Trans Soul Singer Jackie Shane Joins The Ancestors

Sad to hear the news via her record company that Grammy nominated trans soul singer Jackie Shane has passed away at age 78.

Shane was born in Nashville in 1940, but spent much of her life in Canada, specifically in Montreal and Toronto,  rising to prominence in the local Toronto R&B music scene centered on Yonge Street.   She and her band toured Canada and the US until she returned to the United States in 1971.

She turned down an offer from George Clinton to join Funkadelic (I would have loved that as a hardcore Funkateer ) to take care of an aunt and returned to Nashville in 1996.   

A CBC documentary brought her out of obscurity and gave us a chance to learn about our pioneering transcestor.   A collection of her music entitled Any Other Way, was nominated for a Grammy this year/ 

Rest in power and peace, Jackie.   You paved the way for the next generation of trans singers like Shea Diamond, and we're happy as a community we got to give you your flowers in the time that we got to know about you.

Now it's up to our trans musicians to pick up the torch you have left behind and hold it up for the next generation.

Tona Brown Blazing Trails Again

You know my sis Tona Brown has been #BlackTGirlMagic personified throughout her music career when it comes to trans people gaining attention in the classical music world.

She has sung for a sitting US president and performed at Carnegie Hall.  Now this December she will be participating in an all LGBTQ ensemble of soloists and musicians performing Handel's Messiah. 

Tona told me in a phone interview that she's still in shock that this is happening for her.

"I didn't know if this would happen for me in my lifetime," Brown said. "They asked me, and I'm still in shock about it."   "I'm pleased to be part of this groundbreaking event," she added.

This historic performance of The Messiah will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA on December 15.   Address is 601 N Vermont Street in Arlington, and if you're in the DC-MD-VA area I hope you'll support this event

Kennedy Davenport- I'm Moving Up

As you TransGriot readers know, I'm not a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, but during its run it has had some of its winners and folks who didn't snatch the crown make a name elsewhere besides the drag and pageant world.

One of those peeps is Kennedy Davenport.    Davenport is based up I-45 from me and in addition to competing on Drag Race, also competed on America's Got Talent in 2013 and won several pageant crowns. 

Davenport also attended the BFA Dance program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and it shows in her ance moves. 

 A TransGriot reader pointed me to this video of hers, and I was definitely feeling it.   It's definitely something that you need to play peeps when you're feeling down.

Enough jibber jabber.   Let me allow you readers to check out her video for her song  I'm Moving Up.  If you like it, download it.


 

Note To Nikki Haley: All Music Is Political

Laughed my azz off at Nikki Haley's comment complaining about politics at the Grammys and saying that music and politics shouldn't mix.

I also find it more interesting the critique coming from Haley in light of the fact that one of the first things that GOP administrations do is cut funding to arts, music and education,

She was also born in 1972, when the music industry was blowing up.   The 70's and the 80's were one of the most creative and unapologetically political periods for popular music.

News flash for you Nikki. Art, music and politics have been joined at the hip.    Some of my fave songs have had political themes in them like Stevie Wonder's 'You Haven't Done Nothing' slamming the Nixon Administration.   In fact Stevie has written a lot of politically themed songs over his distinguished career..   Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit'.  Sly and the Family Stone.  The Isley Brothers 'Fight The Power.'   The Impressions 'Keep on Pushing' which was inspired by the civil rights marches of the era.    Freda Payne's 'Bring The Boys Home'  critiquing the Vietnam War.   Edwin Starr's 'War'.  Various Parliament-Funkadelic songs.  Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes 'Wake Up Everybody.  George Clinton's 'Bullet Proof/, Public Enemy's Can't Truss It.  NWA's F*** tha Police.  Beyonce's' Run The World'

And that's just from the R&B, rap and hip hop side.   Black music has always been unapologetically political    Music of other genres has also been political like Men At Work's 'It's A Mistake' and Nena's '99 Luftballons' being two examples on the same theme of an accidental nuclear war. 

So it's laughable that you, being part of a misadministration that politicizes everything including NFL players simply taking a knee during the national anthem protesting police violence against our community and turning it into something sinister, are now whining about the Grammy Awards and the numerous political shots they took at your reprehensible boss up to and including Hillary Clinton reading from Fire and Fury..

So just deal with the fact that all music is political, and thanks to the First Amendment to our Constitution, here will be more musical critiques of your boss coming over the next two years

What's Kim Petras Up To?

Watching that Deutsche Welle Afro Germany documentary and perusing the results of the recent German federal elections made me wonder what has been going on with Kim Petras lately..

Kim was the youngest person in Germany at age 12 to begin her transition, and the now 24 year old has been busy building her music career in her birth nation and in Europe. 

She now has her sights set on conquering the US music market and has released a new song entitled 'I Don't Want It At All'

She also hasn't forgotten her trans status and feeling she needs to be a roleodel for tne trans kids

Black Trans History- Jackie Shane

'I never realized that I'd mean something to people all these years later'
-Jackie Shane  

I've talked about in these TransGriot electronic pages about trans masculine gospel singer Wilmer Broadnax, who was a major star from the 40's to the 70's.

Now it turns out that we are now getting another piece of our Black trans history revealed in the person of R&B singer Jackie Shane.

She was born in Nashville on May 15, 1940.  While Nashville is world renowned for its country music scene, it also had a thriving blues and R&B music scene centered on the clubs on Jefferson St.

Shane was surrounded by music from an early age, and according to the 2010 CBC Elaine Banks  radio documentary I Got Mine; The Story Of Jackie Shane, as a teen she stayed with Marion James, Nashville's legendary Queen of the Blues.

She moved to Montreal in 1960, and a chance 1962 encounter with the Washington DC based band Frank Motley and the Motley Crew, known as Frank Motley and the Hitchhikers north of the border led to her becoming the lead singer for the group, relocating to Toronto with them in 1961 and as their lead singer subsequently taking Toronto's music scene by storm.  

Shane and the band would occasionally head south for US gigs in Boston, Nashville and Los Angeles, but it was Toronto where they were making their money.  Toronto's music scene was centered on Yonge Street, and they were tapping into the hunger Canadian audiences had for R&B and soul music.

Shane's first single was a cover of the Frank Barrett Motown classic song Money, but it was the song she released later in 1962 entitled Any Other Way, that hit number two on the then influential CHUM radio music chart that led to her taking the Toronto based music scene by storm .

In addition to performing at Toronto's Sapphire Club , there was this 1965 performance on Nashville's WLAC-TV's Night Train show



As the 60's inexorably moved into the 70's the bookings dried up and Shane left Toronto in 1971 returned to the States and lost touch with her bandmates.   She turned down an offer from George Clinton to become part of Funkadelic and began caring for an aunt in Los Angeles.   She returned to Nashville around 1996 after the death of her mother as people wondered what happened to her.  

Rumors abounded that she had been violently murdered in LA or committed suicide until she was found by saxophonist Steve Kennedy living in Nashville in 2005.

Thanks to that 2010 CBC radio documentary, there has been renewed interest in Jackie Shane's career and life, and she's still alive and kicking in Nashville at age 77.

And yes, Jackie, your life means plenty to all of us trans peeps all these years later as a Black trans woman living her life. doing what she loved and being unapologetic about it.      

It also means that another piece of our Black trans history has been uncovered for us to enjoy and appreciate.

Jenifer Lewis- Get Your Azz Out And Vote!

I have loved actress Jenifer Lewis ever since she played Dean Dorothy Davenport on A Different World.

She has a message concerning tomorrow's election y'all need to hear



If you haven't handled your electoral business yet, please do so.  This election is too important for you to stay home.

Shea Diamond's 'I Am Her' Drops On ITunes

She talked about it when I met her during the 2016 BTAC conference in Dallas, and we even got a sample of her amazing vocal talents during our Family Fun Day.  

Now Shea Diamond has finally released that first single on ITunes entitled I Am Her.

Here's the YouTube video for the song, and if you like it, please consider purchasing the song and helping a trans sister out.



The song dropped on ITunes back on October 7, and it's available for purchase here by clicking this link. 

Congrats Shea!   Hope we are blessed to hear more of your musical talents in the near future!

Jordana LeSesne Named As One Of 20 Women Who Shaped Dance Music

Y'all know how much I love my little sis by another mother Jordana LeSesne, my amazing music producing sis with the mad DJ skills to pay her bills.  She's also responsible for pushing and gently prodding yours truly into making TransGriot a reality 10 years ago.

Will tell that story about how it happened as we get closer to my TransGriot 10th anniversary on January 1, but this post is about an amazing honor she has received.

Jordana was recently named by MixMag, the Bible of the dance music industry as one of 20 Women Who Shaped the History Of Dance Music

Just in case you don't know who Jordana LeSesne is, quick trans history moment.   In 1998 Jordana not only transitioned, but subsequently blew up as a African-American dance music producer and DJ to the point where her music was featured on VH1  She survived a 2000 transphobic hate attack and has become an advocate and possibility model for many people inside and outside of the dance music world.

Of course,  Jordana was excited about this honor that was bestowed upon her. 

"I feel SO HONORED right now to be mentioned along legends like Missy Elliot, Kemistry; Storm, Miss DJAX and Heather Heart! All of whom I was either influenced by or looked up to!"  Jordana wrote on her Facebook page.  "Just goes to show that if we believe in ourselves, ‪#‎girlslikeus‬ can do anything!"

Yes ma'am we can!  And to echo what you said Sis, if we are given the chance to do what we love, we girls like us will handle our business and excel at it. She's currently working on a few music projects to be announced soon.

Congrats Jordana on being named one of 20 Women Who Shaped Dance Music.   It is a well deserved honor.

Help Jaila's EP Become A Reality

You may remember me talking about Jaila Simms, who was on the reality TV show Making Diddy's Band back in 2009.

So what's Jaila been up to since then? 

Well, Jaila has put together a debut EP entitled 'Best of Both Worlds' with a tentative release date of April 8, but is $600 short so the post production of it can happen.   

)

She has a Gofundme campaign that is running through March 17 that is trying to raise that post production money for the EP, so let's help a #girllikeus out. 

Every dollar counts, and even if you can only spare a dollar, that's one dollar closer to her goal..  600 people x $1= $600. 300 people x $2 =  $600.  120 people x $5= 600   60 people x $10 = $600

Help Jaila's EP become a reality.
 

Naw Lauryn, I Ain't Feelin' 'Neurotic Society'

I became a big fan of Lauryn Hill's music when she released in 1998 the multiplatinum smash CD The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.  It earned her ten Grammy nominations, of which she took home five of them.  Hill also garnered lots of critical acclaim and accolades off her monster debut solo album.

Since then she's been on the Sade CD release schedule.  While she's popped up at various events to perform since 1998 and is always rumored to be writing songs or planning to release new music, a new CD full of music hasn't happened yet.

She released a song May 4 (my birthday) entitled 'Neurotic Society' (Compulsory Mix) that put her back in the musical spotlight for the wrong reason.  I ain't feeling because it has some questionable lyrics that appear to be slamming the trans* and SGL community 

Commerce and girl men
Run the whole world men
Bold, drunken debauchery
Old world brutality
Cold world killed softly
Whole world run savagely
Greedy men and pride fiends
Program TV screens
Quick scam and drag queens
Real likely to blast fiends 

The TERF's probably have it on their iPod playlists now and will be singing it at their next hate confab if they can find a place to host it. 

The song and its lyrics have her longtime fans like me going WTF and has triggered mounting criticism from inside and outside the trans* and SGL community.   It also didn't help that Hill spent three months in Club Fed and didn't address the issue before she went in to serve that tax evasion sentence.

Now that she's out, she's claiming in a Tumblr post she wasn't attacking the TBLG community when she wrote this song. 

“Neurotic Society is a song about people not being, or not being able to be, who and what they truly are, due to the current social construct. I am not targeting any particular group of people, but rather targeting everyone in our society who hides behind neurotic behavior, rather than deal with it.

To which many of us are saying bull feces, especially when you rant about 'social transvestism', 'girl men', 'drag queens' and 'pride fiends', we know your azz has spent time in Jamaica around its sometimes LGBT phobic music scene and you have Rastafarian influences on your life and work. 

We also are quite aware of the fact there are elements of the Rastafarian religion that are virulently transphobic and homophobic  

Dr. Monica Miller wrote in a BET op-ed this about the song: 

Neurotic Society” proclaims again that Babylon is falling — thanks in part to tricksters like ”girl men,” ”drag queens,” and the lies of ”social transvestism.” Whether or not Hill is merely using these comments as examples of the smokescreens and sleight-of-hands that pervade this “Neurotic Society” is unclear. Beyond intention, these sorts of statements suggest that society is in a shambles because it’s been taking too many cues from the LGBTQ community, acting like “girl men,” “drag queens” and “transvestites.” Is her beef with oppressive society or is her issue with people who don’t abide by a traditional family structure?

For those who don’t feel me, would it be okay if her song criticized “neurotic society” for acting like “N-----s,” ”mammies” and ”jezebels?” No! Then why does she think it’s cool to critique society by using stereotypes about a community that suggest the community isn’t as valuable as another?

I believe the Neurotic Society lyrics are problematic despite Hill's protestations.  They concern me as a leader in a trans community that has unacceptable levels of of anti-trans hate violence aimed at it.  

I would like to believe that Lauryn Hill isn't a transphobe.  But until she clarifies where she stands concerning the trans community and the issues we confront just trying to live our lives, all we have to judge her by are these problematic words from a song that I and much of my trans family ain't feeling.  

Tona's Got A New CD!

I've talked a few times about Tona Brown and had the pleasure of doing my first TransGriot Ten Questions Interview with her.   She's shared her classically trained vocal talents at various community events including becoming the first transperson to sing for a sitting US president.

Now you get the opportunity to hear what President Obama and countless others did as she releases a new CD entitled This Is Who I Am and I get the pleasure of interviewing her about this new project.

TransGriot- Congratulations Tona on the release of this new musical endeavor.   How long has this project been in the works? 
TB-This Project has been in the works for a little over a year. It was recorded at Norfolk State University with my mentor, pianist and vocalist Geraldine Boone, and engineer Gerald Thompson last summer.  We decided to make a little video and post it on youtube, to let my fans experience what it was like to record it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju1o5ebbg2s We had so much fun! Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep up with my V-blog posts!


TransGriot- What motivated you to create This Is Who I Am?

TB-This Is Who I Am was created because of conversations I had with Ms. Boone about how we did not see enough diversity in concert programming. African Americans have contributed enormously to classical music, but you wouldn't know that if you looked at the playbills and programs around the country that only play their music maybe once a year—or you would have to attend a National Association of Negro Musicians function or special program put on by African Americans like the African American Art Song society, etc.

I wanted to change that and showcase a few of the works that I love and enjoy.  I also make sure that I also program a piece by an African American composer in all my recitals whether it's a Negro spiritual or art song or even aria as an encore.  I feel this is the only way to preserve our music and to encourage others to do the same.

Also I have been asked by fans around the world to produce an album, and the pressure to produce something that really felt like ME was tremendous.  I love the works of European composers as well,  but I felt that my first project needed to reflect who I am as an African American woman raised in the south.  Many of these tunes I would hear in church, or my grandmother would hum them in the kitchen while cooking.  These songs, like jazz, are American music, so I also feel it is my obligation to keep this music alive!

TransGriot- What musical styles can we expect to hear when we purchase it for our music collections? 

TB-What makes this music so amazing is that you hear influences of Gospel, Jazz, and Blues in these songs.  Each song tells a story and when I am on stage presenting them I feel like my ancestors are standing right behind me.  The music is very difficult to perform and to play, as many an accompanist have found.  The arrangements are virtuosic and you must have a unique sense of rhythm in order to pull them off.  I'm honored to be able to present these works to so many people, many of whom have never heard them before.

TransGriot- I touched on it in the intro, but what was it like singing for President Obama and how did that historic opportunity happen for you? 
TB-Singing at the LGBT Leadership Conference was incredible, but what many didn't know was how stressful that night was.  Unlike any other President, Barack Obama took an enormous risk coming forth with his support of our community, and we were told that evening that there may be a protest developing outside the Sheraton Hotel in NYC.  Thankfully it did not happen, and I did at least feel safe with the security over a block long all around the premises.  But at that moment it felt very real. I knew I was a part of history.  I knew what it felt like to be Marian Anderson and know that just because you are singing for something you believe in you could possibly lose your life or be hurt. I was willing to take that chance and would do it again if I were called upon.

TransGriot -Are you planning to release any more CD's in the near future?

TB-Indeed I am.  I would love to do more projects like this. It's imperative that this album does well, so that it can help me to do another album that will be somewhat like a part two of this project. There are hundreds of such art songs and violin pieces by various composers that most people have never heard.  But the future is very bright for me and everyone will notice that I am collaborating with various artists outside of classical music over the next two years. 


TransGriot -What do you envision happening in your musical career in the next five years? 

TB-In the next five years, I envision more collaborative projects with artists of all genres.  Music is music and I would love to work with R&B, Jazz and Hip Hop artists to produce great music for people of all ages.

I am also working hard to produce some recordings with my chamber ensemble the Aida String ensemble (www.aidastrings.com)  while developing my music instruction business Aida Studios.  http://www.facebook.com/AidaStudios

Please encourage your followers to join me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tona-Brown/105772866142812 or my Aida Studios page on Facebook to see what my amazing students of all ages are doing.

I am also on Twitter at Tonacity and my own website is www.tonabrown.com

Tona, thanks so much for your time and good luck with this first of what I hope are many more CD releases for you.
 

Dick Clark Passes Away

As my milestone birthday rapidly approaches, another one of the iconic personalities I grew up with has passed away.

I was saddened to hear that Dick Clark, who hosted American Bandstand for over 30 years, the $10,000, $25,000  and $100,000 Pyramid game shows, founded the American Music Awards and since 1972 rocked New Year's Eve for us, died of a massive heart attack in Santa Monica, CA yesterday morning. 

Dick Clark was not only an iconic presence on our television screens, but also helped integrate the music industry.  One of the first major predominately white shows that Motown artists got exposure on was his  American Bandstand, and the Bandstand dance floors were integrated.

But what I and everyone else will fondly remember is spending our New Year's Eves since 1972 courtesy of  the Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve show in which we got to see our fave music artists perform just before the ball dropped to usher in the New Year from New York's Times Square with him.



When New Year's Eve comes around in a few months and we move from this year to 2013, for a moment it will be a little sadder than normal because the 'World's Oldest Teenager' won't be around to do the final countdown.

Rest in peace Dick Clark, you will be missed..

Alyras' The Unfinished Album

I had a guest post from Alyras two years ago entitled Why She Was Out As a Transgender Entertainer.    Since then she's continued with her music career and getting connected with other trans musicians.

She sent me a note recently letting me know that she was about to release a new album of songs called The Unfinished Album.

I'll let her take it from here:

Here's a link to the demo playlist of the album; just load it into your media player and check it out:
http://www.artofpop.com/unfinishedalbum/TheUnfinishedAlbum-DemoPlaylist.zip - I think you'll smile about the results of my efforts.

If you like what you hear, please consider sharing this link on your wall - http://www.artofpop.com/unfinishedalbum - as well as logging onto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-of-Pop/125273134223854 and adding me to your Likes and sharing these links with your other friends. BTW, I'll be releasing it soon through CD Baby, iTunes and other outlets, but it's on sale right now. 9 songs, only €5.

Thanks Alyras for sharing that with me, and with that, well peeps, here's your opportunity to support another trans music artist.   If we don't do it, who will?

It's past time to be about helping other transpeople in the 2K10's

She's Baaack! Dana International Headed To Eurovision 2011

The multinational Eurovision song contest is the world's most watched non sporting television event, averaging over 120 million viewers annually.    It launched the careers of ABBA (1974), Celine Dion (who competed for Switzerland in 1988), Katrina and the Waves (1997), several eastern European music stars and a transsexual singer from Israel named Sharon Cohen.

She's better known by her stage name of Dana International.   When she won the Israeli K'dam Eurovision selection contest after finishing second in 1995, drama was stirred up by Israel's Orthodox Jewish community and Israeli conservatives who had a problem with a transperson representing the nation at Eurovision 1998.    They attempted to strip her of the title but failed. 


She got the last laugh on her transphobic Israeli critics when her song 'Diva' won, subsequently sold over 400,000 copies and hit the Top Ten on the music charts of five European countries. .

She also slammed her critics back home with her 'Message of Reconciliation' in the wake of her 1998 Eurovision win. "My victory proves God is on my side. I want to send my critics a message of forgiveness and say to them: try to accept me and the kind of life I lead. I am what I am and this does not mean I don't believe in God, and I am part of the Jewish Nation." 


Now Dana International is headed back to the Eurovision event not as a former champion or guest, but as a repeat contestant. She won Israel's K'dam 2011 selection contest and is headed to Düsseldorf  with one called 'Ding Dong'.

Seriously, that's the name of the song.




We'll also have to see not only what Jean Paul Gauthier gown she pulls out for this Eurovision event this May, can she make Eurovision history by being the first person ever to win it twice?.

Peeps Throwing Transphobic Shade At Black Women Is Nothing New

I've got a few posts here about the too frequent outbreaks of transphobic shade that are aimed at Black women such as Wendy Williams and Ciara for instance.

But sadly it isn't a new phenomenon.    Check out this rap song that was recorded during the height of the Roxanne Wars in 1984-1985 in which Ralph Rolle went there and slammed one of the early female rappers in Roxanne Shante

.

It was not only a diss to either Roxanne Shante, The Real Roxanne or both, it was full of disinformation about trans people in the first place.   You don't become trans after being sodomized in prison and laser hair removal and electrolysis do wonders for eliminating the scourge of razor bumps...  

But the Real Roxanne was targeted because of her androgynous looks, and Roxanne Shante because she dared to step up in what was considered the 'man's world' of rap and excel in it.

These ladies paved the way for the later success of Salt and Pepa, Queen Latifah,  Monie Love, and MC Lyte .

As we know too painfully well, if you don't meet the arbitrary markers of the ideal woman in terms of looks and deportment, you get the 'that's a man' tag thrown at you by 'the menz'.

And as I have to consistently point out to the transphobic, you get half your genetic material from mommy and half from daddy. We are all blends of traits from both.  

But one thing that needs to cease and desist is the aiming of transphobic shade at Black women.   We already get enough 'unwoman' crap thrown at us from society.    We don't need to hear it from our own men, too