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    Twisted Tales: Glam Rocker Jobriath - The Man Who Would Have Been Queen

    • Posted on Feb 29th 2008 5:00PM by James Sullivan
    • Comments (5)
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    He was going to be the biggest recording artist in the world, except for one small glitch: No one bought the records. At a time when David Bowie, Elton John, the New York Dolls and others were bringing outrageous flamboyance to the stage, a Philadelphia street kid who went by the single name Jobriath brashly proclaimed himself the "True Fairy of Rock 'n' Roll." Problem was, despite the cultural revolution of the free-love '60s, the American public in the early 1970s proved ill-prepared for the arrival of the first openly gay rock star.

    Born Bruce Wayne Campbell in 1946, Jobriath had his first taste of celebrity in the Los Angeles production of 'Hair,' followed by a short stint in a baroque pop band called Pidgeon. His first efforts at launching a solo career were fruitless; Clive Davis infamously judged his demo tape "mad and unstructured and destructive to melody." But such aggressive distaste piqued the interest of rock impresario Jerry Brandt, who discovered Carly Simon and ran the New York nightclub the Electric Circus. Classically trained and frankly theatrical, Jobriath quickly became the gay Elvis to Brandt's Colonel Tom. Brandt hyped his new client so successfully that he landed a whopping $500,000 advance from Elektra Records. "I made two errors of judgment," Elektra founder Jac Holzman would recall, "and signing Jobriath was one of them."

    Upon the release of Jobriath's self-titled debut in 1973, however, Elektra embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign, spending thousands on ads and putting up a 50-foot billboard in Times Square. Bowie, Brandt clucked, was a mere Model A Ford compared to Jobriath's Lamborghini. Rolling Stone ran a rave review, and the singer landed a choice appearance on the network showcase 'The Midnight Special.'

    But audiences weren't buying it. By Jobriath's second album, 'Creatures of the Street,' both his manager and his label had lost interest, and his band (including one former member of Stories, who had a No. 1 hit with 'Brother Louie' in 1973) sputtered through a sometimes hostile, often indifferent tour.

    Jobriath hung on to his hopes for stardom as long as he could, auditioning for a role in the Al Pacino movie 'Dog Day Afternoon' and working on an autobiographical musical to be called 'Pop Star.' But his 10-year contract with Brandt apparently left him unable to record, and he retreated to his room in New York's infamous Chelsea Hotel, performing incognito, as Cole Berlin, in small-time cabarets. When he died in 1983 from AIDS-related illness, it reportedly took four days for neighbors to find the body.

    In recent years, admiring fellow performers have helped keep this forgotten pioneer's flame alive; Morrissey, for instance, was instrumental in the release of Jobriath's first CD reissue in 2004. In another world, 'Pop Star' might have been 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' 20 years early. But Jobriath was marketed as an alien from out of this world, and audiences couldn't quite relate.
    • Filed under: Twisted Tales
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    Reader Comments(1 of 1)

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    Jimmy Robinsonat 3-01-2008

    I remember working on this album in 1970 I was an asst. engineer at Electric Lady Studios in NYC and there was a lot of hype going round this project ,Eddie Kramer was the producer I belive,he had all the best people and musicians on his album at the time.Some times I mention this name in a conversation,Do you remember,and people always go, Jo -who?...he was definantly one of the first,a one of a kind.Glad to see he's still remembered...

    Reply
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    Kieran Turnerat 11-17-2009

    Jimmy, were you in any of the footage from Electric Lady that appeared on WNET's show Vibrations? They shot some of this recording session.

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    TRoseat 6-18-2008

    I have bought the Japanese Reissue of the Jobriath Debut and the second album is on its way.

    Given today's sad musical standards, I would say that this album is a fine one. The record is full of the science fiction references and theatricality of Bowie -- with an even more blatantly "gay" edge to it. The musicianship is top notch and the songs are inventive and never boring. Jobriath has a "here goes nothing"-type of vocal delivery that probably was before its time. By today's standards, however, his voice sounds unique and unprocessed. If you are a fan of the Smiths, Suede, Belle and Sebastian, T-Rex, Roxy Music, Bowie, New York Dolls or any fey-leaning Rock Music, I would say having Jobriath in your collection is a must. I think he's cool and wish he were with us to see the ways in which his sensibilities have entered the mainstream rock world.

    Reply
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    mainmanat 10-13-2009

    There is a song by Bowie called "Jobriath"

    Reply
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    Tom Boyesat 10-25-2009

    I met JObriath Salisbury around 1967. I was living in Laurel Canyon and he came to a party at my house on Apian Way. I was working at the Whisky at the time in the light booth. Jobriath was a new type of entertainer at the time. He was fresh and new. He should have stuck with acting.

    Reply

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