still, we had a terrific chat and here are some of the highlights:
Natalie guest-starred on "Grey's Anatomy" last season and would like to do more acting: "I've had some really wonderful experiences with television and I'm really looking forward to making the jump to film and that's whart I'm working on right now. [Music] does take up a lot of my time so I have to put the music thing aside to do the acting like if I want to do a movie, I'm going to have to basically be down for 3-4 months which isn't a problem, it's just a matter of planning."

This is a continuation of my conversation with Ari Gold. Part One was posted yesterday. One of the things we talked about was ambition and success: "I had my first demo when I was 12 years old and I basically thought then that I'd be as famous as Madonna - my ambitions have remained pretty grand over the years. I won't be happy until I'm on the cover of Rolling Stone (laughs). But I've never been more proud of my work, lyrically, musically and artistically as with this album. There's a feeling about this album that's just great because I'm so proud of it. The album is called "Transport Systems," it's about movement and progesssion so there's definitely the hope that it's going to move me forward to the next level where I need to go."
The first single on the CD is "Where the Music Takes You" which Ari says is really about being true to yourself.
"The song came out of my own experience of just going where the music took me, wherever I could fund a situation to record, find collaborators or co-producers, I'd pick myself up and go there. I didn't have a major label to help me out and say, 'OK, work with this top producer right here, it's something you have to create for yourself."
He also does a cover of "Human" by the Human League and in it her collaborates with a heterosexual hip-hopper, shades of Elton John and Eminem: "We came together to make this song. The original song was about a guy cheating on his girlfriend and saying, 'I'm only human.' I reworked the song and the verses and the bridge and made it more into a human rights anthem. I think the essence of the song has a really strong message that could be stronger than just cheating on your girlfriend. For me and this rapper to come together for this song about human rights, it's a powerful message."
Gold is also particularly proud of the song "Love Wasn't Build in A Day" which features jazz great Dave Koz.
"After he came out on the cover of The Advocate, I read the interview and thought, 'I just have to collaborate with this guy. We met and were in touch for like a year. He had a crazy tour schedule and at one point it didn't look like it was going to happen but I didn't give up. When we were in LA at the same time, he was like, 'OK, I'm here. I've got my saxaphone in the car and I'm coming over.' I cried when he played on the song. It was one of those things where you have an idea in your head and it comes to fruition. He told me he was really glad I was a pushy Jew about the whole thing. And he's a Jew so he can say that!""
Gold's news CD will be released just days after he appears on the LOGO channel on Sept. 30 as host of the "New. Next. Now" video show. He is hoping his CD with its positive themes, gets the attention it deserves.
"We give a lot of attention to artists like Eminem and 50 Cent but if we're going to rally in support of them for freedom of speech, then it's important to pay attentiion to artists who are saying a message that counters their message. There is homophobic lyrics and masogynist lyrics in their stuff, let's hear from people who are pro-women and pro-gay."

Fit and muscular, the currently unattatched Gold is not shy about flaunting his sex appeal: "I don't have a big machine behind me that's telling me what my image should be. Everything that's out there is because I put it out there. I put out a sexy image. At the end of the day, there's a lot of things about being gay that don't have to do with same-sex, bit it is our right to have sex with who we want to and love who we want to love. So I'm not trying to de-sexualize myself to make myself more palatable to people. I am a sexual human being and I think it's important for gay men to celebrate their own sexuality. The music is sexy and it's a part of what I do. There's nothing wrong with it as long as it;s done respectfully and tastefully."

I'll say.

As i mentioned a few days ago, had a nice breakfast interview this week with Ari Gold. No, not the agent on "Entourage" played by Jeremy Piven. This is Ari Gold, the talented and sexy singer-songwriter whose latest CD, "Transport Systems," will be released Oct.. 2. His music can best be described as "political pop" and Gold has never shied away from comes from the perspective of an openly gay man.
In this first part of our conversation, we talked about the new CD, his third, which includes a collaboration with Dave Koz ("Love Wasn't Built In A Day") as well as the song "Human" withy guest-rapper Mr. Man.
Explains Gold: "Transport Systems" is really all about we're everywhere now but how do we move forward" How do we move to a place where we're not just there to make straight people look better, that's not our only function. We're actually full-fledged, multi-faceted individuals with our own interior lives. How do we move forward in order to accept ourselves better? Most of us didn't grow up feeling it was OK to be gay so I think we internalize a lot of that. How do we learn to love ourselves better and treat each other better? That has to happen before we can expect the outside world to."

Gold was born and raised in a Jewish Orthodox household in the Bronx and became a child performer with credits that included the lead role on the CBS children's recording "Pot Belly Bear: Songs and Stories." As a child vocalist, he sung over 400 jingles and even sung with Diana Ross on her "Swept Away" album.
But once he began to come out of the closet as a teenager, his sexuality naturally impacted his work.
"I had my first demo when I was 12 and been writing songs since I was 14 and I always wrote about what was going on in my life, my personal experience," Gold says. "So as soon as i came out of the closet, I was very passionate about it. Once I came out to my family and in college, I was very proud and I wrote my parents and my brothers an 18-page coming out letter, sat them all down, handed them copies and read this out loud to them and basically held them accountable for their own homophobia but I did it in a nice way. They made me feel like it was not OK to be gay. But at the end of the letter, we all started to cry and my dad said, 'The only reason we're crying is because of all the pain we caused you. And after that, it was a journey. I knew they loved me. Unfortunately, not all parents are like my parents. I just wrote back a fan the other day telling them, 'You know, sometimes it just takes time.'"
It's been a challenge trying to gain a commercial foothold as a gay artist even when your music is embraced by the critics: "I hate to say it, but sometimes the gay papers and magazines, we put a lot of straight people on the cover. You don't see black culture magazines putting white people on their cover. It can start with us...With my last album, I was really trying to figure out,'Where do I fit in as a gay man in this world? As a gay artist? As an out artist? Where do we fit in because we were getting a lot of visibility and as a people we were no longer in the closet.""
Gold feels the time is right to be openly gay and to record and perform songs with gay themes. He's grateful to those artists who he feels helped pave the way: "All the artists like George Michael and Elton John and K.D. Lang and Melissa Etheridge, all those artists who came out of the closet mid-career or after they were already successful, all of those artists paved the way for someone like myself to be out at the beginning of my career. There's no reason today why people need to be coy or vague or closeted."
Ari, pictured here with me after breakfast at Kokomo at the LA Farmer's Market, also talked about using his sexuality to gain attention like posing for magazine covers without a shirt etc. So check back Friday for part 2 of our conversation.

...for canceling an interview with me this morning. A few hours before our scheduled chat, got an email from his publicist wanting to reschedule. Then I read this on Towleroad.com: Singer Darren Hayes was arrested Friday night for an alleged racist verbal attack on a waiter at a Thai restaurant in London last month, the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting:

"Hayes fronted police in London last Friday night, where he was arrested for racially abusing a member of staff at Busaba Eathai in Wardour Street on July 22. The attack did not involve physical violence, but is believed to have been directed at a male member of staff. Hayes was released on bail. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm that a 35-year-old man was arrested by Westminster police on suspicion of racially abusing a member of staff. 'He was arrested after voluntarily attending a Central London police station by appointment. He has been released on bail pending further enquiries, until the 21st of September.' The spokesman would not comment further."
Hayes' new double album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, came out in the U.S. today.
Hayes lawyer released this statement on his MySpace blog today: "Darren is unable to comment to any extent as the incident is presently under investigation by the police, with whom he has cooperated fully. However he is deeply upset at the allegation which he strenuously denies and anyone who knows Darren will recognise that the particular nature of the allegation is totally abhorrent to him and contrary to everything for which he has stood"
We are gonna chat after my vacation...sounds like we'll have lots to talk about!

Had breakfast at the LA Farmer's Market with singer/songwriter Ari Gold who has had the name since birth - well before Jeremy Piven assumed the name on "Entourage." My three-part interview with Gold, who has been openly gay his entire career, begins running on Wednesday. He has a lot to say, is very talented, and quite easy on the eyes huh?

Excuse me while I quote Nancy Kerrigan when she got her knee clubbed (thanks alot Tonya) at the 1994 OlympicTrials: "Whhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?????????"
I usually have "The Today Show" on in the morning as background noise as I blog or try to semi-sleep. But this morning, I did not. That means I missed the performance of Maroon 5 and their sexiy frontman Adam Levine who makes me weak in the knees. And he wore his skinny jeans and that tight black T-shirt just for me.
Oh well, here are some images via JustJared.com of the band performing “Wake Up Call.” It’s from their sophomore album “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long.”
Sigh...

So I was at LA's the Standard downtown last night for this X Games party tied to the DVD release of "Disturbia." We were promised Taye Diggs and Shane West, among others, but they were no-shows. But I did interview the lovely Carrie-Anne Moss who is such a natural beauty and strolled in wearing a $25 dress from Target looking better than just about anyone in the room. And also met Dave Navarro, the guitarist from Jane's Addiction who was recently divorced from Carmen Electra. He talked about how important the internet is to him as an artist and a public figure. Unlike Elton John, Dave does not want to ban it!
"I've been blogging and using the internet since the early 90s. In this society today, you have to have a voice, especially if you're in the public eye, in order to counter some of the opinions that get put out there. So, it's nice for the true fans to be able to come to the source and get the real deal, get the real scoop as opposed to second or third-hand information."
This guy is covered with tatoos but they don't cover the fact that he is buff and very youthful looking for a man of 40. I asked if he had a portrait of Dorian Gray in his attic or something?
"There actually is. There's a painting in my addict that's deteriorarting each day. That's a fantastic movie." Then he added: "It's about no drugs, no alcohol. I hit the gym a couple of times a week, drink plenty of water. And for me, what's most important is the attitude."
Dave seemed pretty cool. What's even more cool was this photo I just found of him kissing Donovan Leitch onstage at the Roxy. Not sure of the date though...

Sir. Elton has gone on another rant. I usually enjoy them but not this one. He wants the internet CLOSED DOWN!!! He says it's destroying good music and basically, the world.
“The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff. Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn’t bode well for long-term artistic vision. It’s just a means to an end. We’re talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that’s not going to happen with people blogging on the internet. I mean, get out there — communicate. Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet. Let’s get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging."

Hey, Sir. I don't always sit home and blog. Sometimes I do it from the newsroom, sometimes Starbucks.I get out, I mix.

Second of two parts..If you missed it, start with PART ONE.
Thelma Houston has a mutual love going on with the gay community which has stuck by her through thick and thin. She has repaid that love so many times over by appearing in countless pride parades and festivals and on behalf of many causes, such as the AIDS Project Los Angeles gala on Saturday.
"I've loved them forever and it''s mutual. I love them. My strongest base of support has been the dance market, They've always been very, very supportive of Thelma Houston."
And her dedication to such groups as the APLA and the Pediatric AIDS Foundation runs deep: "The reason is because I lost so many friends - who I call close, close, close supporters from back in the day - to this horrible disease. They didn't even have a name for it back then. Then things got more organized and there was more focus on putting money to do certain things. We're not perfect but we've come a long way. People are able to live and the quality of life is so much better for patients with HIV. But there are still people who can't afford the treatments, like in Africa. The medications are there, but they can't afford them."
"Whenever I can, I do whatever I can. Even if I'm in a smaller club in the Midwest where they like to give you tips, I take the money and give it to an AIDS hospice."
She will be doing about 30 minutes of songs at the APLA gala including the classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" and some numbers from her first new album in 17 years.

What a treat it was to interview singer Thelma Houston yesterday.
Of course, gays everywhere best know her for her monster 1977 hit "Don't Leave Me This Way" which for three decades has continued to be a mainstay on the dance floor. Ever since our interview, I've been singing and humming the tune and driving people nuts.
Anyway, the Grammy winner will release her first new CD in 17 years, "A Woman's Touch" on August 14 and on Saturday, performs at the annual AIDS Project Los Angeles event. The new CD has the singer peforming covers of songs all originated by male artists including Sting, Al Green, Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross. I'm especially excited about her rendition of "By the Time I Get to Pheonix."
"When they told me it had been 17 years since my last album, I said, 'You better check that again because it hasn't been that long.' But it turns out it has been since 1990."
Houstin's hiatus from recording was not intentional. She got called into MCA to talk to executives about what she thought was about future projects. Instead, she was told she was being dropped by the label.
"It was a very r\ude awakening. I always thought if you sing and get a record deal and are happy to promoite and happy to do what is requested of you after you have a big, huge hit, you can keep good vibes around you all the time. It never occured to me that I wouldnt't have a record deal."
But something very liberating happened for Houston after what could have been a low point for most.
"I discovered I could have a career without a record and it opened up possibliites of working internationally in places like Australia, all over Europe, South America and Africa. The dates kept coming and people really wanted me to work."
Houston never tires of singing her mega-hit.
"I just keep singing and they ask me if i ever get tired of doing it and i really don't. This record, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was born through the dance market. I was on Motown at the time and Suzanne DePasse, a very bright woman who had a good sense of what sounds good and what will work, she is the one who found the song. She said, "I think that will be perfect for you.' It was very melodic and it swelled and it built up. I thought it was very dramatic and great."

TOMORROW: Thelma Houston tells Out In Hollywood about how her new record deal came about, discusses her loyal gay fan base and shares why she remains committed to the fight against AIDS/HIV.

Be sure to check out the singer's OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

Enrique Iglesias sure knows how to win over gay fans a lot better than that Mika person. In an interview wirth the HX site, he chats about his headline-making appearance at London’s G-A-Y nightclub where he sang his love song "Hero" to a gay fan, about his gay friends, addresses rumors about his sexuality and says George Clooney, not Ricky Martin, would be his type if he were into men.
Here are some excerpts for you to enjoy:
Q. Tell me about your performance at G-A-Y nightclub in London.
A. To tell you the truth, I was surprised it was such a big deal. I’ve read a few things, and even when the owner called us up to ask us, he kind of had that attitude of, “I might as well try, but I don’t think he’s gonna do it.” I was like, “Yeah, it’d be cool to do it!”

Q Was that the first time you’d actively gone after your gay fan base?
A. It wasn’t so much going after the gay fans. I just like doing stuff that’s different. In my career I don’t want to do the same thing all the time and bore myself. What really drew my attention was that the owner said, “Look, this is the biggest gay club in London, and you’re going to see one of the best crowds you’ve ever seen in your whole life.” And that made me really, really want to do it. I didn’t care if it was gay or straight. It was about playing in front of a great crowd. When I got on top of the stage and started to sing, I’m telling you, the guy was completely right. They were singing so loud, the next day my left ear, where I had my ear monitor, was ringing so much. It was absolutely crazy.

Q. How did you choose the guy you sang “Hero” to onstage?
He was up on top of another guy having a good time, so I could clearly see him way, way back in the crowd. But if A. I ever pick out anybody at one of my concerts, I really just go with my instinct.

Q. Was that the most intimate you’ve ever been with a guy?
A. Yeah, that was probably the most intimate that I’ve been with a guy. [Laughs] I’ve never serenaded a guy before, I’ll tell you that much.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how my buddy Alejandro and I met this Aussie singer named Clint Crighton and his manager Anita Heilig at a pizza joint called Zano's. They invited us to a gig on Tuesday night at the popular neighborhood bar Pick Wick in Woodland Hills. Alejandro was out of town but I attended and was blown away by Clint's music. He plays guitar, has a strong voice that suits both rock and ballads and, get this, he writes his own songs - lyrics and melody. Two of my favorite originals of Clint's were "Afraid to Love" and "Walk On" but I don't think there was a dud the entire night. He also did covers of Bob Dylan, U2 and a wonderful rendition of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Clint had to explain to two young girls sitting up front exactly WHO the Bee Gees are. Clint might only be 22, but he knows his music history and has been touring since he was 14 - mostly in his native Australia where he's released two CDs that have gotten airplay. He's also played in New York and toured in Beijing and Hong Kong.
Clint sat with me between sets and we had a nice gab about music and what his ambitions are. He wants to establish himself in America which would be great for us! What I didn't know was that Anita met Clint and his brother a year or so ago backstage at a Toto concert. She was managing the band at the time (and now manages Leann Rhimes!) and Clint had managed to get backstage where he charmed everyone (he is very charming in that wonderful Aussie way) and eventually sent Anita a demo. He took awhile because he wanted her to have some of his newer material. So now they go about getting Clint signed. He is doing a five-song set at House of Blues in West Hollywood on Monday night and, get this: Clint is featured as The Artist of the Week on XM Satellite Radio this week on XM rock Channel 43, The Radar Report. The station features the best up and coming unsigned artists and Clint was one of only 13 bands that were chosen to be featured for the week.
His segment began airing tonight on Ch 43 at 7pm PST. Since I'm tardy with this post, don't worry, you can also catch it Friday at 11am and again on Saturday at 3am. If you dont have XM you can go to XM Radio Online for a free trial and listen online.
Trust me, this guy is good! I'll be very happy to be able to say I knew him when.
For more info on Clint, visit his HOMEPAGE and his MYSPACE site.

Friday night marked the debut of the True Colors Tour in Las Vegas. In the finale, ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me," the Dresden Dolls, the Indigo Girls, Margaret Cho, Erasure, Rosie O’Donnell and Cyndi Lauper all took to the stage.

For the final finale number, Lauper and her guitarist perfomred an almost acoustic version of "True Colors," which all of the acts joined in on. This sounds wonderful and what I love is the tour is has teamed up wit the Huiman Rights Campaign to raise awareness for LGBT issues and rights.
Love you, Cyndi Lauper.

This kids bugs me. I don't much care if he's gay or not but I find his coy act beyond annoying...

So Mika graces the cover of Out Magazine...but he's not out! Well, neither were Jodie Foster or Anderson Cooper so I guess that doesn't really matter. So this is what Mika tells the mag regarding all the speculation:"Anyone can label me, but I'm not willing to label myself...Anybody who says that I don't talk about sexuality or that I don't politically sexualize my music because of taboos, because of being afraid of [not] selling records, is completely wrong. I've made a record that doesn't compromise in any way what I'm allowed or not allowed to say in my lyrics."
Uh, OK. So you gay or what?
Towleroad.com reports that OUT originally requested Mika for the cover of their April issue, in order to coincide with the release date of his album in the U.S., but were refused. According to their source, Mika's "handlers" wanted to do a cover but only if it came out a few months down the road, because they were concerned about breaking into the mainstream market were Mika pigeonholed as a "gay artist" right out of the gate.

I see. They sounds like absolute geniuses.

So my pal Alejandro and I are having a slice of pizza at lunch today at this cool little place called Zanos in Woodland Hills and in walks a tall, exceptionally good looking guy with an attractive blonde woman. I almost drop my slice as I stare. Then I go back to gabbing away between bites when the owner of Zanos puts on a CD and tells us that it is the music of the guy sitting in the corner. Then he goes over to the guy in the corner and says, "That guy writes about entertainment for the Daily News." Next thing I know, I'm over at theiir table exchanging information and find out that his name is Clint Crighton and he's here from Australia doing a little tour here and in NY and many other places! He was awfully nice, (great Aussie accent), and asked me to check out his MySpace page which I just did.
I'm hoping to catch one of his LA gigs and will let you know how it is...
p.s. I don't think that's Clint's Grammy!

I'm a sucker for Maroon 5 ever since seeing them on The Today Show not too long ago. Obviously the handsome lead singer Adam Levine is to die for but I also like their music. And I'm not alone: the group's second studio album: "I Won't Be Soon Before Long" debuted at number one on the sales charts, selling 429,000 copies. It has been driven by the hit single "Makes Me Wonder" which is currently topping the singles chart thanks to 243,000 downloads sold. In addition to "Today," Maroon 5 also appeared on "The Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live" before the album's release.
Also, the straight but gay-friendly Levine recently did an interview with The Advocate and also spoke with Insintct magazine for its current issue. I like what he had to say about gay marriage: "Oh, it's the most silly, ridiculous law I know of. Honestly, people should really get their heads out of their asses. Is anyone really hurting anyone else if they choose to marry someone of the same sex? I don't believe they are. It's just so archyaic and ludicrous."

Well said Adam!