In honor of diva Diana Ross's 75th birthday, let's take a listen to some of her biggest and best hits through the years, including the totally-gay coming out anthem, "I'm Coming Out."
Penned by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the duo actually admitted to Billboard they lied to the diva when she asked if the song was a gay anthem.
There’s a new me coming out
And I just had to live
And I want to give
I’m completely positive
Ok, in all honesty this was going to be one song at the end of today's News Round-Up, but I couldn't stop myself LOL... So many great, great songs, I just kept adding and adding.
Bestest birthday wishes to my "fabulous, gorgeous, always makes me comfortable, always makes me laugh" friend Vanessa Williams who celebrates her birthday today.
I've known Vanessa since we attended Syracuse University together many moons ago.
Obviously V has gone on to major, major accomplishments over the years in film, TV, Broadway and the recording studio. So many to name, I won't try.
But my favorite thing about Vanessa over the years is she has never changed the way she treats me as her old friend.
We may not see each other for a while, but she's always the same person I knew back in school.
I've documented a few of our meet-ups over the years here, here, and here.
Me with Vanessa Williams, husband Jim Skrip and my hubby Michael Caprio
at pre-gala reception hosted by Fendi (all photos by Denise Truscello)
In my introduction, I shared the story behind the pic below when I had just finished cancer treatment in 2009.
Clearly, I didn't look like myself after chemo, and I was very self-conscious.
But seeing Vanessa backstage after her concert here in Las Vegas that year, she didn't blink. Once she knew I was good, she ignored the way I looked and made me feel as comfortable as always.
After commenting on my hairlessness - "You look fab with your bald head!" - she immediately asked, "Do you want to hang backstage and have Chardonnay and friend chicken?"
As I told the audience at the Nevada Ballet Theatre event, that pretty much summed up Vanessa:
Like Chardonnay, she's bright, light and intoxicating.
And like friend chicken, she is truly "Soul Food."
Jimmy Kimmel gets a lot of well wishes on his birthday from his family and friends, but the first one every year is a call from his Aunt Chippy at the crack of dawn.
It's gotten to the point where Jimmy turns his phone off the night before his birthday so she doesn't wake him up.
So this year, with some help from Jimmy's wife Molly and his brother Jonathan, Aunt Chippy flew in from Las Vegas to wake him up in the middle of the night when he was sound asleep.
Jimmy Kimmel is cute when he wakes up
Oh, and she brought a few friends from the world-famous Chippendales to help out, cause who doesn't want to wake up surrounded by those hunks?
From her 1984 MTV Awards performance of "Like A Virgin," to the controversial "Like A Prayer," the now iconic "Vogue," the empowering "Express Yourself" and envelope pushing (at the time) "Justify My Love," Madonna has always and continues to hold our attention.
While not a "power" vocalist, her voice does have the power to connect with us; and she's a skilled lyricist and songwriter.
Plus, no one understands the power of style and reinvention better than Madge.
It bears mentioning that Madonna has been a potent and vocal ally for the LGBT community from the start - speaking out for equality and the AIDS crisis before it was in "vogue" to do so (you saw what I did there, right?).
I picked some of my favorite Madonna music videos below. Some are about the songs; some I enjoy for the visuals; and some for the change in direction they represent for her career.
Today, France celebrates Bastille Day, or as we say in my house, my birthday.
I am not a 'birthday person.' I never have been, not that I mind getting older.
The best part of my birthday really isn't about me.
The best part of my birthday is the anniversary of one of the best parts of my life.
The best part of my birthday is that since July 14, 1980, this day represents the day I found my best friend, the foundation of who I am and how I got here.
Today is the anniversary of the day Carlye and I officially became best friends. Yes, officially. We decided that day.
I can never write enough about how I was made better the day we met.
I can never write enough about how Carlye and her family made me feel like I belonged.
I can never write enough about how Carlye and I survived NYC and life together:
• being briefly homeless at midnight on Octoher 30, 1985
• living in what we called 'the hovel' in a six floor walk-up on the East Side
• waiting tables and auditioning, and waiting tables and auditioning, and waiting tables and auditioning
• getting to opening nights
• getting through funerals
• getting through illnesses - hers and mine
I could all go on and on. But I'll leave it at that - for now.
The best part of my birthday is not about me. It is about 'we.'
Happy birthday to me, and happy anniversary Carlye.
As the country prepares for the Equality March for Unity & Pride this weekend, it's notable that Hollywood legend and gay icon Judy Garland, who inspired us with dreams of rainbows long before we took up the symbol for ourselves, would have turned 95 today.
As a young gay, I knew Garland was one of the LGBT world's "high holies" in the pantheon of idols. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I appreciated the talent.
Getting older as a gay man, as an artist in the theatre, AND as I learned to raise my voice as an activist, when I came across this clip from Judy's 1960s TV show, I suddenly got it.
On December 13, 1963, Judy sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in honor of the recent death of President John F. Kennedy.
Garland and Kennedy were friends and she had campaigned on his behalf.
According to Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft, at the taping of this performance Judy looked into the camera and said, "This is for you, Jack," but CBS edited it out as too political. Still, everyone knew what the song was about.
This remains my favorite performance ever by Garland. I see her vulnerability, her conviction, and her indomitable strength all at the same time.
Like a sorcerer whose once awesome powers might have dimmed, through sheer force of will she again summons powerful artistry to pay honor to her friend.
For a brief, shining moment the magic returned.
The loss of the president and the inspiration of his promise is clear in her eyes. Check out the 3:10 mark as she stands strong and tall in her conviction.
THIS was why she was a star. This is why she remains in our consciousness.
With the Equality March for Unity & Pride this weekend, and pride events all over the country, I'm sure we'll all hold more than one rainbow in our hearts.
Born April 24, 1942, Oscar/Grammy/Emmy Award winner Barbra Streisand celebrates 75 trips around the sun today.
Instead of the usual clips I could share, today I want to highlight La Babs' vocal on "Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide from her Back To Brooklyn album.
Gorgeous vocal throughout, and I think that amazing last note is around 19 very long seconds... :)
Today we celebrate the 70th (!) birthday of the all-fab Cher!
From her first #1 hit back in 1965 with then-hubby Sonny, "I Got You Babe," Cher has been breaking down barriers for decades.
As a matter of fact, she's had Billboard Top 10 hits spanning four decades. OR - six decades if you count her hits on the Billboard dance charts. Check out her amazing catalogue of music on iTunes here.
Truly the stuff legends dream of.
Here's just a few of my video favorites over the years.
My ultimate Cher moment captured for the ages: when Cher reluctantly sang "I Got You Babe" with Sonny at the request of David Letterman on November 14, 1987. The magic showed up again - just look at Sonny's face. Clearly, he was still in love.
Check the 2:19 mark when Sonny puts his arm around Cher's waist. Such a natural connection between the two.
It is almost unfathomable that Janet Jackson turns 50 today.
Forever youthful, the youngest of the Jackson family released her debut album, the self-titled Janet Jackson in 1982 at the age of 16.
With record sales of over 160 million units, she is undeniably one of the best-selling artists in contemporary music. Click over to her iTunes page just to remind yourself of her huge catalogue.
The list of honors and awards she accumulated are far to long to enumerate, but I'll just note that she's received twelve American Music Awards, five Grammy Awards, nine MTV Video Music Awards, and thirty-three Billboard Music Awards, (the most of any artist).
I think my personal favorite of her superlative creative output has to be her HUGE Rhythm Nation album. Creatively and socially-aware, it set a new high bar for music artists in 1989.
My dear Carol Channing celebrates her 95th birthday today.
Back in 2010, I performed with her again (picture above) in the opening number of the Gypsy of the Year competition, which is a major charity event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She brought the house down as only she can.
For those that don't know, I spent two and a half incredible years performing with Carol in the last Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!. I eventually became the production supervisor where she would ask me for notes - on how to perform the role of Dolly Levi! As if I could tell her anything she didn't already know.
A quick Carol story: when I was supervising Dolly on tour, one day we had a particularly long and dreadful travel day - two planes, a bus, a train and a donkey or two - to get to what Carol called "a soccer arena" where we would perform the show that night.
In the sound check Carol looked down and realized that the musician's pit was 25 feet beneath us. This was the pit that I had to leap over every night in the middle of the Hello, Dolly! number. For the first time in 30 years of doing the show she decided this was dangerous.
After the sound check she came looking for me to ask if someone could put a net or something between the pit and the stage in case those of us who jumped over the pit happened to fall into it. At this point, I had 30 minutes before the performance and was taking a long shower to rid myself of the long travel day. This being a "soccer arena" the showers where open showers in a locker room.
Covered in soap and standing under the water I suddenly heard a very low baritone voice say "Randy". I turned and there was Carol, in the open showers with me, smiling. She waited for me to turn and went into her concerns about the pit, a net and all sorts of other things as I stood there completely naked.
When she finished expressing her concerns I said "Absolutely Carol. But right now I'm soaking wet, taking a shower." She looked me up and down, smiled and said "Oh! Yes, of course. Well, you know - we're all just show folk" and then turned and left me to finish my shower. Nudity was nothing to this old pro who had changed costumes in the wings for decades.
Celebrate our fabulous Carol Channing today. She is truly a national treasure.
As Carol likes to say, "the first 95 years are the hardest."
