“I’m a true fairy,” Jobriath exclaimed, putting any debate over his true sexuality to rest, becoming rock music’s first openly gay superstar. It’s just that the superstar part never happened, despite hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of hype. When tales of major label hubris and marketing failure are told, Jobriath is often the first person name-checked. So why should you like Jobriath? The evidence, please:

Jobriath Was First: An in-your-face, outrageous gay rock star. The kind of glittery, truly outrageous glam star Bowie, Reed, and Pop only hinted at being. In the age of Mikas and Patrick Wolfs it’s not such a big deal, but when the year was 1973, America was having none of it. Back then, Elton was “bi” at best and Freddy was straight. While Jobriath forged his own distinct sound, fueled by ’30s and ’40s movie-queen and street-hustler imagery, he was derided as merely a cheap American Bowie clone. (Never mind that Jobriath was rocking the Pierrot clown hat and white makeup a full seven years before Bowie would do so in the “Ashes to Ashes” video.) Jobriath’s debut album was hyped up to the rafters, with a huge billboard in Times Square, ads in glossy mags, and an appearance on The Midnight Special. Trouble is, no one bit. (more…)