There have been many musicians over the years who have openly identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender in classic rock. The first bisexual rock star was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a rock and roll pioneer.
Many lesbian, gay, bi, and trans rock musicians were in the closet for years or even decades before coming out. Many of these musicians are people you’ve heard of.
Classic rock is for all to enjoy, no matter your sexual orientation. I am writing this post from Ireland, where people voted on a referendum for marriage equality. This is a huge step in the right direction. Thank you to all of the people who voted yes. In honour of that I want to talk about my favourite LGBT musicians from the 60s and 70s.
Note: I have since updated this post to include LGBT musicians from the 80s. There has been quite a bit of demand for it, so I will deliver. This is the most popular post on the blog and I am very proud of this post! Thank you for reading! Enjoy!
Alice de Buhr – lesbian – Drummer for the band Fanny.
Andy Fraser – gay – Bassist and founding member of Free. He formed the band when he was 15. He co-wrote and produced the band’s biggest hit, “All Right Now” and the song came out just before his 18th birthday. He was born in London to a Caribbean father and an English mother and started playing piano at the age of 5 and trained classically for 7 years before switching to guitar. He was expelled from school at 15 and started playing in East End West Indian venues. One day, he was introduced to Alexis Korner, who basically was a mentor to him. Still aged 15, he got his first big gig playing bass for John Mayall. At 16, he formed Free. The band went on to play at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and were considered hard rock pioneers. The band broke up in 1973. Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke went on to join Bad Company. Andy Fraser formed Sharks. Paul Kossoff formed Back Street Crawler, but died at the age of 25.
Arthur Conley – gay – Soul singer best known for the 1967 hit “Sweet Soul Music” (#2 US), which was a remake of Sam Cooke’s “Yeah Man”. In 1964, he released the song “I’m a Lonely Stranger”. Otis Redding was so impressed with it that he signed him to his record label, Jotis Records. In the 70s, he moved to the UK and later the Netherlands and changed his name to Lee Roberts. Some claim that the reason he left the US was because people didn’t accept his sexuality. He passed away in 2003.
Billy Preston – gay – R&B and soul singer and session musician. He grew up listening to gospel music and that had an influence on his singing. As a kid, he played organ backing gospel singers Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland. He was a Christian and that made it hard for him to come out of the closet and he didn’t come out until right before his death. He released his debut album when he was 16, 16 Year Old Soul. It was released on Sam Cooke’s SAR Records. He did session and touring keyboard work for The Beatles (and later on George Harrison), Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Little Richard, and Ray Charles. He was signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1969 and recorded two albums on that label: That’s The Way God Planned It and Encouraging Words. In the 70s, he got a few big hits: “Outa-Space”, “Will It Go Around In Circles”, “Space Race”, and “Nothing From Nothing”.
Billy Wright – gay – Jump blues singer and major influence on Little Richard, even helped him get a record deal and inspired his flamboyant image. He grew up singing gospel music at church. He also liked to do drag.
Boy George – gay – Lead singer of 80s new wave band Culture Club. He is one of the biggest icons of the New Romantic movement of the early 80s, a subculture known for flamboyant fashion and heavy makeup inspired by glam rock and historic fashion. Culture Club were a multicultural band with band members of Irish, Black, and Jewish descent. In 1982, the band got their first #1 hit in the UK, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”. Within the next few years, they got top 10 hits with “Karma Chameleon”, “Church of the Poison Mind”, and “The War Song”.
Brian Jones – bicurious – Guitarist, founding member of The Rolling Stones, and in my opinion the most fabulous member of the band. Allegedly, Brian Jones had a crush on Dave Davies.
Chuck Panozzo – gay – Bassist for the band Styx. He started the band in his hometown of Chicago. He still tours to this day with Styx part time. Styx are a hard/prog rock band best known for the songs “Lady”, “Renegade”, “Come Sail Away”, and “Mr Roboto”. The band released their first album in 1972. He came out in 2001 as gay and said he has AIDS. Of this he says “What the band has taught me psychologically is that I need to go out and be with my band as they continue their legacy in the rock n’ roll world forever. How could that not help me in my recovery process? I have a band that is willing to make sure that I stay healthy.” Of his sexuality and being closeted in the 70s at the peak of Styx’s popularity he says “I was one of those closeted, clandestine type of guys. We would tour like crazy, and my initiation into the gay scene was stifled by the fact that I wasn’t out publicly. When I was on the road with Styx—I’m the bass player—sometimes I would separate from the band and I’d find a bar.” He is a big supporter of LGBT rights and AIDS awareness.
Cris Williamson – lesbian – Folk singer and important figure in the women’s music movement. She was born in South Dakota and raised in Colorado and Wyoming. At the age of 16, she released her first album, The Artistry of Cris Williamson. Her 1975 album The Changer and the Changed (released on women’s music record label Olivia Records) was one of the best selling independently released albums of all time, selling over half a million copies.
Dave Davies – bisexual – Member of The Kinks. He mainly played guitar and sang in the band. He started the band with his brother, Ray, and friend Pete Quaife. The Kinks were a major part of The British Invasion, touring the world with bands such as The Yardbirds and The Honeycombs. They continued to release albums into the 80s. However, they were banned from touring the States in 1965 because a complaint was filed with a musicians union in the US for apparently misbehaving on stage. Their influences range from the blues to skiffle to British music hall. My favourite songs of theirs include “You Really Got Me”, “All Day And All Of The Night”, “A Well Respected Man”, “Victoria”, “Waterloo Sunset”, and “Lola”. Dave Davies opened up about his sexuality in his autobiography, Kink. Dave Davies now tours solo.
Dave Wakeling – bisexual – Lead vocalist of ska band The Beat. The Beat’s first two albums, I Just Can’t Stop It and Wha’ppen?, peaked at #3 on the UK album charts. My favourite song he wrote for the band is “Save it For Later”, released in 1982 on the band’s last album, Special Beat Service. He wrote the song when he was a teenager, before he formed The Beat. The band originally didn’t want to record it because it was “too rock.”
David Bowie – bisexual – Got his big break in the music business with “Space Oddity” in 1969. Since then he changed his image many times from the androgynous “The Man Who Sold The World” era to the glam rock “Ziggy Stardust” to “The Thin White Duke”. He was well known for his stage personas and loved to act as those characters. As well as his image changing, his music has changed a lot as well. There’s something for everyone in his discography. He and his wife in the 70s, Angie, were bisexual. David Bowie’s inspirations included American rock and roll, skiffle, and Bob Dylan. He was also inspired by contemporaries: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Marc Bolan. He got to work with Lou Reed and did some vocals on the album Transformer. He was on Marc Bolan’s 1977 show, Marc, performing with Bolan. He came out as bisexual in the 70s. He was well known for the songs “Changes”, “Queen Bitch”, “Starman”, “Rebel Rebel”, “Heroes”, “Let’s Dance”, and “Under Pressure” (with Queen).
Debbie Harry – bisexual – Got famous in the 70s and 80s as the lead singer for the band Blondie. Blondie’s best known songs are “Heart of Glass”, “One Way Or Another”, “Call Me”, and “Rapture”. Before Blondie she was in a band in the 60s called The Wind In The Willows, was a go-go dancer, and was a Playboy Bunny. As well as being a musician she is an actress. She came out in a 2014 interview with the Daily Mail. She also refused to perform in the Sochi Olympics due to homophobia in Russia. Of her sexuality she says “Sure, I was in a relationship with a man for almost 20 years and I’ve had other relationships with men, but I’ve also had them with women. I find it very strange that people are less willing to accept that you’re bisexual if you’ve had long-term relationships predominantly with men.”
Dee Palmer – transgender and intersex – Member of Jethro Tull from 1977 to 1980, but she did play a part in their albums from 1969-1976, providing orchestral arrangements. Besides working with Jethro Tull, she arranged other classic rock bands music in an orchestral style, such as Queen, The Beatles, Genesis, and Yes.
Dug Pinnick – gay – Bassist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist of hard rock band King’s X. He often plays a 12 string bass. The band had a new wave sound and began as Sneak Preview, releasing only one album in 1983 under that name. After that, they toured and moved to Houston, where they met Sam Taylor, who worked for ZZ Top’s production company and suggested they change their name to King’s X. They released their first album as King’s X in 1988, called Out of the Silent Planet. It has a much different sound from the last one, with a more prog metal sound. The following year, they released their second album, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. When Dug Pinnick came out as gay in the 90s, Christian shops stopped carrying King’s X albums.
Dusty Springfield – lesbian – English blue eyed soul singer. She started her career in the 50s singing in holiday camps. In the 60s she was one of the best known British female singers. Her first solo single was released in 1963, “I Only Want To Be With You” and it was a success. She wrote a few songs, but her biggest hits were covers and songs written by other songwriters. In 1964 she released “Wishin’ and Hopin'”. In 1968 she released “Son of a Preacher Man”, one of her biggest hits. She was a big fan of Motown and her sound was influenced by musicians from that record label. She even hosted a Ready Steady GoI special featuring Motown artists such as The Temptations, The Miracles, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder. This is part of the early beginnings of Northern Soul. She worked with musicians like Kiki Dee and Elton John. She came out as bisexual in 1970, which took a lot of bravery. In reality though, she was lesbian and needed a cover because if it was known she was gay, her career could be over.
Elton John – gay – Went from playing piano at pubs to being one of the best selling musicians ever. The third best selling musician in the United States, only behind Elvis and The Beatles. He played music that had anything from an R&B sound to a more progressive rock sound. He even enjoyed playing classical music. He is best known for being in a songwriting team with Bernie Taupin. In the 70s he played at famous British venues such as The Marquee Club, The Speakeasy, and The Twisted Wheel. He even performed with John Lennon at his last concert. He originally came out as bisexual in 1976, but later came out as gay in 1988. He started the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the early 90s. He got the record for best selling single in 1997 with a remake of “Candle in the Wind”. Elton John did the music for Billy Elliot. Well known songs of his include: “Your Song”, “Daniel”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Tiny Dancer”, and “Philadelphia Freedom”. I really enjoy the album Tumbleweed Connection.
Eric Emerson – bisexual – Actor, dancer, and musician who was part of the Andy Warhol Factory scene. He was the lead vocalist of the glam punk band The Magic Tramps. If you like The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, you’ll like The Magic Tramps. I like the songs “Ode to Jimmy Dean”, “Warriors of the Rainbow”, “Magic in the Moonlight”, and “My Reflection”. When his father found out he was bi, he said to him, “What he don’t understand is that my generation can swing both ways.”
Esquerita – gay – Born Eskew Reeder Jr in South Carolina, he was another influence of Little Richard’s. He was a self taught piano player and played secular and gospel music. In the late 50s and early 60s, he played rockabilly music and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Dr John, Allen Toussaint, and Elvis’ backup singers, The Jordanaires. In the late 60s, he recorded music under the stage name, The Magnificent Malochi. In the 70s, he performed in black gay clubs as Fabulash. Sadly, before his death due to complications from AIDS, he was poor and working as a parking lot attendant and washing car windshields for tips in Brooklyn.
Felipe Rose and Randy Jones – gay – Members of The Village People. Before joining The Village People Felipe Rose was a dancer at a club in New York. He is Native American and he is seen in performances and music videos dressed in Native American regalia. He supports AIDS charities and Native American charities. Felipe Rose is not the only gay member of The Village People, his bandmate Randy Jones, the cowboy is also gay.
Fred Schneider – gay – Lead singer and one of the founding members of the B-52s. He is known for his trademark spoken delivery, known as sprechgesang (seriously German has some pretty awesome words to describe things that don’t have an English word. I really should learn German). He wrote the band’s debut single, which launched the band into stardom, “Rock Lobster” with bandmate Ricky Wilson. This song is a very good example of Fred Schneider’s vocal style.
Freddie Mercury – bisexual – Frontman for Queen. Before joining Queen, he went to the same art school as Pete Townshend, Ealing Art College. He joined a band called Smile with Brian May and Roger Taylor. All of the band members wrote songs that became hits for the band, but Freddie wrote a good amount of them. He had a wide range of influences from 50s rock to progressive rock to hard rock to disco. As a singer he was very versatile. As well as singing he played guitar and piano and played piano from a young age.
Genesis P-Orridge – transgender/third gender – Experimental musician from England. They were born in England in 1950 and their interests were the occult and the avant-garde. They changed their name to Genesis P-Orridge at the age of 21. They founded the counterculture art collective COUM Transmissions and later on formed the industrial band Throbbing Gristle in the mid 70s. The band are widely regarded as the founders of industrial music, which was inspired by Krautrock, art pop, and noise music. They played bass, violin, and vibraphone and did vocals for the band. After the breakup of Throbbing Gristle, Genesis P-Orridge founded the band Psychic TV in 1981. They retired from music in 2009.
George Michael – gay – Half of singing duo Wham! In the 80s, he believed he was bisexual, before later coming out as gay. Wham! had a few hits in the 80s with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, “Young Guns (Go For It!)”, “Bad Boys”, and “Careless Whisper”.
Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford of Frankie Goes To Hollywood – gay – Frankie Goes To Hollywood were most famous for the 1983 hit “Relax”. The song was controversial and banned by the BBC because of its sexual themes. The music video for the song took place in a gay S&M club. Other well-known songs by the band include “Two Tribes”, “The Power of Love”, and “Welcome to the Pleasuredome”.
Jackie Shane – transgender – Soul and R&B singer originally from the US who moved to Canada and was well known in the local Toronto scene. She was born in Tennessee in 1940 and moved to Montreal in 1960. Frank Motley discovered her when he saw her sitting in the front row of his show. Going from audience member to lead singer of Frank Motley’s band, she moved to Toronto in 1961. Her first single was a cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)”, released in 1962. Later that year, she released “Any Other Way”, which was her biggest hit, reaching #2 on the CHUM charts in Toronto. Five years later, that single was reissued and was a minor hit, peaking at #68 on the national charts. By the 70s she faded into obscurity, but was offered to be a singer for Funkadelic, but turned down the offer because she wanted to take care of her mother.
Jane Wiedlin – bisexual – Guitarist of all-girl new wave band The Go-Gos. She is mixed, of German and Lebanese descent. Her biggest influences are The Beatles and The Monkees. She co-wrote the song “Our Lips Are Sealed” with Terry Hall of ska band The Specials.
Janis Ian – lesbian – A folk singer who started her career in the mid 60s. She was inspired by Joan Baez. She released her first single at the age of 14, a song she wrote at the age of 13. She was not afraid to write about social issues and this song, “Society’s Child”, was about an interracial relationship. Her first album released in 1967 was #29 in the US. It wasn’t until 1975 that she would get a top 10 hit with “At Seventeen”. She got success in 1975 with her album Between The Lines reaching #1 in the US. Her follow up album Aftertones did well also, reaching #12 in the US and #1 in Japan. She came out as lesbian in 1993 and married her wife 10 years later in Toronto, Canada.
Janis Joplin – bisexual – Singer-songwriter best known for being the frontwoman of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later on known for her solo career. She was originally from Texas and she was inspired by blues music when she was in high school. She moved to San Francisco when she was 20 and worked with Jorma Kaukonen, who would later be in Jefferson Airplane. She moved back to Texas a couple of years later. She joined Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966 and came back to San Francisco. She played at various festivals and events like the Mantra-Rock Dance, Monterey Pop Festival, where she made her breakthrough, and at Woodstock. Her best known songs are “Piece of My Heart”, “Ball and Chain”, and “Me and Bobby McGee”. She died at the age of 27 in 1970.
Jayne County – transgender – Lead singer of punk band Wayne County & the Electric Chairs and involved in the Warhol Factory scene. She was also a DJ at Max’s Kansas City in New York. She is the first openly transgender singer. Her band moved to London and they signed to Safari Records, releasing albums like Storm The Gates of Heaven and Things Your Mother Never Told You. The band are known for their profanity-filled lyrics and campy image.
Joan Armatrading – lesbian – St Kitts-born songwriter who was raised in Birmingham. She first performed at Birmingham University at the age of 16, singing a mix of original songs and covers. In 1970, she met Pam Nestor, a longtime collaborator. She released her debut album in 1972, Whatever’s For Us. The album didn’t chart and neither did her sophomore album, Back to the Night. In 1976, she got her first top 10 hit with “Love and Affection”. That song was off her self-titled album, which went gold in the UK. Her peak fame was in the 80s with the release of gold albums Me Myself I, Walk Under Ladders, and The Key. In 1980, she was nominated for two Grammys. “Drop the Pilot” was her biggest hit, released in 1983. It topped the charts in South Africa and was a top 10 hit in Australia, and reached #11 in the UK.
Joan Jett – doesn’t like labels, so I’ll say sapphic which is a term for women who like women (WLWs) – You can’t write about LGBT rock stars without talking about Joan Jett, who very much values privacy when it comes to her love life. She never confirmed or denied rumours that she is lesbian or bisexual. She tells people to assume away. That said, she said this to the New York Times in response to a question about a movie about her playing at an LGBT film festival when she’s not out:
Jobriath – gay – Released his first album called Pidgeon in 1969 before he was known as Jobriath. Very similar to David Bowie and Peter Gabriel in the way that he wore very odd costumes on stage. Many consider him the first gay rock star. He released his first album as Jobriath in 1973, a self-titled debut. It had a glam rock sound with some classical music influences. He died of AIDS in 1983 and was one of the first famous musicians to die of AIDS.
John Lennon – bisexual – Does he need any introduction? One of the major songwriters of The Beatles and had a successful solo career. In 2015, Yoko Ono revealed that John Lennon was bisexual. Of his sexuality, Yoko said:
“John and I had a big talk about it, saying, basically, all of us must be bisexual. And we were sort of in a situation of thinking that we’re not [bisexual] because of society. So we are hiding the other side of ourselves, which is less acceptable.”
Johnnie Ray – gay – If you’re not familiar with music of the 50s, you must have heard this name in the opening lyrics of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen”. He was more of a jazz and pop singer, but his music was influential in rock and roll, and he’s considered to have been a pioneer in the genre. Ringo Starr said that the three singers The Beatles listened to most were Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnnie Ray. He grew up in Oregon and became deaf in one ear as a childhood because of an accident during a Boy Scout ritual. He wore hearing aids during performances. In the early 50s, he got into R&B music and gained a following at black nightclubs. He became known for his over the top theatrics while performing, which gave him the nickname Mr Emotion. He was in one movie in 1954, There’s No Business Like Show Business, with Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe. The 60s was very different from the 50s music and style wise and anything old was out, but he didn’t stop performing entirely. In 1969, he toured Europe with Judy Garland and was best man at her wedding. He struggled with drinking from the 60s until his death in 1990 of liver failure.
As for his sexuality, before he was famous, he was arrested in Detroit for cruising in the toilets, soliciting an undercover officer for sex. Because he wasn’t famous at the time, the newspapers didn’t report it. He was briefly married to a woman named Marilyn Morrison, at the peak of his fame. He was arrested again there at the end of the decade for soliciting an undercover officer for sex at a bar. There were rumours throughout his career that he was gay, but he never publicly came out. Still, he had fan girls even though he was gay.
Johnny Mathis – gay – Pop singer-songwriter with a long career starting in the 50s and even got a few hits in the 70s. In 2017, he came out as gay in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning. He said this to Us Magazine: “I come from San Francisco. It’s not unusual to be gay in San Francisco. I’ve had some girlfriends, some boyfriends, just like most people. But I never got married, for instance. I knew that I was gay.”
Judee Sill – bisexual – Country singer-songwriter from the 70s. She had relationships with both men and women.
June Millington – lesbian – Member of all girl group Fanny. She’s the lead guitarist of the band. She was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States with her family in 1961. She has been playing in bands with her sister since the mid 60s. Fanny released their first album in 1970 and they played on the same bill as The Kinks and Procol Harum. She left Fanny in 1973 and started a solo career. She was part of the Women’s music movement in the 70s. Recently she’s been working on an autobiography, Land of a Thousand Bridges, and does work with the Institute for the Musical Arts, which supports women interested in playing music. The organisation organises summer camps, workshops, and has a recording studio.
Kate Pierson – bisexual – One of the singers of the B-52s. Her vocal harmonies with Cindy Wilson were a key part of the B-52s sound. She was born and raised in New Jersey. The band were formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The band went to a Chinese restaurant, had some drinks and after that they had a jam session. The band’s name comes from southern slang for a beehive hairstyle. True to the name, the band have a very retro aesthetic, a throwback to the 60s, but with a more modern sound. In 2003, Kate started dating Monica Coleman. In 2015 they got married. She has described herself as a “late-in-life-lesbian”. In an interview with Al Jazeera, she said this about her stance on transgender rights: “Well, I’m bisexual, and I was always with men, and now I’m with Monica for 11 years, going on 12, and so this is an issue that I care a lot about.” “Roam” is one of the band’s biggest hits and features some great vocals from Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.
Keith Strickland – gay – Originally the drummer of the B-52s, but after Ricky Wilson’s death, he became the guitarist. He came out as gay in 1992, after the band scored major hits like “Love Shack” and “Roam”. He is the main composer of the band, writing the music. In 2012, he retired from touring.
Klaus Nomi – gay – Iconic singer who was known for his stage persona and vocal range. He was born in Germany in 1944 and moved to New York City in 1972 and worked as a pastry chef while taking voice lessons. He performed in a satirical version of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold in 1972, but his big break came in the late 70s when he performed in “New Wave Vaudeville”. While at the performance, he met Kristian Hoffman of The Mumps and they collaborated, with Hoffman writing songs for him. He later played at the famous venue, Max’s Kansas City and sang with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live. What a way to end the 70s! He also worked with artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. His self-titled debut was released in 1981. Some songs I like from that album are “Lighting Strikes”, “Nomi Song”, a cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me”, and “Total Eclipse”. The following year, he released Simple Man. Some highlights from the album are “After the Fall”, “Falling in Love Again”, “ICUROK”, and “Rubberband Lazer”. Klaus Nomi passed away in 1983 due to complications from AIDS. Right before his death, he was working on an opera. These songs recorded right before his death were released on a compilation album, Za Bakdaz, in 2007.
Lance Loud and Kristian Hoffman of Mumps – gay – Lance Loud was the frontman and Kristian Hoffman was the keyboard player. Mumps performed at Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, and CBGB and audiences liked them, but they never got signed to a major record label and only released two singles independently, “I Like To Be Clean” and “Rock & Roll This & That”.
Laura Nyro – bisexual – Singer-songwriter whose music style took diverse influences from jazz to gospel to r&b to show tunes. Her best known albums are Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry. Fans of her work include Todd Rundgren, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, and Elton John. She released her first album in 1967 when she was 19. Songs from that album went on to be covered by other musicians such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, The 5th Dimension, and Barbra Streisand. She identified as a feminist and said that both the feminist movement and peace movement influenced her songwriting. She died of ovarian cancer in 1997 at the age of 49.
Les McKeown – bisexual – Lead singer of Scottish boy band The Bay City Rollers. Sang on the hits “Shang-a-Lang”, “Bye Bye Baby”, and “Saturday Night”.
Lesley Gore – lesbian – Singer known for the songs “It’s My Party” and “You Don’t Own Me”. “It’s My Party” was a #1 for her while she was still in secondary school. She performed on the TAMI Show, a concert film from 1964. She was discovered by Quincy Jones. As well as being a singer, she wrote songs and acted. Her music was relatable to young people. In university she realised she was lesbian, but didn’t come out until after the peak of her career.
Little Richard – identified as gay at one point, but some say he was bisexual – Rock and roll pioneer in so many ways. Not just in sound, but image. He was rocking androgyny way before the psychedelic and glam rock scenes. He’d wear flashy clothes and makeup. He was even a drag queen, performing under the name Princess LaVonne. Now, his relationship with his sexual orientation is a sad one. As you might know, he is religious and has trouble reconciling the two. He has called his sexual orientation unnatural. The original lyrics of his song, “Tutti Frutti”, referenced being with a man – “Tutti Frutti, good booty / If it don’t fit, don’t force it / You can grease it, make it easy.”
Long John Baldry – gay – A blues singer. He was known as “Long John” because he was 6’7″. He sang with Blues Incorporated, Cyril Davies R&B All Stars, and Steampacket. He released his first solo album in 1964, which had covers of “I Got My Mojo Workin”, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, and “Dimples”. He publicly came out as gay in the 70s.
Lou Reed – bisexual – Singer for The Velvet Underground. He wrote most of their songs. He also had a successful solo career with well known songs such as “Satellite of Love” and “Walk on the Wild Side”. He wrote and sang a song called “Kill Your Sons” based on his father making him go to shock therapy sessions as a young adult. He moved to New York City in 1964 and then met John Cale and he got in touch with Sterling Morrison to start The Velvet Underground. The band were not commercially successful at the time, but they were still influential and people easily recognise The Velvet Underground And Nico album cover that Andy Warhol did. Andy Warhol were very important and mentored the band and they were part of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground in 1970 and had a solo career. He was known for having a unique sounding voice. Some Velvet Underground songs I recommend are “Sunday Morning”, “Heroin”, “I’m Set Free”, “Sweet Jane”, and “Rock & Roll”.
Marc Almond – gay – Singer-songwriter and half of pop duo Soft Cell. As a teenager, he got into rock music by listening to John Peel’s radio show. He was really into glam rock in its heyday. Before the fame, he went to art school and acted in some performance theatre pieces and short films. Soft Cell’s biggest hit was a cover of Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love”, a popular song in the Northern Soul scene. He later had a solo career. Of his sexuality, he said he didn’t like being pigeonholed as a “gay musician” because it’s a way of marginalising someone’s work and making it seem less important and not appealing to the mainstream because it implies that it’s not important to those who aren’t gay. He’s right. Music doesn’t have a sexuality. It’s art and art is for all to enjoy.
Marc Bolan – bisexual – Marc Bolan was best known for his work under the T. Rex/Tyrannosaurus Rex moniker. His manager, Simon Napier-Bell said he was bisexual, but never was open about it. In an interview with Record Mirror, he said in response to a question asking if he was heterosexual, “No, bisexual, but I believe I’m more heterosexual ‘cos I definitely like boobs. I always wished I was 100 per cent gay, it’s much easier.” To sum up his career, he started off in a trio with Helen Shapiro, playing guitar. He was kicked out of school when he was 15 and became a model. He recorded his first single, the Cliff Richard-style “All At Once” in 1964, at the age of 17. The following year, he released another single called “The Wizard”. He was in one more band, John’s Children, before going on his own with Tyrannosaurus Rex/T. Rex. Tyrannosaurus Rex more folk sounding, with a psychedelia twist, and it’s a good bit different from his better-known glam rock stuff, but still amazing. During the folk era, he wrote a book of poems called The Warlock of Love. A couple of his early albums have really long titles like Prophets, Seers, and Sages: The Angels of the Ages or My People Were Fair and Had Stars in Their Hair, But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows. The year of change for Marc was 1970, when he released his first glam rock single, “Ride a White Swan”. From there, he changed his style to a glittery androgynous one, this was the beginning of his meteoric rise with hit after hit. The years 1971-1973 were his peak with hit singles like “Hot Love”, “Get it On”, “Jeepster”, “Telegram Sam”, “Metal Guru”, and “Children of the Revolution” either topping the charts or just barely missing it, peaking at #2. His popularity declined in the mid 70s, but he made a comeback in 1977, with a TV show called Marc. Punk bands like The Jam performed on the show. On the last episode of the show, he and David Bowie performed together. Two weeks before what would have been his 30th birthday, Marc Bolan passed away in a car crash.
Mick Jagger – allegedly??? bicurious – I can’t say for sure if Mick Jagger is bisexual, which is why I avoided including him on this list for a long time. Allegedly, David Bowie’s wife Angie caught Mick Jagger and David Bowie in bed together. The two were androgynous rock stars who might have been open to experimenting with the same sex. Both Jagger and Bowie denied these rumours.
Morrissey – may be bisexual, but he doesn’t like labels – Singer of Manchester indie band The Smiths. He and Johnny Marr wrote the songs for the band. In the 70s, Morrissey would visit gay bars and clubs. In his autobiography he said that his first relationship was with a man. Songs like “This Charming Man”, “Handsome Devil”, “What Difference Does It Make”, and “Hand in Glove” have references to homosexuality.
Neil Tennant – gay – Singer and one half of The Pet Shop Boys, the most successful British pop duo. He met his bandmate, Chris Lowe, in London at an electronics shop and they got along because of their interest in electronic music. He was raised a Catholic and wrote the hit song “It’s A Sin” to describe his strict upbringing. He came out as gay in the 90s. The Pet Shop Boys are best known for the songs: “West End Girls”, “Rent”, “Heart”, and “Domino Dancing”.
Nickey Barclay – bisexual – Keyboard player for the all-girl rock band Fanny. She came out a few years after she left the band.
Nona Hendryx – bisexual – Distant cousin of Jimi Hendrix and singer of the group, LaBelle, whose biggest hits were “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman”, “Down the Aisle”, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, and “Lady Marmalade”. They also have a cool cover medley of Thunderclap Newman’s “Something in the Air” and Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. LaBelle appeared on Laura Nyro’s 1971 album, Gonna Take a Miracle. Hendryx released her self-titled debut in 1977 with highlights like “Winning” and “Everybody Wants to Be Somebody”. She has worked with Tina Weymouth, Nancy Wilson, Peter Gabriel, Prince, and Keith Richards and sang on “Sun City” with Artists United Against Apartheid. In 2001, she spoke to The Advocate about her bisexuality.
Norma Tanega – unknown (not sure if lesbian or bisexual) – Folk singer from California. In her 20s she moved to Greenwich Village to pursue her dreams. She was in the folk scene there and was politically active, protesting the Vietnam War. For a time, she lived in England and dated Dusty Springfield, who she wrote some songs for. She released her first single in 1966, “Walking My Cat Named Dog” and that same year she released an album of the same name. Some good songs on that album are “You’re Dead”, “Jubilation”, and “A Street That Rhymes at 6am”.
Pete Burns – can be described as bisexual and androgynous, but he did not like labels – Singer of Hi-NRG and synthpop band Dead or Alive. They were best known for the 1985 hit “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”. Pete Burns was from Liverpool. He worked at a record shop and was in a short-lived goth band called Nightmares in Wax, which only recorded a few songs and later on, after a lineup change, became Dead or Alive. He was known for his androgynous appearance and big hair. before their biggest hit “You Spin Me Round”, they had a minor hit, a cover of KC and The Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way (I Like It)”. After those two songs, the band didn’t have any hits that matched that success.
Pete Shelley – bisexual – Lead singer of Buzzcocks. He was born Peter McNeish in Lancashire and chose the stage last name Shelley as a tribute to his favourite poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley (husband of Mary Shelley). While at university, he formed Buzzcocks with some friends and they made their debut in 1976 opening for The Sex Pistols in Manchester. What made the pint-sized 5’4″ Pete Shelley stand out as a punk rocker was that he had a more clean, wholesome image, not a loud, rebellious image. He liked writing songs in a gender neutral way so everyone could relate to them, you might notice this in his band’s biggest hit “Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve”. Besides punk rock, he had an interest in electronic music and in his pre-Buzzcocks years he recorded an experimental Krautrock like album called Sky Yen. He resumed making electronic music in the 80s with albums like Homosapien and XL-1. “Homosapien” was his most overtly gay song, winning a ban from BBC radio for lyrics like “homo superior in my interior”. He identified as bisexual for his whole life. He died in 2018.
Pete Townshend – bisexual – Guitarist and primary songwriter for The Who. He and Roger Daltrey continue to tour to this day. He was behind genius albums such as Tommy, Quadrophenia, and Who’s Next. He taught himself guitar. He dropped out of art school in 1964 because he was making more money than his own professors by playing gigs. He joined The Detours with John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey. The Detours became The Who and Keith Moon later joined the band. Pete Townshend suggested that they call themselves The Hair. Pete Meaden discovered them and changed their name briefly to The High Numbers. They went back to being The Who, being managed by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. Here’s their first single “I Can’t Explain”.
Peter Straker – gay – Played the part of Hud in the musical, Hair. Also was well known for working with Freddie Mercury, who produced one of Straker’s albums, This One’s On Me. He shared lead vocals with Jaki Whitren on the song “Some Other Time,” on the Alan Parsons Project album I Robot.
Phil May – bisexual – Pretty Things frontman. The Pretty Things are a band with a cult following, best known for the sad WWI concept album S.F. Sorrow, released in the tragedy-filled year of 1968. Famous fans of the band include David Bowie (who considered Phil May a god and wrote “Oh You Pretty Things” and covered two of their songs), David Gilmour, Mick Jagger, and The Who. He was born Philip Arthur Dennis Kattner and adopted the surname May from his aunt and uncle who raised him.
What made May stand out in the sea of British rockers of the 60s was his super long hair. In fact, he was said to have the longest hair of any British rocker in that era. His hair kept growing and by the 70s, he had chest length locks. It is unknown when he came out as bisexual, but he loved to switch around pronouns when covering songs and he said that he felt really confident about his androgynous looks.
Phranc – lesbian – Punk and folk singer-songwriter from Los Angeles who has a trademark androgynous look and influenced Queercore. Self-proclaimed “All-American Jewish Lesbian Folksinger”. She got her start in bands Nervous Gender and Catholic Discipline. She released her first solo album in 1985 called Folksinger. It’s worth listening to and there’s a cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”. Her second album released in 1989, I Enjoy Being a Girl has a better produced sound to it and she produced it with Violent Femmes producer Victor DeLorenzo.
Ray Davies – bisexual – Leader, lead vocalist, and main songwriter of The Kinks. As I said earlier in the paragraph about Dave, the band have written quite a few songs about LGBT issues. He’s the more guarded and reserved of the two brothers, so it’s hard to get a straight answer about what he identifies as, but in this early 70s interview with Candy Darling, Tinkerbelle, and Glenn O’Brien he pretty much says it: he likes both men and women. “Why don’t you ask me what sort of men I like?” he asks. When Tinkerbelle asked him if he likes men, he said mhmm. He also said in a 1994 interview when asked about his sexuality, “I don’t know what I am. I’ve got female traits in me, male and female. I prefer people who are not ashamed to exhibit both. That doesn’t mean to say I have any bias one way or the other.”
Ricky Wilson – gay – Original guitarist of the B-52s. He was a member of the band until his death in 1985. Two years before his death he found out he had AIDS and he kept his illness a secret from the rest of the band. He was one of the main songwriters of the band and would often collaborate with Fred Schneider and Keith Strickland. His guitar sound added to the quirkiness of the band. He was the first member of the band to come out as gay. Every member of the B-52s was gay or bisexual, except for Ricky Wilson’s sister, Cindy.
Rob Halford – gay – Lead singer for hard rock band Judas Priest. He wrote or cowrote a lot of the band’s hits. The band’s influences include Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. They released their first album, Rocka Rolla, in 1974. The band reached major success in 1979 and were famous throughout the 80s. You might know the song “Breaking The Law” because of Beavis and Butthead. Of coming out of the closet he says “It’s a wonderful moment when you walk out of the closet. Now I’ve done that and I’ve freed myself.”
The Singing Nun – lesbian – A Belgian one-hit-wonder known for “Dominique”, released in 1963. Indeed it’s true she was a nun, but she left her convent when she was 1966. Later, she said she was forced out. That year, she reunited with her friend, Annie Pécher, who she knew from summer camp. Annie really liked her, but she didn’t feel the same way about her, at first. They moved in together and 14 years later, they had a romantic relationship. She owed the Belgian government a lot of money in back taxes from the royalties she received in the 60s from her hit and she didn’t have the money to pay them back because the money went to her religious congregation. She recorded a disco version of “Dominique”, but it didn’t go anywhere. She and her girlfriend started a centre to help children with autism and it had to shut down, leaving them devastated. She and Annie took their lives in 1985, overdosing on alcohol and barbiturates, and were buried together.
Siouxsie Sioux – bisexual – Lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees. She was born Susan Ballion in London. Her father was Belgian. As a child she was very lonely and dealt with a lot of trauma. One of her biggest inspirations was seeing David Bowie perform on Top of the Pops. As a teenager, she got better and went to gay clubs with her friends. She became a big fan of the Sex Pistols and wanted to make music of her own. What made her stand out in the scene is her gothic style. Siouxsie and the Banshees made their debut in 1978 and throughout the 80s they had a lot of success with many hit singles. She said in an interview, “I’ve never particularly said I’m hetero or I’m a lesbian. I know there are people who are definitely one way, but not really me. I suppose if I am attracted to men then they usually have more feminine qualities.”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – bisexual – While her career started in the late 30s, she was incredibly influential and considered the original soul sister and Godmother of Rock and Roll. Her beginnings were in gospel music and she quickly crossed over into R&B and rock and roll, being one of the first gospel musicians to do so. Songs from the late 1930s like “Rock Me”, “That’s All” and “This Train” demonstrate this and were commercial successes. Not only was she an influential singer, but also an influential guitarist who participated in guitar battles at the Apollo in Harlem. Unfortunately, she was the target of sexist and backhanded compliments like being told she “played like a man”. In actuality, she played guitar better than most of her male contemporaries. Her song “Strange Things Happening Every Day”, released in 1944, was the first gospel song to make the Harlem Hit Parade (later known as Race Records and R&B) and some consider it the first rock song. Some rumours claimed she dated gospel singer Marie Knight. She saw her perform at a Mahalia Jackson concert and invited her to tour with her. Sister Rosetta Tharpe remained active in the 60s, performing alongside musicians like Muddy Waters. She passed away in 1973 as a result of a stroke. Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Tina Turner, and Karen Carpenter called her a major influence.
Shona Laing – bisexual – This Kiwi singer-songwriter got famous at the age of 17 with the song “1905”, released in 1972. The song reached #4 in her home country. Two follow up singles she released that year were successful: “Show Your Love” (#4 in the New Zealand charts) and “Masquerade” (#11 in the New Zealand charts). She had a comeback in the 80s with the songs “(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” and “Soviet Snow”. The most famous band she collaborated with were Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. She contributed vocals to some songs on the album Somewhere in Afrika. She came out as bisexual at a concert in 1996.
Sylvester – gay – Disco musician best known for the song ‘You Make Me Feel Mighty Real”. He was known as “Queen of Disco”. He started off singing gospel music in church. He was also influenced by blues and jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker. He started The Disquotays as a teenager in the 60s with some friends he met at gay clubs. He was known for his androgynous dress sense. He moved to San Francisco in the 70s. Some other songs he made were “Dance (Disco Heat)”, “Do Ya Wanna Funk”, “Down Down Down”, and “Over and Over”.
Tom Robinson – bisexual, but identifies as gay – Singer-songwriter and LGBT rights activist. He was the leader of the Tom Robinson Band. He was born in Cambridge, England and realised he was gay when he fell in love with a classmate. He started his band in 1976 and they released their debut single “2-4-6-8 Motorway” (which vaguely mentions a gay lorry driver) in 1977; it peaked at #5 in the UK charts. In 1978, they released a song called “Glad To Be Gay”, which was originally written for the 1976 London Pride parade and banned by the BBC. On sexuality, he said that he didn’t understand bisexuality at first, but then came to understand it better.
Wendy Carlos – transgender – Best known for composing the scores for A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. She plays keyboard and synthesiser. She is also one of the first famous people to come out as trans, coming out in 1979 in an interview with Playboy Magazine. She also released albums that combined electronic and classical music like Switched-On Bach and The Well Tempered Synthesizer, from 1968 and 1969, respectively.
Not musicians, but were important to their careers:
Andy Warhol – gay – Manager and producer of The Velvet Underground. He was mostly known for his art and the Factory scene around it. The Factory scene had many drag queens, trans women, and LGBT celebrities and popular icons. He was one of the most famous openly gay people before the gay liberation movement took off.
Bob Crewe – gay – Songwriter and record producer best known for his work co-writing songs with Bob Gaudio for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Brian Epstein – gay – Manager of The Beatles. Born to a Jewish family in Liverpool. Found out about The Beatles when they recorded “My Bonnie” with Tony Sheridan. He was in charge of the record department of the NEMS music store. The Beatles all frequented the shop. He was influential in creating the image of the band. Besides managing The Beatles, he managed Gerry & The Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.
Desmond Child – gay – Songwriter who wrote hits like “I Was Made For Loving You”, “I Hate Myself For Loving You”, “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and “Dude Looks Like a Lady”.
Joe Meek – gay – Producer, sound engineer, and songwriter who worked with quite a few early-mid 60s artists from the UK like The Tornados, Screaming Lord Sutch, Heinz, Billy Fury, Tom Jones, The Honeycombs, and Tommy Steele. If you like the cosmic sounds of Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, you might want to thank Joe Meek since he was a pioneer in the space rock genre, writing the successful song “Telstar” in 1962. The song went to #1 before the British Invasion began, being the first American #1 by a British band. Not only that, but he even released a space-themed concept album in 1960 called I Hear a New World.
John Reid – gay – Former manager for Elton John and Queen. Dated Elton John in the 70s.
Kenneth Anger – gay – Filmmaker. You could say he invented the music video. Classic rockers Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page worked on a couple of his movies.
Kit Lambert – gay – Managed The Who. Came across them when they were known as The High Numbers and started to make a film about them with Chris Stamp as an up and coming unsigned band. He was also a producer for the band at one point. He and Chris Stamp were fired in 1974.
Larry Parnes – gay – Manager of pre-British Invasion rock stars like Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Vince Eager, Dickie Pride, Lance Fortune, Duffy Power, Johnny Gentle, Terry Dene, Nelson Keene. He also managed 60s singer Georgie Fame who reached #1 with “Yeh Yeh”. He was known for giving the musicians unique stage names that were supposed to correspond with traits they had.
Michael Aldred – gay – Co-presenter of Ready Steady Go! Got his start in music by writing articles for a magazine called Jazz News. He auditioned for teen advisor for a pop music series, Ready Steady Go! in 1963 and was one of the two selected to present. The other was Cathy McGowan. The producer of the show wanted to make it more appealing to youth by having presenters from the same generation. He was only 18 and a half when he started presenting Ready Steady Go! and was the youngest TV presenter in Britain. He later had flings with Andrew Loog Oldham and Dave Davies. He tried releasing music of his own, but it didn’t go anywhere so he went into producing music and went back to his roots in music reviewing, writing for Goldmine and Audio. He died in April 1995.
Richard O’Brien – transgender (possibly non-binary) – Actor and TV presenter best known for writing the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show. All songs in the musical were written by him. The film version came out in 1975. You might know songs like “Dammit Janet”, “Time Warp”, “Sweet Transvestite”, and “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me”.
Robert Mapplethorpe – gay – Photographer known for his black and white photographs. Known in the classic rock world for his friendship with Patti Smith, who he dated for 5 years. He took the album cover photograph for Horses.
Robert Stigwood – gay – Manager of Cream and the Bee Gees and produced Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
Sandy Stone – transgender – Member of women’s music record label Olivia Records collective and sound engineer for the record label.
Simon Napier-Bell – gay – Manager for bands like The Yardbirds, T. Rex, Japan, London, Ultravox, and Boney M.
Stacia – bisexual – Dancer for 70s space rock band Hawkwind. Joined the band at the age of 19. She was known for dancing while nude with body paint and being 6’2″ tall. In a 1974 interview with Penthouse, she said she was bisexual.
Tony Stratton-Smith – gay – Owner of Charisma Records and manager of Genesis, The Nice, and Van der Graaf Generator. Before entering the music industry, he was a sports journalist.
I hope you enjoyed this post on The Diversity of Classic Rock. Please leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section below. Thank you!
Want to learn more about LGBT history in classic rock? Read my post about classic rock songs about LGBT people. There’s a part two, too!
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