Last night throngs of Jobriath and David Bowie fans flocked to the RedCat Theatre (at Walt Disney Hall) to attend a documentary and a tribute by Ann Magnuson to celebrate the 1st “out” Glam Rock Star.
Jobriath, of course!
Who?
Tattler readers may recall that I published a post last week in which I noted that I crossed paths with Jobriath in the heady 70’s in NYC.
Post: 07/12/12
http://www.ijulian.blogspot.com/2012/07/jobriath-addocumentary-of-glam-star-i.html
By now, many are familiar with the cautionary of Jobriath (an odd-ball act that was catapulted into the spotlight – in large part due - to a heavy dosage of over-the-top promotion and a lot of financial backing by snake-and-oil salesman Jerry Brandt).
As I mentioned in the earlier post, mainstream America didn’t “buy” the flamboyant performer who eventually ended up a joke in music circles (and elsewhere around the country).
On occasion it got ugly, too.
When ads for his 1st album were released in NYC, angry homophobes scrawled “faggot” across his image on buses in New York City for example.
Despite a lot of hype (razzle-dazzle?) – and a handful of favorable reviews by critics – Jobriath’s debut album (featuring a catchy tune “I’m a Man”) failed to register a blip on the pop charts.
Later, when backing fizzled, Jobriath became a disappointing footnote in pop history.
Director Kieran Turner chronicles the intriguing young man’s personal life and multi-faceted talent (and subsequent career moves) with a bit of a heavy hand throughout – in a bold-faced effort to rewrite history - I guess.
Turner attempts to accomplish that end by weaving together a series of on-camera interviews (with individuals who claim to have known the musician personally and/or professionally) and dusty old celluloid clips with the ultimate aim of convincing audiences that Jobriath was an unappreciated artist who failed to receive his due.
David Bowie (who Jobriath has been compared to) denied a request for an interview, according to Turner, who stayed on after the screening for a lively Q & A.
“Was Bowie pretending he did not know who Jobriath was?” he mused aloud.
Was it possible that Bowie thought Jobriath was trying to ride on his coattails - and ultimately - steal his persona?
The glam “look” worked for Bowie.
But, in the manikin phase, the Jobriath image appeared to be manufactured – and most certainly – devoid of any soul.
Perhaps if Jobriath had allowed his musical style to evolve slowly – and naturally unfold – he may have garnered a faithful fan following.
Another problem?
The lad hadn’t paid his dues and it reflected in his wishy-washy (swishy?) stage presence.
By the way, I met David Bowie shortly after I returned home to Canada on the heels of my NYC adventure (I only lived in the East Village for about a year).
In Kitsilano friends were ecstatic when news broke that the English Pop Star would be arriving in the harbor by boat (he hated flying) with one of his handlers (the infamous groupy Cherry Vanilla who used to make moulds of Rock Star’s cocks for posterity) and that he would briefly tour the city to scout concert halls for an upcoming tour.
In fact, they were so thrilled that they got themselves all glammed-up and trotted down to the dock (with me in tow) and proceeded to clamor after the sexy Pop Star. At that juncture, the scenario that was going down seemed all too surreal. So, off the top of my head, I suddenly found myself asking Bowie for a kiss
Without blinking-an-eye, he looked me up-and-down - leaned forward – and our lips suddenly met.
Just at that moment, a photographer snapped a still which ended up in a local newspaper known as The Terminal City (Vancouver / B.C.).
When I first caught sight of the publicity photo, I quipped to my friends that the caption should have read:
“Two stars collide!”
Indeed!
The point that I am making is that Bowie was pretty approachable, so I – like many others – am curious as to why Major Tom wanted no part of the Jobriath “story”.
Essentially, Jobriath was a shooting star – there for a moment in a blaze of glory – before fading into oblivion fast.
The press had a field day at that point.
Basically, the general consensus was that Jerry Brandt’s $500,000 wet dream had turned into a nightmare.
Essentially, Turner has jazzed up and repackaged Brandt's old product with the hope that he can hood-wink folks into buying it the second time around. Turner is betting on an era of gay consciousness (and activism) to resurrect Jobriath from the dead.
His angle?
He’s expecting the LGBT community to embrace Jobriath because he is allegedly rooted in a gay drama that has been unfolding in the American psyche for the past couple of decades.
You know what Barnum said:
There’s a sucker born every minute!
With a little luck, push and shove - and behind-the-scenes manipulation by Jerry Brandt - it’s possible these slick promoters may fool some.
That’s Hollywood for you!
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