Show Notes
Queer The Music this week celebrates the multi-award winning actor, singer and activist Billy Porter. Billy is the first gay Black man to win an Emmy Award in any lead acting category and in 2020 Time magazine included him in their list of 100 most influential people in the world He wowed Broadway with his lead performance as drag queen Lola in Kinky Boots, scooping a Tony Award and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater album. He joins Jake in this episode to talk about finding his voice, how he shaped the role in Kinky Boots, his love of musical theatre and of course that show-stealing ballad from the show, Not My Father's Son. You can watch the full episode on Mercury Studios' YouTube Channel - here We'd love to hear from you - please send any questions to us via Instagram @queerthemusicpodcast - here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Queer the Music with Jake Shears
Season 4 of Queer the Music continues with Horse Meat Disco co-founder Luke Howard. Joining Jake Shears, he reflects on the beginnings of the legendary London club night, its journey from a Sunday party at The Eagle in Vauxhall to a global queer institution, and more than two decades spent bringing people together on the dance floor. The pair also discuss Luke’s early experiences of queer nightlife in Sheffield and London, coming of age during the AIDS crisis, the DJs and clubs that shaped him, and the enduring power of disco, chosen family and finding your people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jake Shears is joined by journalist and author Ian Wade to discuss his book 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer and explore how one remarkable year became a turning point for queer visibility in pop.
Jake Shears is joined by artist, songwriter and performer Tom Rasmussen for a wide-ranging conversation on music, identity and finding freedom through creativity. Together, they look back on Tom’s journey from growing up in Lancashire to finding queer community through drag, as well as the artists who shaped them along the way, from Madonna and Celine Dion to Goldfrapp and Bronski Beat.
Season 4 of Queer The Music continues with Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning actor and musician Ben Platt. In conversation with Jake Shears, Platt discusses the freedom of playing a queer character on stage in Midnight at the Never Get, his lifelong relationship with musical theatre and why performing live remains the place he feels most at home. He also reflects on bringing his sexuality openly into his songwriting, his marriage to fellow performer Noah Galvin and the importance of queer audiences seeing their own relationships represented in music. Elsewhere, Platt opens up about the uncertain future of theatre and independent filmmaking, the extraordinary long-term process behind Richard Linklater’s Merrily We Roll Along, and the lasting impact of his late friend and mentor Gavin Creel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In This episode of Queer The Music, Jake Shears is joined by author and cultural critic Barry Walters to explore the queer history of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. Together, they discuss Andy Warhol’s radical New York underground, the influence of David Bowie, and theidentities and subcultures that helped reshape rock ’n’ roll. From ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ to ‘Perfect Day’, Walters and Shears unpack thequeerness at the heart of Reed’s work, how it became obscured from his legacy, and why his music continues to resonate with new generations today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.