Re: ROLLING STONE: Creating Country's Gay Idol

Date: 18 Jul 2003 19:21:01 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.music.country.western
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Well, here are some things to think about:
1) Though k.d. lang is clearly talented, she was only moderately
successful. Definitely, the majority of country fans could not view
her as any kind of sex symbol. She still has a following, but her
country career was rather short lived.
2) The ladies like to know there male singer possibly sees them the
way they see him. I can't see the ladies going crazy over Kenny
Chesney if he was gay, especially openly. Would a woman in concert
throw a bra at a guy who could care less
3) Lyrics. What would a gay singer sing about? "Love" songs would
have to be artificially written for women, or it would freak out
Nashville to think of what the subject matter was about. Think back
to Boy George in 1983-when everyone realized who those love songs were
about, it spelled disaster for his career. Also imagine "when I
kissed your soft, warm lips again" (the kind of lyric common in
country love, I think Johnny Duncan did that); I don't think it would
be too wise to apply that to an assumed male figure by another male.
4) Elton John's career was at its peak when he was trying/pretending
to lead a straight life. I think he presently rides because he was SO
famous and SO popular prior to the revelation of his lifestyle. He
seems to be a noteworthy exception to the rule.
5) Lesbian singers, for some unknown reason, seem to have a better
chance. They still tend to choose tough, gritty material for whatever
reason, also. Remember that Melissa Etheridge wrote "You Can Sleep
While I Drive" as recorded by Trisha Yearwood.
7) A large gay audience. Nobody really knows what the population of
gays are or, in addition to that, any of them like country music or
would listen to it if open gays were included. If gays turn to
country music as a result of a "gay" star, then it may defy the
Nashville establishment. It will result in conflict, however,
considering Country is so closely tied to Gospel and very
conservative/traditional in its politics.
8) Talent has to be there. If it sounds like "a Backstreet Boy
finally came out of the closet and started trying to sing hillbilly
music", then it will not work.
9) Have the majority of country fans been liberalized to the idea of
"alternative lifestyles"? I'm not so sure. I have been told,
however, that there are a lot of gays that were born in the South and
have not abandoned all there Southern ways as a result-including
Country music.
10) Nashville has presently established itself as a war zone with the
majority of the establishment taking an anti-PC stance that really
stood out in the CMA Awards this year. As I am worried about the
direction this country is going myself, I am pleased that there are
famous people who choose to buck the establishment and think for
themselves, even if many in Nashville do have dubious straight morals.
By the way, aside from Lang, Herndon and Lynne, who else in Nashville
is rumored to play in left field? I am just curious. I have an idea
on the bisexuality of one, but I won't say who, because it might start
a terrific flame war.