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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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."

Continue reading "My chat w/Natalie Cole..." »

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

...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!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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?

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Continue reading "My chat w/Thelma Houston...Part 2" »

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Continue reading "Enrique Iglesias talks about all things gay...{updated}" »

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adam Levine, front man for the Grammy-winning Maroon 5, is the focus of the "Big Gay Following" in the new issue of The Advocate. First, I want you to enjoy all these pictures of this handsome singer then I will share some of the answers he gave to some interesting questions...

Q. Do guys ever hit on you?
A. Not outwardly. Not, 'Hey, you wanna make out?' It doesn't happen to me. I don't know why. But I never really pick up on when I'm getting hit on anway - unless i'm into it, and then I just convince myself that they're hitting on me...I'm not into d***. I wish I were. It would be so much easier. Because, you know, men have a certain camaraderie with each other that's easygoing and kind of simple, when you think about it. Sometimes men and women clash mentally, although physically it works out."
Q. If you were intio guys, who would be your type?
A. Oh, there are beautiful men out there. Antonio Banderas is gorgeous. Well, maybe not so much anymore. He peaked around 'Desperado.' I mean, every male secretly wants to have sex with Brad Pitt, but that's a given."
Q. You've been friends with Jake Gyllenhaal since childhood. Why do we never see you hanging out with him, Lance [Armstrong] and Matthew McConaughey?
A. I don't know. i'm noit a cyclist.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

When I was working on my cover story on American Idol for The Advocate, Mario Vasquez's representatives did not respond to my requests for an intervew or for comment on the sexual harassment lawsuit that has been filed against Vasquez by a male former employee of the show's production company.
The lawsuit broke as the story was in its final stages and Vasquez ended up on the cover of the current issue of the magazine!To read an exclusive excerpt of my American Idol cover story in The Advocate, click HERE.

Vasquez has not given ANY interviews since the lawsuit was filed but prior to that, he did speak with ArjanWrites.com and he was asked about his sexuality and about why he quit the most popular show in America that has been a launching pad to stardom for such arists as Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and others.
Vasquez said quitting the show "had a lot to do with artistic reasons. It was the number one priority for me to have artistic control. I realized that creating my own sound was a major thing for me. When I started out with Idol I didn’t think about it that much. But when Idol progressed, there were more lenient opportunities towards things that I wanted to do as an artist. I wanted to be more in tune with what I wanted to sing and perform. The people at charge [at America Idol] would assume or help me create a certain image. But I’m very specific about what I wanted. It was important to me to be versatile as an artist. I think with my debut album I’ve accomplished that."
On the gay rumors: " I'm not gay. But I want people to know I'm very tolerant of [gays]. I grew up with gay people. Growing up in New York City and growing up in the world of arts, it is something that’s there and I don’t even have a second thought about it."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Diana Ross (doesn't she look unbelievable in this picture?) performed at Madison Square Garden over the weekend and I wanted to share a few of the reviews with you!

Here is part of what the New York Times had to say:
The word queen came to mind: beauty queen, disco queen, fashion queen, queen of Motown, fairy queen, queen of the mermaids (in the skin-tight salmon outfit chosen for her grand entrance to the strains of “I’m Coming Out”). Flashing her Miss America smile and brushing back the forest of jet-black hair that has been her tonsorial trademark since the 1970s, Ms. Ross graciously bestowed her royal blessings on her besotted subjects, one of whom kept shouting at the stage, “You look 35!” And she did.
Talk about illusion. On March 26 Ms. Ross turned 63. Not since Marlene Dietrich has a pop diva staked so much on maintaining a fixed image of time-resistant, hard-shell glamour...Her perfectly groomed beauty was as reassuring as the parade of Supremes hits that she performed with an efficient band and two backup singers. As long as we can sing along with “Where Did Our Love Go?,” “Baby Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and shake our collective flabby booty, we are all forever youthful in the Sound of Young America.
...Ms. Ross’s most revealing performance on Friday was her version of “It’s My House,” from the 1979 album “The Boss.” While singing this curt expression of self-empowerment, she coyly shimmied and did some discreet bumps and grinds. The song may be about real estate, but Ms. Ross transformed it into an expression of physical self-possession, a celebration of the body beautiful. I imagine that she will be singing it into her 80s and that — with the help of makeup, costumes and lighting — she will still look approximately the same as she did on Friday: as the man said, 35.
Here is part of the Newsday review:
Diana Ross knows how to give her fans what they want. In her 75-minute set, she packed in 19 songs, five glamorous gowns (including one seemingly inspired by the Li'l Kim MTV Music Awards outfit she liked so much), four costume changes and enough diva hair flips and dramatic spins to keep everyone happy until the next time. She entered to "I'm Coming Out." She paid tribute to her Supremes days with "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Stop! In the Name of Love." And she recalled Disco Diana with "Upside Down" and "Love Hangover" -- which, like most of her songs, were done in nearly the exact arrangement that made them hits 25 or 30 years ago.
In fact, aside from the title track from her new album "I Love You" (Angel), all the material was tried and true. Even her choice of a cover that isn't associated with her -- Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" -- wasn't much of a stretch.
None of that should really matter much. Ross is far from the only veteran artist out on the road steeped in the good-old-days and offering up nostalgia for around $100 a head. And unlike so many of her contemporaries, she can still hit all her notes and look good doing it.
"Not bad for an old broad, huh?" asked Ross, who turned 63 last month, after showing off some bootylicious Beyonce moves during "It's My House."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new issue of The Advocate (dated April 24, 2007) is just hitting the stands and arriving in homes and I'm excited because I wrote the cover story! It's called "American Idol's Big Gay Closet." The article asks whether an openly gay singer could ever win. It should seem possible on a show with sappy songs, flamboyant contestants and a metrosexual host. All this combines to make "American Idol" the campiest thing on TV.
I interviewed season one finalists Jim Verarros and RJ Helton, who both came out after the show, Tom Lowe - an openly gay contestant whose failure to reach the top 24 this season raised eyebrows, and various others including Lance Bass and Erasure's Andy Bell about the the show and, I think, it's compelling reading!
Will eventually post the entire article for Out In Hollywood readers but, for now, will offer you just a taste of the article so you will go out and buy a copy of The Advocate!
AMERICAN IDOL'S BIG GAY CLOSET
By Greg Hernandez
Divas like Fantasia, Kimberly Locke and Jennifer Hudson attractlegions of gay fans. Judge Simon Cowell and host Ryan Seacrest seem to be flirting as they delight in challenging each other’s sexuality. And each season, at least a few finalists - most notably Clay Aiken - seem to set off everybody’s gaydar.
American Idol is not only the most popular show on network television with an average of 32 million viewers each week, it is also clearly one of the gayest. But there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that contestants should not be out while competing for the title.
Season one contestant R.J. Helton, who finished fifth, came out publicly last October but struggled with being in the closet while he was on the show.
"I did tell some of the assistant producers because I felt like it was eating me alive," Helton says. "But I was advised to just keep it to myself. The reason they gave me was that it wouldn’t be a good idea for my career. I wasn’t prepared to be out then anyway, I wasn’t comfortable with myself at that point."
Fox spokesman Joe Earley says he was not aware of Helton confiding in anyone on the show about his sexuality and if someone did indeed encourage Helton to remain closeted, that assistant producer was
speaking on their own behalf and not for the show.
"Since season one, when it became clear that people’s personal lives were going to become public, the gay contestants have usually declared early in the [background check] process how comfortable they were with their own sexaulity," says Earley, who is out. "I’ve been intimate in this process and there is no fear coming from
producers or the network about a contestant’s sexuality as it relates to being gay."
Helton’s fellow season one finalist, Jim Verraros, got a lot of attention for coming out shortly after competing on the show (he finished in ninth place) and appearing on the American Idol tour.
"I was more concerned about how America would perceive me than the producers," admits Verraros. "Even on tour, I definitely toned it down, making sure my voice dropped an octave. Now, I don’t give a
fuck. But at the time, I thought, ‘You have to appeal to everybody and be as mainstream as possible.’"
Verraros, 24, was the first fellow contestant Helton felt he could confide in.
"I didn’t tell any of the contestants although I’m sure a few knew just by living with me," Helton says. "Jim was the first person that I talked to about it all with. We came back for the finale show and were about to go on tour. We were in the front lobby of the hotel and I said, ‘We have to talk.’"
By the time Helton, 25, did an interview on Sirius radio last October in support of Idol Rewind, a syndicated rerun of the show’s first season, he was far more comfortable with himself and decided to come
out publicly.
Some believe the show tries to project an image of wholesomeness in order to preserve its monster ratings and appeal to virtually every demographic and geographical region in the country.
Many wonder if preservation of that image was the reason behind the mysterious departure of season four finalist Mario Vazquez who had set some gaydars off during his journey to the top 12. Vazquez was
never voted off the show but made the unprecedented decision to quit after making the finals citing "family reasons."
Vazquez, has never discussed his sexuality but he is now at the center of one of the bigger scandals in the show’s history. Magdaleno Olmos, a former assistant accountant for Fremantle Media which produces the show, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the show in March accusing Vazquez of
sexually harassing him.

-- to be continued...

[The Advocate is on newstands now!]

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Went, 27, is the focus of the Big Gay Following feature in the new issue of The Advocate and had some interesting things to say. Here are some appetizers for you:
The Advocate: You made a lot of gay fans happy when you admitted that you'd kissed boys because "anything above the waist is fair game."
Pete: [Laughs] I actually mean it. That's just kind of how I am. I'm a little bit of a make-out bandit. I don't discriminate too much.
The Advocate: What's the closest you've ever come to taking the boy-on-boy action to the next level?
Pete: I haven't really gotten that close, 'cause honestly, I'm not a real big fan of penises. Like my own, whenever I look at it, I just don't find anything attractive about it. I can't believe girls are into it.
The Advocate: Penisis aside, any dude crushes?
Pete: I don't have an issue finding guys attractive. I was with my friend last night watching "The Prestige" and she's like, 'Christian Bale is so hot' And I'm like, 'Yeah, that's a good looking dude.' There's nobody specific but if you just named off dudes I could tell you if I thought they were hot or not.
The Advocate: I'll spare you. You've also said that people who aren't fans of yours will sometimes call you an antigay slur. Why is that?
Pete: I don't know. I think it's a real cheap, easy word. At some point when we were doing this band I was like, "You know what? I'm going to be the most androgynous person that I can possibly be. I'm going to wear girl pants and makeup." I looked to David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and people like that, and I was like, "That's what's missing in all the bands that we're playing with right now! You need this effeminate edge." Did Mick Jagger and David Bowie make out? Probably. Who knows? And that's kind of what I was going for, but people took that to the next level. ...I think sexuality is a lot more ambiguous and more blurred than people make it out to be.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A friend of mine asked me over dinner earlier this week what I meant when I said "straight allies." I went into this blah, blah, blah explanation and now realize I could have just said two words: Cyndi Lauper. God bless this ultimate straight ally.In the upcoming music issue of The Advocate, Cyndi talks to writer Brantley Barin about her True Colors tour, which aims to be an annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Month concert (think Cyndipalooza) that will travel to 15 cities and offer five hours of music! Cyndi will be joined on the bill by Erasure, Debbie Harry, the Dresden Dolls, the Gossip, and the Misshapes. MTV's Logo network is the presenting sponsor and will give $1 made from every concert ticket directly to the Human Rights Campaign.
You should run out and buy The Advocate to read the full Lauper interview (plus, I wrote the cover story called "American Idol's Big Gay Closet") but here are a few excerpts of what Lauper says about the tour and her reasons behind organizing it:
"It's something I've wanted to do for a long time. And this way, you get to get AND give. That's why when they said, 'We'll make it the True colors tour,' I said, 'Well, then we should include the Human Rights Campaign.' - because the song "True Colors" means so much to the LGBT community and you can't ignore that. I've read letters on the Internet and when when people say a song made them feel like they could get through it after they'd been disenfranchised by their friends, their family, their jobs - and they're suicidal- well...
You shouldn't be made to feel badly about who you are. You're born that way. For God's sake, come ON already! That's why our grandparents came here, just to get a fair shake. I have every right and you have every right to be who you are."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Was your invitation to elton John's 60th birthday party lost in the mail like mine? Well, I'm not bitter...much. And at least we can watch his Madision Square Garden birthday concert tonight! "Happy Birthday Elton" airs at 8 p.m. on MyNetworkTV. (You know, the channel with all the cheesy soap operas with really hot men in them. You know you watch!)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Australian Idol singer Anthony Callea has given his first interview since coming out to the world last week.In the interview which I found via Towleroad.com, aired this morning on Sydney’s 2Day FM radio show, Callea responded to the hosts’ cries of “congratulations” with modesty. “Congratulations for what? I don’t need to be congratulated for it, it’s just the way it is.”
Callea said the accidental outing by traffic helicopter-man Vic Lorusso several weeks earlier was a blessing in disguise. “To tell you the truth, at the start of the year I was in Brisbane and I was speaking to my manager about it and I said ‘I think I’m comfortable within myself now to make that next step’ and we were talking about it for quite a few weeks. And then this whole thing with Vic Lorusso came out and I thought it was just something telling me that this was the right time.”
Was he upset about being outed? “I think I was more upset with the way it was blown out of proportion. But things are always going to be blown out of proportion, as long as I know the truth.”
It’s the reaction to Callea’s outing, that has been covered all around the world and through every media outlet in the country that has most surprised Anthony. “It’s really weird because a few days ago when I went to the airport and was going through the security, there were three security guards there. One of the them stopped me and said, “good on you”, and then I got through the actual security thing and the next one tapped me on the shoulder and said “that’s really good, good on you,” and then the next one tapped me on the shoulder. I was going, ‘what’s going on?’, I’m still exactly the same person.”
Yeah, but now you're OUT Anthony! People feel they know you now...
Callea finished off the interview by confirming he’s been with his boyfriend, Paul, for the past three years (pictured with Anthony in “Woman’s Day”, above right) and was “very happy” with his relationship. “At the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter who you love or who loves you, as long as you know what love is.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember way back when when Ricky Martin was all that and Barbara Walters flat-out asked hom on one of her celeb specials about the speculation that he is gay?
As I recall, Ricky dodged the question - more charmingly than Clay Aiken did in an interview with Diane Sawyer last year - but dodged it all the same. So Martin's comments about Mexican singer Christian Chavez, who came out publicly earlier this month, are interesting.
''Life is too short to live closed up, guarding what you say." Christian ''has to be free in many aspects. I wish him much strength.''
Well, whatever. Good to have him supporting Chavez who has been so amazingly honest and heartfelt in his public coming out. I feel like I know him a little bit. Ricky Martin? I don't feel like I know him at all.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"Celebrity Duets" may not have been in the league of "American Idol" or "Dancing With the Stars" but it did give "Queer Eye" alum Jai Rodriguez (he was the culture expert) the opportunity to show the world that he can sing - and sing quite well. So congratulations to Jai for sigining a record deal with Airgo Music. His first single, "Wake Up Call," is scheduled for release in June.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a new pop sensation in town and his name is Mika! His debut CD, "Life in Cartoon Motion" was released on Tuesday and Lance Bass was among those on hand at the release party held at West Hollywood's Mondrian Hotel Sky Bar. There has been much speculation about Mika's sexuality but he has made clear that he chooses not to discuss his personal life - entirely his right.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The delicious Dolly Parton, deservedly awarded with the Kennedy Center Honors in December, had some surprising things to say when interviewed by a British newspaper recently. Dolly has been married for a million years to the same man, Carl Dean, who is rarely seen in public.
"When I have sex with my husband these days, I fantasize I am with someone like KEITH URBAN or a petite, hot young woman.”
COOL!!!!
She also says he first crush was on a Tennessee hooker who “I thought she was beautiful. She had more hair, more color, more everything.”
Well, there are at least two things that NO ONE has more of than Dolly!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oops! I squirreled away these pictures from Elton John's concert at Madison Square Garden Sunday and his star-studded birthday party Saturday night in NYC but forgot to post them! Well, it's never too late to enjoy party pics!
I won't bother with captions for the pics because if you don't know who people like Keifer Sutherland, Pierce Brosnan, Barbara Walters, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Emma Thompson and Diane Sawyer are, there is no hope for you! Gee, none of those people came to MY last birthday party! What does Elton got that I don't got besides money, immense talent, hair (his isn't real but still!) and millions of adoring fans?
Meanwhile, I'm gonna hit Best Buy after I leave the office to pick up his new CD "Numbers Ones" and listen to it on the way home.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The British tabloid The Sun has a long memory and on the occasion of Elton John's 60th birthday on Sunday, the paper decided to dig up six dozen of his most memorable quote. Some of them are, well, a little bitchy but hey, this is the man who wrote "The Bitch is Back."

On The X Factor: “It is a cruise ship show. I’ve got nothing against the people who go on – good luck to them. But I hate how they’re treated. The record companies sell a lot of records and those people are gone. It’s f***ing cruel.”

On Hear’Say: “They have to be the ugliest band I’ve ever seen. If you’re going to have a boy band or a girl band then they’ve got to be good-looking. The guy Danny looks like Shrek. I feel sorry for them.”

On florists: “I loathe flower arranging – it’s a hideous profession.”

On Grammys, while reviewing a Stevie Wonder video on a kids’ TV show: “Grammys only go to disabled people.”

On Madonna’s victory at the Q Awards in 2004: “Madonna Best Live Act? Since when has lip-synching been live? Anyone who lip-synchs on stage when you pay £75 to see them should be shot. That’s me off her f***ing Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No.”

On The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King winning 11 Oscars in 2004: “It was the most boring Oscars I have seen. I thought there might be one surprise in the song category but even there The Lord Of The Rings won. And I don’t think it deserved to.”

On pop music: “The Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears, S Club 7, Steps – the music is like packets of cereal. There are too many of them, too many of them are just average and mediocre.”

On appearing on Chris Moyles’s breakfast show: “I haven’t been to the BBC for so long, I almost went to the other building. But I saw Tony Blackburn on a walking stick and I thought, ‘No, it’s the wrong f***ing place’.”

On George W Bush: “The worst thing that has ever happened to America.”

On Cherie Blair’s lifestyle guru Carole Caplin: “Who’s that stupid cow who advises the Prime Minister? Carole Chaplin, Caplin – whatever her name is. She’s a mindless f***ing turd.”

On his football club Watford FC: “I’ll be fine if I don’t get an Oscar. I was chairman of Watford FC so I know what it’s like to lose.”

On Tony Blair and the Iraq invasion: “You lied to us, Tony. The Hutton Report made me wanna spit. It was like, these idiots think they can get away with anything. I voted for Tony. He’s basically a nice guy. What happened? Is it because power does that thing to you, that you isolate yourself? It enrages me that people can just smirk their way through it.”

On his grandma: “When she was visiting me in LA I’d just taken a load of pills and was threatening to throw myself in the pool. I told her I’d be dead in two hours and she replied, ‘Oh, I better go home then’. ”

On pseudonyms: “In hotels I use names like Binky Poodleclip and Sir Horace Pussy.”

On HIV: “America is my second home. I slept with half of it and came out HIV negative. I’m a lucky, lucky person.”

On ex-wife Renate: “The nicest person I have ever met. I don’t have one negative thing to say about her.”

On his mum Sheila: “I’ve always been a mummy’s boy.”

On Simon Cowell: “I am on the side of the artists. I am not on the side of someone like Simon Cowell, who sees them as another Mercedes Benz in his pocket.”

To a critic who slated his duet Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word with Blue: “Sorry happens to be a beautiful song sung by Frank Sinatra, among others. As a musician, I know this. As a w***er, you wouldn’t. Have a nice day.”

On the Diana Memorial Fountain: “It’s purely ugly. It looks like a sewer.”

In a tirade to photographers and police waiting at Taiwan airport in 2004: “You are rude, vile pigs. Do you know what that means? Rude, vile pigs. That’s what all of you are.”

On David Beckham: “David’s adorable – he’s a great role model for young people now he’s calmed down. He loves his wife, adores his kids, he’s a modern father who isn’t racist or homophobic. He loves his fashion. I really don’t think there is a single bad bone in his body.”

On women: “I can be driving along and see a woman and think, ‘Phwoar, she’s gorgeous.’ I don’t just fancy men.”

To a female photographer who tried to snap him leaving Liz Hurley’s house: “I hope you die of cancer of the clitoris.”

On Robbie Williams: “I keep my eye on him from a distance. I worry about him. I always feel he’s a bit of a loose cannon. He has that look in his eye.”

On Geri Halliwell: “Whenever you see her she clings on to you. She’s good company but she and Robbie just seem to be so obsessed with their careers.”

On Rod Stewart: “When we get together I truly believe we are the funniest two people in the world. We just insult each other – but in a great way.”

On Oasis: “They could have been the biggest band in the world but they blew it. It all came down to the fact that they were not prepared to work. And the drugs didn’t help during their abortive trips to America.”

On cocaine: “I have dreams when I have a white nose and it’s all round my mouth