June 1st: Freddie Mercury/Queen:
Date of Birth: September 5th, 1946
Date of Death: November 24th, 1991
Genre: AOR Classic Rock
What he identified as: Bisexual (people often say gay, but Wikipedia says bisexual)
Where is he From: Stone Town, Sultanate of Zanzibar
The second most quoted band by my parents after The Beatles, Queen was responsible for some of the most beloved songs in the 1970s and 1980s. They’ve impacted my life with the mini-opera “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the ode to the zaftig beauties “Fat Bottomed Girls,” the rocking “Tie Your Mother Down,” the bass-heavy “Another One Bites The Dust,” the exhilarating “Don’t Stop Me Now” and the classic sports anthems “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions.” Freddie Mercury was an incredible showman in the concert DVDs, strutting confidently on stage with his mic stand, presenting limitless energy and an amazing voice that would never tire, an especially amazing fact considering Queen shows could feature over 30 songs. The whole band was incredibly alive in these performances, never showing signs of tiring or slowing down, and each one was a skilled composer. Unfortunately, Freddie Mercury contracted HIV during his career, dying of AIDS in the early 90s. After a tribute concert featuring Guns N Roses, Metallica, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Roger Daltrey of The Who, Queen appeared to be in retirement, but over a decade later, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor teamed with new bassist Danny Miranda and singer Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company fame to create Queen + Paul Rodgers. Rodgers’ songs “All Right Now” and “Can’t Get Enough” were added to the sets and the result was worth listening to for fans of both. A few years later, Rodgers went back to Bad Company, getting replaced by Pop singer Adam Lambert, who is from the LGBTQ+ community, identifying as gay. I’ve only heard him on the re-recording of “We Are The Champions,” but he does a good job standing in these tremendous shoes, letting the show go on for the foreseeable future.
Recommended Albums/Songs: Jazz, Hot Space, The Works, A Kind Of Magic, Greatest Hits I, II and III; Platinum Edition, Queen on Fire: Live At the Bowl, Bohemian Rhapsody Soundtrack, You Are The Champions
June 2nd: David Bowie:
Date of Birth: January 8th, 1947
Date of Death: January 10th, 2016
Genre: Glam Rock
What he identified as: Bisexual
Where is he from: London, UK
David Bowie was part of the Glam Rock surge of the early 70s that influenced hair metal towards the end of the decade, with his songs covered by hair metal bands Poison, Enuff Z’nuff, Warrant and Vixen. Bowie often created elaborate characters with makeup, the most famous being the cover of Aladdin Sane, which in the internet cartoon Homestar Runner, the character Strong Sad dresses up as one Halloween. Bowie also acted from time to time, playing Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Jesus Christ and the Lord Royal Highness in the SpongeBob special “Atlantis Squarepantis.” He started writing his last album, Blackstar, before learning of his terminal illness, in fact, the first line, which could be seen as a posthumous line, was written before he knew he would die. Bowie became well-tributed post his death, fellow glam rocker Alice Cooper brought “Suffragette City” into his set and Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures played “Ziggy Stardust” in “Kong; Skull Island.”
Recommended Albums/songs: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, Under Pressure (with Queen), Best of Bowie, Blackstar
June 3rd: Rob Halford/Judas Priest:
Date of Birth: August 25th, 1951
Genre: Heavy Metal
What he identifies as: Gay
Where is he from: Birmingham, UK
Judas Priest was the first metal band to have dual lead guitars, Judas Priest was highly influential to the Hair Metal scene. Rob Halford, a gay man who sings lead on most of their releases, influenced Heavy Metal fashion by wearing Leather to express himself. Guitarist Glenn Tipton wrote the song “Hell Bent For Leather” in response, which is still one of the band’s more recognizable songs over 40 years later. Halford came out in the mid-90s and was possibly fired for doing so, creating the band Halford in response. He also recorded a cover of Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard” with original Sabbath members Geezer Butler and Bill Ward around this time and developed friendships with both Ronnie James Dio and Ozzy Osbourne. In the 2000s, he was hired back by Judas Priest and continues to sing for them today. Halford is also an outspoken man of Faith, creating two Christmas albums and writing “Rising From Ruins” for Judas Priest, a song about resisting the devil, rising from defeat and daring to work for what’s important.
Recommended Albums/Songs: Sin After Sin, Unleashed In The East, British Steel, Defenders of the Faith, Metal Works 73-93, Halford 3; Winter Songs, Redeemer of Souls, Battle Cry, Firepower, Celestial, The Wizard (Black Sabbath cover, credited to Bullring Brummies), Man on the Silver Mountain (Rainbow cover with Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson and Vinny Appice)
June 4th: Miley Cyrus:
Date of Birth: November 23rd, 1992
Genre: Pop, may also vary
What she identifies as: Pansexual/Gender Fluid
Where is she from: Franklin, TN
Possibly the most famous Pop Singer alive today, Miley Cyrus identifies as pansexual and gender-fluid. Even before coming out in 2016 with this information, Miley was one of the most outspoken supporters of the LGBTQ+ community, writing “My Heart Beats For Love” on her 2010 album and supporting many who were coming out and the community in general. Due to her Southern Baptist upbringing, she faced flak every time she spoke out in favor of the community, followers tweeting Leviticus verses at her or misusing Jesus’ statements in Matthew about marriage. But Miley would not betray herself, writing “She’s Not Him” after coming out, as well as criticizing the Right Wing with “Mother’s Daughter” two years later. She also made the “Happy Hippie Foundation” to help LGBTQ+ youths and the homeless, who often are LGBTQ+ and/or veterans. The reason I state her genre as “varied” is due to her love of Joan Jett to the point of helping induct her in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, performing “Say Hello 2 Heaven” with Temple of the Dog at a Chris Cornell tribute event in Los Angeles in 2019, and covering Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” at concerts that same year. Miley’s outspoken love and support of the LGBTQ+ community was instrumental in my decision to support the community myself, a decision which has fueled a good portion of my life, from shipping the video game characters Samus and Zelda, working the support ranks of Fire Emblem characters Byleth and Edelgard towards the “S,” or marriage, rank, honoring Pride Month, marching in Pride Parades and supporting and enjoying the relationship of the characters Yang and Blake in the web show RWBY.
Recommended Albums/songs: Breakout, Time of Our Lives, Bangerz, Younger Now, She is Coming, The Bitch is Back (Elton John cover), Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Elton John cover), Androgynous (with Joan Jett and Laura Jane Grace), Crimson and Clover (Live at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Joan Jett, Tommy James and Dave Grohl), Happy Xmas (War is Over) (John Lennon cover with Mark Ronson and Sean Ono Lennon), Nothing Breaks Like a Heart (with Mark Ronson), Don't Call Me Angel (with Ariana Grande and Lana del Rey), Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (with The Flaming Lips and Moby)
June 5th: K.Flay
Date of Birth: June 30th, 1985
Genre: Alternative Rock
What she identifies as: Lesbian
Where is she from: Wikipedia; Wilmette, IL, MusicID: San Francisco, CA
K.Flay is short from Kristine Flaherty, a young and aggressive woman in the music business who first entered my radar by recording the end credits song for the 2018 Tomb Raider film, based on the 2013 Tomb Raider prequel game. K.Flay reappeared in my circle later that year by collaborating with guitarist Tom Morello for his song “Lucky One,” making her one of a small handful of singers I know from other projects that I’ve heard sing with Morello providing guitar, the others being Seattle’s own Chris Cornell, Shooter (son of Waylon) Jennings, Serj Tankian of System of a Down and the godfather of heavy metal himself, Ozzy Osbourne. K.Flay released the full-length album “Solutions” in 2019, which featured the songs “Nervous” and “Sister,” which are about strong same-gender feelings. K.Flay has even admitted “Nervous” was written about her girlfriend, fellow musician Miya Folick. In 2020, K.Flay returned to releasing songs to licensed girl power movies, contributing “Bad Memory” to the soundtrack of “Birds of Prey.”
Recommended songs: Run For Your Life, Lucky One (with Tom Morello), Sister, Nervous, I Like Myself (Most Of The Time), Bad Memory, Zen (with X Ambassadors and Grandson)
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