From “The Clayboard,” a fan forum dedicated to Clay Aiken of American Idol:
“Clay fans are brave and loyal and loving, and sometimes they are truly tested. Hugs to everyone who has weathered the storm.”
Honestly, I’m surprised. I was expecting all kinds of crying and carrying on, but apparently the subject of Aiken’s appearance on the cover of People magazine — he is shown cradling his newborn son alongside the headline “Yes, I’m Gay” and the words “The Idol star opens up about his emotional decision to come out: ‘I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things'”—is verboten until the authenticity of the story has been established.
For the record, a USA Today entertainment blogger has already posted that while People doesn’t have the cover on their website yet, “they confirm it’s real.” And there is currently a red breaking news style banner running across the top of the magazine’s website that advises readers to “Come back Wednesday for the full scoop on Clay Aiken at 7 A.M. EDT.”
Being terminally out of the loop, I’d never heard of guitarist Kaki King (who just released her fourth album, and has also played on songs by acts as diverse as the Foo Fighters, Northern State and Tegan and Sara) before reading this article in Australia’s The Age. But now I have no choice, I have to check out her music. Not just because everyone agrees she’s amazingly talented, but because she’s also fucking funny. Writes interviewer Guy Blackman:
But when I ask why, despite being an open and proud lesbian, none of King’s lyrics or song titles on Dreaming of Revenge seem to refer to her sexuality, she quickly loses her fragile cool.
“Let’s work on some openly lesbian song titles – how about ‘I Like Muff-Diving’, ‘I’m a Girl and She’s So Hot’. I mean, what are you talking about?”
This is where I interrupt to point out that “I Like Muff-Diving” has already been done — it was a Joan Jett B-side in 1981 — before picking up the Blackman piece, already in progress:
But just as quickly, she reins herself in again. “I’m sorry, it’s just that a lot of people are like, ‘So, what’s the gay thing about?”‘ King says. “It’s like, ‘Oh, f— me, do we have to go there?’
“There’s nothing openly lesbian about the lyrics,” she continues.
“There’s really not much openly lesbian about the record. I don’t reference it, but I certainly would. If I needed something to rhyme with ‘bee’ then I’d use ‘she’, if I was writing a song about a lover. It just happened that I didn’t on this record.”
To which I can only say: Yeah. If she’s openly gay, what more is there to discuss? It’s like asking Aretha Franklin why she doesn’t record songs about snack cakes.
“I hope I remembered to set my TiVo for The L Word.”
What did we learn from Rob Hoerburger’s fascinating profile of Shelby Lynne in this weekend’s New York Times Magazine? Well, for starters, she digs booze, college football, and Gladys Knight. And she doesn’t like modern country music, explaining, “The new stuff all sounds the same. I’m not ragging on anybody, but it doesn’t require emotional involvement. What Carrie Underwood is singing about has already been heard. It’s in a beautiful package. But my duty is to take the hard route.”
We learn that Barry Manilow, who is a fan of her music, is the one who suggested she record an album of Dusty Springfield covers. (She did, and Just a Little Lovin’ comes out later this month.) And we learn that Shelby, who has been known to get a little cranky herself when asked about her sexuality, still isn’t ready to come out of the closet—though she’s not exactly shutting herself in, either. Of Lynne’s similarities to Springfield, Hoerburger writes:
There are some solid parallels, though, musical and non-, between the two women. “Dusty in Memphis,” for all its acclaim, wasn’t much of a hit when it was released, just as “I Am Shelby Lynne” wasn’t. Springfield, like Lynne, could be temperamental; she was a perfectionist who frequently delivered the goods in the 59th minute of the 11th hour, and watch out if you got in her way before then.
And then there were the gay rumors that dogged Springfield most of her career, which in her case turned out to be true, though she never used the word “lesbian” officially. That same speculation has followed around Lynne, who was married briefly when she was 18, and neither will she confirm nor deny, saying only that she goes where the love is. “I’ve done everything on every corner of the universe,” Lynne said, “but I’m not going to make an announcement about it.”
I’m not sure an announcement is necessary, given how dykey (if ever-gender neutral) the song “Lonesome” is, but there you have it. Here’s a clip of Shelby singing “I Only Want to Be With You.”
UPDATE: If you found this page while looking for Shelby Lynne’s interview with the gay magazine The Advocate, you can find it here.
