Jobriath A.D. PR Clip 1 from Kieran Turner on Vimeo.
I just came from a screening at the Frameline Gay Film Festival of “Jobriath A.D.”, a documentary about an openly gay musician from the 1970′s. Jobriath (real name Bruce Campbell) starred in “Hair” in LA but soon started moving toward a solo music career. He hooked up with a slimy manager who billed him as the next David Bowie in the glitter rock era, complete with make-up and outer space clothing. The manager spent a fortune to build up this image of Jobraith as the next big thing, but for some reason, the act never caught on, and his career became a joke. Not only did the rock and roll community shun him, but he was actually TOO gay for the gay press and the still untapped gay consumer market.
In watching the rise and fall of his planned concert tour with elaborate sets and costumes, the parallels between Jobriath and “This Is Spinal Tap” is unmistakable. The plan for his big debut show at the Paris Opera House was to include this skinny blond pretty boy in a gorilla suit climbing up the Empire State Building where he removes to suit to turn into Marlena Dietrich just as the building transforms into a giant crystal penis with him riding the tip as it shoots glitter into the audience! That’s pretty gay for the early 70s!
I had only heard vague references to some failed rock star named Jobriath, but never heard his music or even remember seeing one of his album covers (I thought I knew everything put out on vinyl!). I’m glad I got to see one more piece of gay history that’s not only forgotten, but never got a chance to shine. He was a musical genius and beautiful. In the lean times he escorted a bit, but eventually moved on to playing old standards from the 20s and 30s in cocktail lounges under the name Cole Berlin.
When he died in 1983 of AIDS, and his estranged father stepped in just before the funeral and had everything in his apartment destroyed or thrown away (music, recordings, photos, costumes, etc.) because he was so ashamed of having a gay son, regardless of the gay son’s talents and legacy.
Read more: Jobriath A.D. – Gay Rock Star That Never Was