Only today did I learn a bit more about the singer, someone who peppered my childhood 1970s with a oh so individual sounding soundtrack.
This was a brave song for him to sing, for What Makes a Man is the story of a drag queen living a lonely life with his mother. It's a melancholic piece in the vein of Eponine's On My Own from Les Miserables and Aznavour's unique delivery somehow makes the whole thing slightly more tragic .
The tragic drag queen is such a mainstay of queer culture it's now become an accepted norm. Having said this, my only experience of drag was a few awful cabaret pub performances - a backdrop to my salad days and Harvey Feirsten's Torch Song Trilogy
Oh and back in 1987 I once found myself slumped at the bar of Roxy nightclub in York next to the ugliest drag queen I have ever seen.
She had two day old stubble, a nasty permed black wig and a long ill fitting sheath gown on and she was swigging from a bottle of what looked like pale ale.
And as she took a drag from her cigarette and fixed me with a drunken red eyed look I chirped up with a " Christ you look like my mother!" remark.
I never saw the punch coming ......
Drag Queens have always intrigued me in so many ways.....some I don't understand.
ReplyDeleteI remember when we first lived in Vancouver we went to a drag bar. It was packed and we had one chair (of four) at our table that was available. In walked my first ever up close drag queen. He sat down and introduced himself. He was a brute of a guy with the biggest and hairiest hands I had ever seen. And he was in full drag. He said it relieved tension for him from his full time job as foreman of a construction crew. I grew up that evening.
Sounds like s/he ought to have been flattered. Your mother, of course - not.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy best pal occasionally would go into drag mode. We loved it because his drag persona was a 50s era housewife. No danger of a punch to the snozz from Suzy Homemaker. He did tend to act like my mother when he had his pinny on though.
ReplyDeleteSurvived by his third wife and five of his six kids. I don't think he was gay. Maybe gay friendly? The only song I'm familiar with is Yesterday When I Was Young, sung by Roy Clark in 1969. I was thirteen and cried my little heart out. I still do when I hear it.
ReplyDeleteYou present great mental pictures, John. Thanks for the laugh.
Who cares I guess... gay friendly in the seventies , still effing brave
DeleteI agree wholeheartedly, John! I've been reading up on him since his death. Fascinating man.
DeleteI have always felt that drag queens live in a sad world. I hope I am wrong.
ReplyDeleteYou're wrong! :) The drag scene is a very mixed bag of course! But on Sunday I did a fundraising show with four other dqs comprising the loudest most fun Essex gal who keeps us all laughing and works for the Aids foundation, my hair dresser who is a sweet and kind and happy person, a 20 year old lad who plays a sprightly 62 year old lady called Pam and sings, and a bouncy lass I don't know very well who busted out as a full tenor! All normal, happy, complicated people. Raising money btw to get Georgina Beyer to the Oxford union in October. GB was the world's first trans Mayor and MP and will be only the fourth NZer, and first Te Reo Maori speaker to do so. Very proud!
DeleteWeaver, you are very wrong.
ReplyDeleteSome of our best friends were Drag Queens.
When I was expecting my son, they threw me the best baby shower EVER!
Some were actors, successful business owners and none of them were poor ... they were living the life they wanted.
There is nothing sad about that ..
Way back there was a very cheap flight from San Francisco to LA. It was a mail flight (at least that was the rumour). It left around midnight and was filled with an amazing assortment of humanity. That was where I met drag queens for the first time. I’ve never come close to dressing as well as some of them.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of his homosexuality, but had heard of his defence of marginalised people. I think his response to being labelled would be similar to my own. "So fucking what?!"
ReplyDeleteBut in a French accent.....
DeleteHe was before his time me thinks...
I didn't realise he was so poor as a child, that poorness never left him
I didn't realize he had passed away yesterday, until I googled his name. I found a video online of him singing "They fell", something very moving that he'd
Deletebeautifully written about slaughtered Armenians. -Mary
To supplement your income you ought to consider becoming a drag queen yourself. You could perform every Saturday night at "The Crown". I am sure it would bring the crowds in. You could sing, "Hey Big Spender" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". At present I have not come up with a stage name for you. Perhaps other regular commenters might help.
ReplyDeleteMy drag name would be Gloria Abyss
DeleteMrs Trellis may be able to supply you with one of her old ballgowns.
DeleteI could squeeze one thigh in
DeleteOne of the drag queen names I've always liked is "Hedda Lettuce."
DeleteLol or kitty litter
DeleteOr Ivana Bendemova.
DeleteNaughty xx
DeleteKeep the same initials...Justine Gaga!
DeleteBack in the 1970s, new friends took us to a drag bar. It was astonishing to me as all had stunning makeup and clothes. All the folks we met there were nice and sociable and I still remember someone's performance to "Wild Thing".
ReplyDeleteHa! Well, you kind of deserved that one, John. :)
ReplyDeleteA distinction should be made between a professional who performs in drag in front of an audience and is paid to do so, and a person who crossdresses to satisfy some deep psychological need, i.e., gender dysphoria, in which case they may be transgender (whether they transition or not.) Of course, there are people who are both, but not always. Don't know which one Aznovour is singing about, but it sounds like the latter.
ReplyDeleteNo Kirk, I think he sings about a performer in a club xx
DeletePlease look under the wall next to what I hope is your car. Left hand side as you look at car. Not a stalker honestly. Jax
ReplyDeleteI've just gone out !
DeleteAnd what did I find?
A beautifully wrapped bulldogs mug!
Thank you my dear friend ....
Please when you are passing call up for a cuppa xxxxx
Thank you xxxxx
I love unexpected treasures.
DeleteNow that's just lovely
DeleteI'd seen plenty of drag shows over the years. All sparkle and glitter and towering hair - fun. One night we went to a club called Embers and onto the stage strode a butch lesbian in a sharp suit and a fedora. She sang 'The Joker' by the Steve Miller Band... SWOON!
ReplyDeleteGood times! Thanks for the reminder, John.
What a wonderful voice he had. And no, you don't look a bit like my mother.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I think your drag name should be, wait for it, Zip Line! A butchy drag queen. That actually sounds like you should be starring in a fifties movie with Tab Hunter or Rock Hudson. Or maybe a porno.
ReplyDeleteNever forget you are well loved. Jax.xxxx
ReplyDeleteIf you said that to me, I’d laugh and hug you, while saying, “you poor thing!”
ReplyDeleteI used to love going to Funny Girls at Blackpool, fantastic song and dance and comedy show. My favourite was Betty Legs Diamond. I believe the night club is still there, not sure if Betty will be though. The Lady Boys is a pretty good show as well, saw them at Manchester.
ReplyDeleteI spent one of the best New Year's eve at Funny Girls, a long time ago I admit, but a really good night. A lovely crowd of people and good entertainment.
DeleteUnfortunatly Funny Girls has recently gone into administration with Twaites brewery keeping it open for the time being. Ilona, Betty Legs is still there according to the local paper. I've not been in there for years
DeleteCarolx
Thank you for this lovely song through the years I have cried when listening to many of Charles Aznavour songs he was a true artist like no other.
ReplyDeleteNot all thoughts should be aired :) I'm sorry you got clocked but, lordy, your writing is marvellous!
ReplyDeleteThank you for finding this wonderful performance John, I have never heard this song before, most moving. As you say, a brave song to sing at that time.
ReplyDeleteA rather unwise comment! What came over you? I presume you have no problems with drag queens as such. I gather many women find them misogynist, but surely that all depends on the drag queen? Some are misogynist, others are very much pro-women.
ReplyDeleteI was pissed and thought I was being funny
DeleteHedda Lettuce is funny but Ivana Bendemova totally cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteRecall years ago visiting a popular area club, no longer in existence. They put on quite an entertaining show to a packed house.
ReplyDeleteToo funny!
ReplyDeleteGreat story, John. I'm laughing at your pain.
ReplyDeleteRoxy nightclub in York? Was it the one in Gillygate? I loved that club it was usually full of a great gay crowd, always friendly so like you I didn’t see that one coming. It made me laugh anyway. And to think our paths may have crossed all those years ago. I worked then in Gillygate Wholefood Bakery a cooperative, just across the road. There was such a
ReplyDeletebrilliant crowd in York at that time, some of my happiest days were spent there.
LX
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