It was apparent even as a child that Billy Dortch had a love of the arts. In his formative years, he had a fascination with ballet and tap, as he will attest. “That was my deep dark secret that I’m glad is coming back to haunt me now. It made me fall in love with the stage. Yeah, my sister started dancing and low and behold…I wanted to join her. I actually outlasted her by a few years in the same dance studio.

 

Some of this basic training in dance is still with him today as Billy adds, “ The basics are but I think I’m really a freestyle dancer so I try not to tell people that I dance. I can just basically memorize moves very well but I don’t think I’m that great of a dancer (laughter). I like the performing aspect of it.”

 

Dortch grew up playing piano as well. Then in high school he tried his hand at acting in school plays. For such an upbeat kind of a guy, Dortch really went for the dark drama in high school. “We did The Diary of Anne Frank. That’s a nice cheerful one. We did a couple of really dark ones. I was really into the dark drama stuff. We did a scary one called Hide and Seek, which was like a live action horror film. That was fun.”

 

The intriguing aspect about the career path that Billy Dortch is on right now—a career in the music industry—is he never sang in high school. Dortch says, “Yeah. I was a late bloomer. I was always afraid. I didn’t have any self-confidence. I just sang in my shower. I didn’t think I was good.” Yet, for those discovering this new musical artist who you can check out on billydortch.com, it is very true that he has a great singing voice and songwriting skill in the songs presented.

 

Dortch decided from the get-go to present himself as an out artist when he began his singing career. He explains his reasoning behind this by saying, “I never wanted anyone to out me except for myself. I’ve always been extremely comfortable with the way I was raised with my family. I never had an issue with it. But I didn’t do this for my career. I wish growing up that I had a gay role model to look up to. Someone who was out and proud from day one.

 

Not having a celebrity pulled out of the closet unwillingly. I wanted to be that for a lot of kids. I know that sounds cheesy but that’s the reason I chose to be out from the very beginning. I came out when I was 17. But as I’m doing my career now, it should be a non-issue. Even in the last year, with the help of Adam Lambert and a whole lot of other artists who are being recognized for pure talent, it’s paving the way for everyone down the road.”

 

The road to a career in the music industry for Billy Dortch took him to Los Angeles. He’s lived in L.A. now for five years. There, he pays the bills, even juggling two jobs at times. He also discovered success in the modeling business. His natural good looks landed him numerous print media assignments. He’s done campaigns for K-Swiss, Yamaha Motors, Los Angeles Sporting Club and others.

 

But modeling is on the back burner for the most part; he wants to take assignments that will tie-in to his independent career as a singer. Dortch offers his take on the independent music scene, “I have label interest but the way I see the record industry going right now, even if you do get signed to a record label…which is not a necessity these days anyway, I think they want a full package ready to deliver. They don’t want to create anyone anymore. They want people who have already created themselves and have a fan base…and then they’ll take money from you. You have to be your own press agent too for the first couple years and everything else in between.”

 

Dortch has already created a video for his song called “Breathe” off his yet to be released debut album. “Breathe” has already been named one the top ten videos on Logo for 2009. What’s his next song to be filmed for a video? “It’s a song I wrote called ‘Heart Clean.’ That’s the song we decided to do the next music video for. I’m excited about it. The music video is going to be great and that song was featured in the movie Eating Out 3, so it’s an easy segueway for the next single.”

 

Listening to “Heart Clean,” the song is very pretty and seems to beg the question…was this about a relationship that Billy went through? He explains, “I wanted that relationship to progress in that way. I was just getting out of a long relationship and I wasn’t ready to…basically I met this great guy who was really into me and I pushed him away because I was too afraid. Then by the time I realized that ‘Okay, this guy is really good for me’ it was too late.

 

So that’s where ‘Heart Clean’ came from.” Songwriters go about the process of creating in their own unique way, Billy explains what it is that works for him when writing, “It’s actually poetry. I used to write poetry. I have my whole life. I have always thought in my head, ‘this would make a great song’ but I never thought of me as a performer in it. Music writing comes to me pretty easily. It’s easier than singing actually. (Laughter) I’m in a dry spell right now though. I have to be going through something great or really horrible to write. That’s why my last relationship was so good for me [writing songs] because it was always up and down. A lot of good songs came out of that one!”

 

Billy believes as many do that music has no sexual preference. He elaborates, “My really big inspiration for that mindset is actually thinking about Melissa Etheridge. Growing up, I didn’t know what gay and lesbian was but I knew that I liked her music. Now, that I listen to her lyrics, it’s completely asexual most of the time. I can be an out artist now and I don’t have to pigeonhole myself as gay or turn away straight people either. I just want to tell a good story. I want to prove to myself more than anyone that I can do this.”

 

 

“I can’t stay home at night. I have a hard time relaxing so there’s always something for me to do.”

 

“I’m paying more for my apartment than my parents do for their mortgage (laughter).

 

“I can watch The Simpsons 24/7. Also, I really like getting massages and going to the spa. Having a day with my best friend and ‘gaying out’ and getting manicures and pedicures. I also enjoy camping.”

 

“Donnie Darko.”

“Wicked.”

 

“Oh. This is really gay. The Kathy Griffin official book club selection. Honestly, that’s the only book I’ve read in a couple of years.

 

“Uhhh. I’m into blue.”

“A Ben and Jerry’s Cake Batter.”

 

“Steak on the barbeque.”

From the very first minutes of listening to VV Brown, it is apparent that she is an artist to be on the look out for. Her style? You could say she is gathering the classic hooks of 1960s, creating original and new lyrics (she writes all her own songs) and creating a modern pop sound that is both a joy to hear and wildly fresh.

 

Her debut recording called Travelling Like the Light is set for a U.S. release date digitally on March 16 and in stores on March 30. Not only is she a very talented vocalist and songwriter/musician, VV Brown is also an innovative fashionista and runway-ready model.

 

Not enough? Brown is also a creative artist who is geared up to release a comic book coming soon.

 

It was also apparent from The Rage Monthly interview below that VV is grounded and intelligent about her success so far in the music industry and her plans for the future.

 

VV Brown: I love doo-wop music and music from the 1950s and 1960s. I was just a huge lover of it all. I kind of made this record alone. And, I’m very much into indie music like punk bands…like The Sex Pistols, Blur and the Brit bands of the 1990s. This is like doo-wop indie, it just kind of stuck and that’s why I came up with it.

 

But, the more and more I grow; I kind of changed [my classification] to alternative pop because I don’t want to be enslaved to 1950s references. This is a Polaroid picture of how I was feeling at the time.

 

VV: It was so not intended (laughter) when I wrote that! I think what it is is that a lot of songs from the 1950s…I was writing around my one-string guitar, you’re kind of forced to go into these very classic blues chord progressions and melodies. I think there are loads of songs that have that melody thing.

 

Because “Monster Mash” is kind of one of the biggest hits, I kind of took that association. But, I kind of dread that association. I wish I realized that at the time and kind of changed it.

 

VV: Why thank you.

 

VV: Yes. I’ve got my own comic book coming out. It’s going to be a graphic novel and the first volume is coming out in April. It’s a really important project to me. It’s called The City of Abacus. In April, you can go online at thecityofabacus.com and check it out and buy!

 

I did the story and sketched and worked alongside with my friend David Lane and a girl called Emma Price. We worked together on it. It’s a serious, serious project. I just love being creative and doing many different things.

 

VV: (laughter) Ahhh. That was a really hard and long photo shoot. I had to literally put my head in a box and stand on this circular platform that went around and they shot the box head bit. I love that video. I really think it’s a really innovative, fresh idea.

 

It really worked wonders for us. It really helped get our song out in a massive campaign in France and led to a number one album on this iTunes chart, which was brilliant.

VV: My parents are the best. They were so supportive and encouraging of us in the arts. Daddy is very interested in art and artistic intelligence and they owned a school. Their contribution to my career is massive! My mum used to drive me to London every Wednesday to play in my punk band when I was 15, which is an hour and a half from where I lived in the countryside.

 

Her dedication to me as an artist is just ridiculous. My mom and dad encouraged all of us to play instruments and also to be open-minded. She’s very kind of a “hippie” mom. I’m just so grateful to have them in my life really. It sounds corny when I say that…but.

 

VV: My very first record that I bought was Kriss Kross and “Jump.” I used to wear my trousers back to front (laughter) because I wanted to be like them. I listened to a lot of ska records because my parents are Caribbean and British. There was a massive ska movement in the 1980s and they were part of that scene.

 

My dad loved Queen so I always used to listen to Queen. I was forced to listen to Queen on the way to school while my dad yelled to all the lyrics and melodies. I got interested in The B-52s when I was 13. I loved their song “Love Shack” and that video was awesome. Still, to this day that’s one of my favorite videos.

 

VV: Yeah, that’s my ultimate sort of desire. I love pop music but when I was very young, I was always interested in classical and jazz music. I suppressed it for a long time because I didn’t think it was cool. My heart…even before I knew I wanted to sing, the very first thing I wanted to be was a composer.

 

I remember that feeling when I was 5 around the piano. I was getting this electrical shock over the fact that I just created something from nothing. So the composition side of film music is all where it really started with me. Between the age of 5 and 10, I used to make up compositions. It would start off being 20 seconds and led to 20-minute pieces.

 

VV: (laughter)

 

VV: I would call it “Retro Diva Geek Chic.”

 

VV: Cool. [VV sings]…”You best believe I’m in love baby!”

 

VV: Yeah, we’re actually in the process of confirming a 33-day tour all over America. That should be announced really soon. We’ll be going on tour with one of my really favorite bands, which I can’t really say until it’s confirmed. It’s going to be fantastic. It’s just going to be great to be on the road and have people really actually feel the record live. I truly believe this is where it really starts—to see the live performance.

 

VV: Ahhh…thank you. Take care.

 

“I wish we could have a gay male country star,” says a typically irreverent Laura Bell Bundy when talking about her kinship with the gay men who helped shape her career as a singer and performer. “Until then, I’m the closest gay male country artist you’re going to find!” 

 

Turning serious, Bundy explains that the fearlessness that led her to buck Nashville trends with her new album Achin’ and Shakin’ came partly from witnessing the struggles of her gay friends to live without having to conforming to anyone else’s ideas of how to live.

 

“I understand that struggle,” she says. “I’ve never really found a place where I completely fit in, and I’m happy about that. I never needed to be the homecoming queen. I’ve always done things my own way.” 

 

Bundy is certainly blazing a path of individuality with Achin’ and Shakin’, her Mercury Records debut release. The singer-songwriter has bypassed the tried-and-true Music Row approach usually taken on country albums and instead created a bold concept album that is essentially two separate albums within one project. The album’s title aptly describes the project’s division: Achin’ is a collection of slow and sultry country songs, and Shakin’ is a group of sassy songs that are equal parts humor, confidence and attitude. It’s no surprise that the Lexington, Kentucky-born Bundy is shattering the usual industry formulas because nothing about her entertainment career has been normal.

 

Like two of her idols Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, she traveled the musical highway that spans from Nashville to Broadway. She originated the lead role of Elle Woods in the Broadway musical Legally Blonde, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She also originated the role of Amber Von Tussle in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray and played Glinda in the smash hit Wicked. Prior to that, at age 9, she originated the role of Tina Denmark in the successful off-Broadway production Ruthless!, The Musical!, for which she received the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk nominations. 

 

Here, the singer talks about her journey from Broadway to Nashville, her “gay sense of humor,” and how she got her country music roots.

 

Laura Bell Bundy: I kinda think that it was less of a segue than everything happening at one time. I’m from Kentucky, and I grew up listening to a lot of country music. My grandfather was a radio DJ, and he had a large collection of country songs. My mom was a big fan of Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, and we also listened to a lot of countrypolitan, which has been a big influence on this album. And my father is from Muscle Shoals, so I learned about Southern soul music from him. All of that has inspired the combination of country and soul that you hear on this record.

 

LBB: Yes, when I was a young kid, I moved to New York to do theatre. I was fortunate enough to be in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at 9 years old. Then, I was in Ruthless! The Musical, which became a cult show in the gay community. Britney Spears and Natalie Portman were my understudies. But then I moved back to Kentucky to be normal and go to high school. After doing a show with drag queens and being raised by the two gay men who composed the show, I was having an identity crisis.

 

LBB: Yes, after I did Wicked on Broadway, about six months before Legally Blonde, I put out a country album independently. I missed writing and singing country music. I called my style “Y’allternative.” I’m happy with that album as far as it being a jumping off point for me. But I’d like to think of Achin’ and Shakin’ as my first album. I devoted a year and a half to this, and it’s the culmination of all of my experiences and the emotions I’ve always felt.

 

LBB: The “Achin’” side is traditional country meets soul ballads. Tammy Wynette meets Norah Jones and Ray Charles. It’s for when you’re in a reflective mood, like when you’re trying to drown your sorrows. The songs on the “Shakin’” side you can really dance to, and they have more of a sassiness and a sense of humor.

 

The two styles represent the different parts of me. I’m not bipolar, but I have both a crazy wild side and a more reflective side that really likes to get to the source of my pain. I wrote or co-wrote every song on the album except one, so they really come from my own personal experience.

 

LBB: I think I have a gay sense of humor—it’s off-the-cuff, it’s kitschy, it’s campy. Maybe that’s because gay men wrote almost everything that has ever been written for me. The most creative people in my life have been gay people. It was gay men who taught me to sing and to hone my talent. It began when I was doing Ruthless! off-Broadway when I was 10 years old. The show was very campy. But even before that—when I was 8, my favorite movie was Hairspray.

 

And of course, I loved all of the films that are iconic to gay men: All About Eve, The Bad Seed, Mommie Dearest. Overall, there’s just something about the gay experience—particularly coming out of the closet to live life, as you really are—that I totally relate to.

 

LBB: Gay people have taught me there there’s really no “right” way to live—it’s all okay. That’s helped to bring me to the place I’m at now where I’m not afraid of anything anymore. I’m the most fearless I’ve ever been. It makes me really happy that my music is being marketed to the gay community. It’s like I’m getting my own coming-out party.

 

 

Already a music darling in the U.K., and winning rave reviews with her U.K. import in the U.S., Little Boots is releasing her record officially here in the states on March 2.

Before she embarked on a North America tour with stops both in Los Angeles at The El Rey Theatre on March 10 and in San Diego at The Casbah on March 13, she spoke with The Rage Monthly from her home in the U.K.

 

Here are just a few of her thoughts on her music career, her songwriting process and how musical expression has always been a constant in her life.

 

Little Boots: Music is something I’ve always done and always wanted to do. My mum’s got cassettes of me singing when I was 2.

 

I started playing piano when I was 5 years old. It wasn’t like I woke up one day and decided that’s what I wanted to do. I remember doing it since I remember walking or breathing (laughter).

 

 On discovering her own distinctive sound:

It really was a discovery, like you say. Before this I had been in a band and did quite a lot of different things, so I felt sort of like a blank page when I started doing the album. I felt really like an empty space and trying to write really good songs. Once you have the song or the bones of it, just seeing where I wanted to go with it.

 

The songs almost dictate what they should sound like to me—a dance sort of sound sometimes, keyboards as that’s what I play and that’s what I write on. It’s just quite organic really.

 

Definitely YouTube was a big help. It was a big part. Definitely. It’s kind of crazy how the world is changing. It’s actually much better now for an artist. You have more control over things. Before YouTube, it would have been quite impossible for a new artist to make a music video and reach so many people.

 

Bands now can make records and tour without having a label, which I think is pretty amazing. This may be the future.

 

It’s the name of the secret track, which is the piano track. “Hands” is the first song I wrote after I left my old band. The song is more about believing in yourself and in your hands, what you can do and what you can make with them. It’s just saying believe what you can make and believe in yourself.

 

They’re all parts of me. They’re all made up of my feelings and people that I’ve observed around me and maybe an imaginary person. So, there’s kind of like three people in every song. But maybe, the later tracks like “No Brakes” and “Hearts Collide,” they were quite literal because I just met somebody after a long time of not meeting anybody…they were kind of like “Whoa. This thing happened!” Those two are quite literal I guess.

 

It was just a case of asking! It seems crazy that I’ve been a fan of his for so long. It was just literally dreaming your ideal person and then asking him and he said, “yes.” I was talking to various people about that song and it just felt like a duet.

 

I didn’t think it would be possible! His voice stills sounds just brilliant! It’s so reminiscent of an era. When I hear his voice, I get tingles. It’s so distinctive.

 

They were just great. They didn’t do that whole thing where big bands pay no attention to a new performer…they came over and said “Hi” and introduced themselves. They watched the whole gig and I could see them. I asked them if they enjoyed it and they did. It was really refreshing to meet people like that who love new music and enjoy watching a new performer. I was pretty touched.

 

Yeaaah…I can’t wait. We kind of have a big tour. I’m doing the West Coast in March and then I play the Coachella Festival in April and then the East Coast and Canada. It’s going to be so much fun. You just have a great experience seeing all the places you see in films and really don’t think are quite real.

 

I’ve never been to San Diego. I’m really looking forward to getting the music out there. It’s not like I’m approaching this with “let’s break America” stigma.

 

I think a lot of British bands get that and it can kind of drive you crazy. I just want to come out and have some fun and meet the fans out there. I’m really excited about writing my second record as well. It’s been quite a while. So I’m juggling coming to America with writing for the next album.

 

 

It was an unexpected Christmas present that brought my attention to William J. Mann. I had wanted a book on the noted director of The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, Victor Fleming, but under the tree was How To Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood.

 

Pleasantly surprised, as this was a book on Taylor that I hadn’t read and it looked intriguing, I finished it over the next several days. Mann’s attention to detail and innovative way of arranging the chapters in the book led me to interview him. Mann is an outstanding biographer. His previous book called Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn was named “one of the 100 Notable Books of the Year” by The New York Times.

 

He also is an award-winning novelist and has written four books on the lives of gay American men. Most recently one called Object of Desire. William’s approach, ethics and imagination all come into play for this uber-successful gay author.

 

 

William J. Mann: Exactly, because there’s been so many of them. In fact, when my editor suggested to me after I finished up my book on Katharine Hepburn, he said, “What do you want to do next?” I said, “Well…I don’t know. Give me some ideas.” He said, “How about Elizabeth Taylor?” My first reaction was it’s been done a million times before. He said, “What if we call it ‘how to be a movie star?’

 

Then, the gears started turning in my head and I said, “I get ya. I see where you are going with this.” It was going to be very different. It wasn’t going to be a retelling of all the marriages, the divorces and the scandals. I was trying to understand how she did it and the machinery of stardom back then and how she helped evolve it to what it is today.

WJM: She really helped create that template of stardom that we still have today. Where your private life is just as important if not more important than what you do on screen. She kind of created the business model too. She came out of the studio system where they used to put actors under contract. Then with Cleopatra, she and her agents created this business model. She had very smart agents who said, “How about you get a contract where you get a percentage of the box office?” In a sense, it was changing the way that Hollywood did business. She was at the forefront of all of that.

 

WJM: The studio system was fabulous in many ways. It was a very proficient and productive system for making movies and making stars. There is an awful lot of good that came out of the studio system. Some people thrived with it…somebody like a Joan Crawford. She was the perfect kind of creature to work in the studio system.

 

Elizabeth Taylor was not. She always hated it. She never liked the regimen of it. For someone who sold her image so brilliantly, she never really followed the studio’s playbook on how to do that. She did it her own way. She was always chaffing and couldn’t wait to get out of that studio system to create the business model that ultimately replaced it.

 

WJM: Yes I did. He was terrific. I really enjoyed doing that chapter. I also had the personal diary that was kept by Ernest Lehmann who was the producer and screenwriter so he recorded some really interesting moments of the day. So I had some very good, very fresh, up-close sources for that chapter. That’s a tough movie as in your emotions go up and down…it’s difficult. Yet, it’s brilliantly directed and brilliantly acted. It’s magnificent.

 

WJM: That’s right. I’ve pretty much gone back and forth from fiction to non-fiction.

 

WJM: I started off as a journalist. That’s how I was making my living. I sold the proposal for Wisecracker because I’d been writing for film journals and Architectural Digest. So it wasn’t my intent to just write film biographies…I really saw myself as a novelist. I had been working on The Men From The Boys for several years. Shortly after I sold the proposal for Wisecracker, I then sold my novel. I thought I’m going to stay a novelist now. But Wisecracker did pretty well and they wanted me to do a sequel.

 

Suddenly I found myself with this dual career. The Men From the Boys did pretty well and they wanted another one. I have two different publishers so I’ve got a double career going on. It wasn’t intentional but it’s just kind of the way it worked out.

 

WJM: Oh yeah. Definitely. Absolutely and still am. It was writing Wisecracker that I ended up with so much surplus material that they said, “There’s another book here.” I’d interviewed so many gay and lesbian survivors of the studio era. Gay history in Hollywood is ironic because it’s the fact that gay people were so much involved. The gay experience and involvement in Hollywood was tremendous on so many different levels.

 

Yet, because of homophobia, you’ll find a lot of people scared to admit that or you’ll get other people who’ll say, “The gays must be exaggerating this! They are trying to claim everything now.” You get some gay authors who’ve written outrageously sensational books without any documentation all based on rumor and gossip and all that.

 

My struggle was, I want to document this as best I can. To do it without sensation or scandal and really try to study it as seriously as somebody who would study the Jewish experience in Hollywood or the experience of women in Hollywood, to look at it with that same kind of reasoned and open-minded consideration. I think it’s important to give someone his or her full due.

 

To understand what their story was and to do it in a way that has respect and understanding and also tells the truth. I don’t think there is anything wrong with telling the truth.

 

WJM: (laughter) It is. I’ve become the gayest author on the face of the planet. My editor really wanted me to tackle Barbra Streisand. Again, I said, “Why? It’s been done a million times.” He said, “I don’t think what we’ve ever known is how she did it.” How she came out of Brooklyn from nowhere and was this kind of awkward little girl with very unusual looks. How did she become by the end of the decade, the biggest star in the world?

 

So, that’s what I’m doing. It’s called Hello Gorgeous! Becoming Barbra Streisand and begins in 1961 and ends in 1968. It’s a real close-up of this young girl and how she transformed herself. They would like this out by 2012, which would be essentially her 50th year in show business.

 

WJM: It’s not an authorized book but I don’t think she would be upset with it. Just as I understand Elizabeth is happy with this one [How To Be a Movie Star]. I’m not turning them into saints by any means. I’m telling the full story…warts and all. But it’s not about scandal or tell-all. I think this will go well for whatever commemoration there might be in 2012.

 

WJM: Great. Thank you.

By David Vera

 

Reinvention seems to be the key to success in any field. But in this world of relentless innovation, it’s rare that you’ll see an idea that has never before been tried. But—as Sean Lockhart is so adept as showing the world—those who execute it with style set themselves apart from the rest.

 

Known worldwide by his persona, Brent Corrigan, Sean has been branching out from the world of adult films and subsequently shedding the restrictive “twink” image for a more refined stature.

 

His role as Stan the Merman in 2008’s Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild has triggered a mass “hey, I know that face” response and propelled him onto a broader spectrum of moviemaking. But that was just the beginning. It’s safe to say Sean has made a successful break into mainstream media.

 

“Thank you for the compliment!” said Sean. “Though I am nowhere near where I eventually want to be, a little bit more happens each day. In a perfect world, I’d be moving outside of working in front of the camera on an adult set by the end of 2010. However, everything must fall into line for me to achieve this.

 

As a director and producer, the things I have always wanted to do with the adult industry are no longer the possibility they once were. With the recession, there is less and less that a smart adult producer can do. I always wanted to make art house-oriented scenes since I began fantasizing about how I would do it all differently.

 

What John Cameron Mitchell did with Shortbus is similar to my original model. I’ve always wanted to film lovers and portray them affectionately, romantically. Although truthfully, the older I get the harder it is for me to find the mental stimulation I need while working on an adult set as a model.”

 

One of Sean’s wishes is to direct mainstream projects as well as star in them.

 

“All I’ve ever wanted to do was tell stories in some way or another,” admitted Sean. “The dealer called life has presented me with one very interested suit of cards—tools I am lucky to have and intend to implement as a storyteller. That is primarily what my work as an actor is about (non-adult of course). I want to gain experience about the process of filmmaking while working in front of the camera. I want to meet people and make friends with talented, fascinating individuals. Film school is great but nothing compares to real life experience.”

 

Most of the projects Sean has taken on have been comedy-oriented, but there are other types of roles that he would like to explore.

 

“It’s funny because, while I don’t consider myself devoid of humor, I am certainly a much more serious person than I let most people believe. If I could take on any role, I’d want to play an odd-ball type. I’d love to slip into someone, or something, where people don’t even recognize me. I do love playing the villain, but I think it’s way too easy for nice people who are decent actors to polarize. Playing crazy would be fun. And believe it or not, I probably have enough "crazy" in my life to pull from in order to materialize something fascinating on-screen.”

 

His passion for creating is evident. But when he wants to lose himself watching a story, Sean’s tastes are varied.

 

“I really do love all kinds of films,” confessed Sean. “Naturally, I gravitate more strongly toward some than others. When it comes to thrillers, they must have a particular level of psychological stimulation. Horror films are practically lost on me unless they are quirky with a hint of humor. I like to laugh a little in between a good scream. Love stories reach me easily as long as they are well written.

 

‘You had me at hello’ is too easy, too obviously eager. A good movie satisfies the voyeur without hinging so heavily on that fairy tale ending. However, for me it’s dramas and dramedies that seem to speak to the interested artist in me. There’s just something irresistible about a film that affectively intertwines serious themes with characters that are laughable, admirable and even loathsome!”

 

In the 2010 film, Judas Kiss, we can see Sean in the lead role.

 

“Well, one of the lead roles, at least! I couldn’t be more honored to get a chance to work beyond my adult roots. Judas Kiss is a film that a friend of mine, J.T. Tepnapa, is directing. We did a short film together that was wildly successful at Outfest and has gone on tour festivals all over the world. I’ve been tacked on to Judas Kiss for almost two years, and with the recession it has been extremely difficult for any indie filmmakers to obtain adequate funding in a timely manner.

 

I just got word that we finally go to production in August. It’s a film about a man who is faced with the younger version of himself, as well as the older version of who he will become if he doesn’t make changes in his life. It’s about perspective—taking responsibility while recognizing where you can better yourself. It’s a coming-of-age film so many in the gay community will relate.”

 

Sure he can act, but what does he give back? Anyone who has read his blogs will know the answer. It’s the 21^st century and the progressive concepts of sex-positivity resounds loudly in our immediate circles, but the whole of society still has quite a way to go before every hot-blooded human can admit without the risk of blushing that we’re attracted by the lure of…s-e-x. (Gasp!)

 

If only we took it off the bottom shelf, out of the brown paper bag and assigned it the dignity it deserves. Sean has been doing just that for years on his online writings—as well as proving that there certainly are brains behind this attractive face.

 

“I was fairly fortunate to grow up in a good public school district outside of Seattle, Washington. I’ve maintained a firm grasp on my ability by writing almost regularly on a blog since I was 19. I know I have a lot to learn and I very much invite new challenges and opportunities to absorb more. Do I want to be a writer by profession? Not necessarily, but I do want to publish a book or two. Ultimately, I want to take my affinity for the written word and apply it to writing screenplays.”

 

Clearly it took effort to get here—as the adult film industry and its models are still the unfortunate targets of many unfair criticisms. Nevertheless this San Diegan has shown us that no matter how tumultuous one’s past has been, much good can still be achieved. On his new website, Sean provides the safe haven for adult performers that he never had upon starting in the business. Humanizing his models and disassociating shame from sex, his website is a salute to sexuality. With so much openness, one has to wonder whether there’s any topic that he just won’t write about.

 

“It’s no secret that I’m very…shall I say…generous with my private parts,” quipped Sean. “I’m not just referring to my body either. Quite honestly, the one thing I do like to keep private is my personal love life. It’s not just a matter of preferred privacy. It’s a matter of protection. Case in point: I was at an award show last year in San Francisco. I swept, bringing home three awards—not only for performances but for my work as a director.

 

Another producer/porn star was pissed about it for his own singular reasons. He stormed the stage to protest me, the award ceremony, those running it and all of the studios involved. Later in the evening, he put himself between my boyfriend and I as we attempted to exit a club. Then he proceeded to create a scene and lied to security about his safety being threatened. The next morning we were woken up in our hotel room. The police wanted to question my boyfriend. They humiliated us; made us wait in our underwear in the hallway of a well-to-do hotel.

 

When it was deduced this jealous producer/fading porn star had lied (and we had witnesses to corroborate our version of the story while he did not), the case was dropped and no charges were filed. The point is, not only was I targeted in this charade, but my significant other was as well. That aside, ultimately, it’s just nice having some things, or someone to myself. Personal relationships are complicated and difficult enough without having the whole community looking for ways to conquer and divide the two of you.”

 

On the topic of former difficulties, Sean is in the process of writing a book about them—sure to be a fascinating and universally pertinent account of his trials and subsequent growth.

 

“I am working on a book detailing my experiences since moving to San Diego at 16 years old. It will outline my life as an adult model during my junior year in high school, starting my first adult company at 19, a civil suit and the onslaught of a producer hell-bent on leveling not only my reputation but my emotional foundation. Of course, people tend to be most curious about things like the murder investigation in which I was a star witness.”

 

The book is due to hit the shelves in late spring of this year. Not only does he keep his fans updated on his projects, Sean also chronicles his take on social issues like the latest advances in the Prop. 8 battle.

 

“I believe there is a ridiculous divide within the community that, unfortunately, has severely limited our potential. We spend our whole lives, many of us, ostracized and humiliated. Then when we step into the very world we have all worked to build together—in this very community—we cut each other down and rip each other to shreds the very same way others did to us.

 

The trouble is, the fight for marriage equality is a fleeting notion in the minds of too many of us…There are too many organizations pulling their own strings and playing to their own little agendas; hiding under this guise that they are working for our rights. We let that slide.

 

When Proposition 8 passed, we all were pissed. We turned out in Hillcrest 28,000 strong and marched miles to tell the world we were here. But on that very same day, those organizers were insisting we remove words such as hate from our very own vocabulary. It was an outrage and an example of the ineffectual leadership that the rest of us have allowed to shepherd us through this thing like cattle. The only way we’re going to get anywhere is if each and every one of us does our part.

 

If you can’t give money, get out there and lend your person to the movement. At the very least, stay informed with the movement as it develops. Who knows? Just educating yourself might reveal a high purpose for you in the advancement for equal rights.”

 

It is clear that Sean has his community’s best interests in mind. It looks as though this adult icon has truly grown into an adult!

 

“When I decided to take on the entertainment industry—not just model work to pay the bills—I consciously decided to be myself. I knew that a facade or a gimmick would wear thin and become transparent eventually. This isn’t to say that I’m always one way or another. Just like any other breathing human being with a soul; I have many facets to me. For instance, when I am just out with a friend or my boyfriend, I’m more observant and reserved.

 

I am less open to receiving a fan who recognizes me. I’m not looking for stardom. What I want is to be successful—which, like it or not, is a big element to the things I want to accomplish in my life. But these things can only happen if people know me and know where to find me. If we don’t welcome the notion that we will only be better and happier if we open ourselves up to learn and grow, then we won’t at all. I do hope I have evolved for the better.”

 

Intellect, beauty and ethics? Sorry, boys. This one is happily taken. Nevertheless, we can be assured that he will always be the gracious public figure and talented artist for which we love him. How does his Valentine’s Day schedule look this year?

 

“My boyfriend is going to kill me for being so honest, but he already knows how I feel about Valentine’s Day. At the risk of sounding cynical, Valentine’s Day as we know it was created by greeting card and candy corporations to give straight women an excuse to obligate the men in their lives to do more for them.

 

That being said, I’m not against romance! I just prefer not to rush around once a year and adhere to an expensive, obviously misguided tradition that makes more people feel sad and alone than loved and fulfilled. I think it’s more romantic and far more special to do something for your lover when the rest of the world at large isn’t reminding you that they are doing it too.”

 

Well put. And bravely, I might add. When he’s not liberating the adult industry, finding ways to clear the air about LGBT issues, planning his next career move and tweeting us up to speed on all of it, Sean is making appearances—like Hillcrest’s own Mardi Gras celebration on February 16.

 

“Well, appearances sort of wax and wane like that for me. One month I’ll be in three cities, and then two months will go by without booking anything. In October I got a chance to finally do Cardiff for The Iris Prize Film Festival, I had two mainstream films in it. Then I was off to London for 5 days of press and pictures to promote a DVD compilation that included a short film I starred in. Australia just sort of came out of nowhere. I’ve never been there and I am extremely excited!

 

Originally, I was supposed to do a two-week tour of several Australian cities, but the entertainment booking company that wanted me couldn’t get the multitude of clubs all over the country to consent fast enough. Basically, this means I am going out to Sydney for 5 days of press and photos as a precursor for a tour later in the year.

 

Then I open a club and host an event in Melbourne, the capital. Lastly, I’m taking a few days to myself to just enjoy the festivities of one of the greatest, largest gay events in the world: Sydney Mardi Gras. Honestly, the best part about all of this is that it hinges only on the mainstream side of my career. I won’t be dancing even once while I am there. And I won’t be expected to stand on any stage just wearing my underwear. Haha!”

 

With as many cameos as Sean makes, one wonders whether his schedule has any room for free time.

 

“Honestly, I am terrible at time management. It’s almost embarrassing how bad I am at planning my day. I sleep in pretty late, work out fairly late and spend a good portion of my days cooking with my boyfriend. In a perfect world, I would spend more time training on horseback and less time working my muscles out. I want to compete this year in a hunter-jumper competition, which is an equine sport.

 

I grew up riding horses and training but my parents could never afford to keep me in it, so I didn’t progress as much as I would have liked to. Now, I have the resources to ride, learn and compete but there simply aren’t enough hours in the day! And then, when I get dragged away to various cities or countries for appearances it puts gaps in my training that hold me back. Maybe someday I will be an Olympic jumper, but for now I’m lucky to just get on the back of a horse.

 

I ride down in Imperial Beach, which is the only place in San Diego you can take a horse out on the waterfront. It’s absolutely beautiful. Other than that, I like art, music and every once in a while I’ll frequent the museums in Balboa on Tuesdays. They’re free on Tuesdays!”

 

Perhaps what is even more rare than a stylish reinvention is a prevailing life of accomplishments where overwhelming adversity once stood. We proudly welcome Sean Lockhart (as Brent Corrigan) to our Mardi Gras Festival and wish him all the success he has earned.

By lance perkins

 

It’s not easy catching up with the most famous matchmaker in Los Angeles. On the same day of our interview, Patti also was interviewed by Katie Couric of CBS news and was rushing around and getting ready to celebrate the show’s premiere of the new season of the The Millionaire Matchmaker.

 

In the fast lane, Patty said, “Tonight, I’m hanging with the cast and crew. We’re getting dressed up and going to The Falcon.”

 

Stanger’s childhood in New Jersey was as far as you can get from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. She explains, “I’m from Shore Hills, New Jersey where the mall is. Everyone knows it because of the mall. I grew up in Florida. I have a BSA in film from the University of Miami so I thought I was going to come out here and be the next Sherry Lansing and I ended up doing this. It was really a fluke. I realized that I had a gift.

 

I was working for a Fortune 500 company and this business was taking off. I was making so much money in this business. There was no point in going to work everyday. My matchmaking business was bigger.

 

The geek always wants to be turned into a sheik. So it was a kind of a thing where I was constantly doing this every day, going out and doing the makeover, closing the deal servicing them and getting them the girl. I had to build up my staff because of that.”

 

Stanger does gay matchmaking as well. “Yes, we have gay millionaires and we have a bi-curious female millionaire, so we’ve got both! Trisha is one of our bi-curious women. She had a divorce and got cheated on and was really hurt. She always had this crush on this girl in college and had a little fling with her. So she thought maybe she made the wrong move by getting married to this man. Then, maybe she was gay. I always feel like either you know or you don’t. But there are bisexuals out there, so I’ve got to see where she stands.

 

So I send her to Dr. Nikki and Dr. Nikki tells me that she doesn’t know yet because she doesn’t know herself. In other words, nobody can tell you if you’re gay or not. I made a mixer for the first time with both straight men and gay women. It is the most fun, rollercoaster ride that you will ever see on the show. It’s awesome! (laughs) It’s just a free for all! People do get a chance and fall in love. This season, we have had the most matches in the history of MM.”

 

Patti also did publicity recently for the “No H8” campaign. What are her thoughts about marriage equality? “I’m for gay marriage and I’m against Prop. 8 as you can see. I don’t think that the government has to intervene in what type of marriage we have. Two consenting same-sex adults should have the right to marry and adopt children. If we can get married, they should be able to.”

 

Stanger comes from a long line of matchmakers. She explains, “It’s one of those things where I get credits in heaven and there are people I match that I do pro-bono and there are people I match where I charge. Overall, matchmaking is in my blood. I couldn’t stop it if I tried. It’s like an addiction, like smoking or doing drugs. It’s a very hard, but healthy addiction.”

 

Just what does she think about gay dating? “It seems like for gay people, to me, it seems like they [gay people] are in a shopping market. Yes! Or they flake or they want to have sex right then and there and they’re not thinking about courting. Courtship is what love is all about. It’s taking your time to get to know someone, planning an exceptional night and making it fun.

 

The build-up is the best part but when you have sex right away without getting to know someone, you don’t have any build-up and what are you going to do from there but crash? You really have to have your list of parameters, your deal breaker set up, so you don’t waste your time on looky-loos who are not right for you.”

 

With her service come rules and if those interested in finding love can’t abide…watch out! “I think there are two this season who I throw out. They break their dates all the time. Zagros broke the commandments of dating last year by sleeping with a girl on the first date. He comes back groveling and apologizing and I fix him up with someone else. So I mean they do break the commandments because they think they know better than I do. Then, they are in the dog house and when they hit the dog house that is when they say to me, ‘Please help me now’ and that’s usually how you break a stallion in. If they want the carrot, they are going to have to sit down and beg for it.”

 

It would seem that the same rule of thumb applies to the wealthy gay men of West Hollywood. “Yes, I mean one of the people who was supposed to be dating on the show, he kind of like…flaked on us. So there’s a lot of flaking going on. It’s like enough already. We can’t handle your flake factor. Just because you’re gay, it doesn’t give you an excuse to flake. That’s ridiculous. That’s just being someone who is irresponsible. And he’s still single, so what does he know? He’s going to be in a nursing home serving drinks!”

 

What does Patti envision for the future of Millionaire Matchmaker? “I think we’re going to go on the road next year. I really want to hit the other 49 states. Show a different kind of millionaire and girl in different cities. I think when we get out of L.A.; we won’t have as much flakey behavior. L.A. is the hardest place to find love because people are so beautiful and so shallow. I mean, look at Heidi Montag and ten surgeries in one day at 23 years old. Shoot that doctor!

 

We are all searching for perfection and perfection does not exist. We have to start looking at our hearts. Especially in times of crisis like the earthquake in Haiti, it’s not going to matter what you look like when the sky is falling down.”

 

Here’s your looksie…

 

 

It was very easy to spot this year’s “it” item for gay male couples. Clearly, the “gayby” showcased a pairing that is more secure than Paula Abdul’s job prospects. Modern Family partners Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker adopted daughter Lily, while Brothers & Sisters Kevin Walker and Scotty Wandell are contemplating fertilizing an egg.

In general, gay kids are all over the place. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane officially outed baby Stewie and we met Kurt Hummell on Glee, who believes in method acting, if you get my drift. Better watch out Ugly Betty’s Justin Suarez—sounds like they are trying to double team you. Not like that!

 

The suburban mom on United States of Tara has multiple personalities, while her gay son Marshall grapples with his sole sexual identity.

 

As the old saying goes, a kiss is just a kiss and same-sex characters locked quite a few lips. Ella Simms planted a big ole wet one on Melissa Saxon on Melrose Place. While her network alum Ed Westwick (Chuck B-ass) shot down real-life gay rumors by engaging in an on-screen kiss with Josh Ellis on Gossip Girl.

 

Heroes’ new catchphrase should have been “Kissing the cheerleader will raise the ratings, right?” on the flagging superhero series. Hayden Panettiere went the college experimentation route and received a smackeroo from her roommate Madeline Zima. RuPaul asked a group of drag queens to “lip-sync for their lives” in order to partake in her Drag Race on LOGO. If they failed the ladies had to “sashay away.” Are you relieved that Shannel didn’t take home the trophy? A-nnoying!

 

CBS had the usual token gays on Big Brother and The Amazing Race, and we queers didn’t fare too bad. Kevin Campbell came in third on the former, while gay brothers Dan and Sam McMillen proved sisters were doin’ it for themselves by placing second on the latter. I’ll assume Survivor: Samoa contestant Shannon Waters goes by the nickname Shambo, because her mullet resembles Sylvester Stallone’s in Rambo.

 

 Sometimes being runner-up is better than winning the actual prize. Just look at American Idol’s Adam Lambert. He’s already generating controversy with his American Music Awards performance. He kissed Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame on-camera…big whoop. Oh, that was his male guitarist? I now see why she is playing Joan Jett in The Runaways biopic.

 

Movies

 

Pink flicks devoted screen time to “the gays,” which seemed prevalent in the hotter months, while cooler ones showed us Colin Firth as A Single Man.   

The Informers was termed a celluloid “soap opera from hell” by critic Roger Ebert. I thought late balcony-goer Gene Siskel was the bitchy one. Hey! How did they come up with their trademarked “Thumbs Up/Down” ratings systems, anyway?

 

Well-known vampire Robert Pattinson looked for something else to, well, suck on in Little Ashes. The documentary Outrage threw the closet door wide open on Republicans who prefer not to be called politic-mos.   Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno got more than its fair share of panties twisted into a wad—was it pro-gay or homophobic?

 

 

 

Lady GaGa provided her fan base with a great opening line with “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.” Now there’s a “Love Game” I can get in front of.

I guess crazy Britney is sooo 2000 late (thanks, Fergie!), cuz her single “Circus” helped her achieve back-to-back Number One hits on the charts.

 

And 2008’s “Womanizer” was the highest jumpin’ single, until Kelly Clarkson came along with “My Life Would Suck Without You” and went from 97 to numero uno in one week.

 

The Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” spent a whoppin’ 12 weeks (that’s like three months or somethin’!) in the top spot, until their second single “I Gotta Feeling” dropped them to number two, which was top dawg for 14 consecutive weeks. Must suck to be them.

 

Mariah Carey’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel undersold her E=MC2 (squared). It also got her into a feud with rapper Eminem with her video for “Obsessed,” in which she dressed in a similar fashion as him. Oh…snap? Note to rappers everywhere…fighting with a woman does not help your street cred, ya got that Kanye and Chris? Word!

 

Whitney Houston’s I Look To You was the comeback fans were waiting for. It was great to see her perform, sans “crack towel,” on the AMAs. But disappointment abounds that she wasn’t nominated for a single Grammy, even though the release date of the LP was moved up to make that a possibility! For shame Grammys!  

 

 

This year’s celebrity behavior wasn’t as awkward as a family reunion for Mackenzie Phillips—TMI Mackenzie! Coming out had a theme this year. I’ll take “Actresses From The ’80s” for two thousand, Alex. Kelly McGillis of Top Gun made it clear that she was “done with men” in May. Now I understand why there wasn’t that chemistry with her co-star Tom Cruise. Yeah, right.

 

Family Ties mom Meredith Baxter let the world know that she is a late-in-life lesbian. My money was on Skippy being a mo.

 

I say that Jon and Kate Gosselin minus two would be the best thing that could happen to the world of entertainment. I’m glad that Heidi Montag’s Christian values didn’t stop her from appearing in Playboy. Next time, she could do a spread with fellow zealot Carrie Prejean—oh wait, that wouldn’t happen.

 

She likes to “work” solo and up to eight times on film only. Hypocrites! Tiger Woods should become the poster boy for Prop 8—his mistress count is getting close to double digits…but, it’s bad for our community to marry one another. Puhleezagibbons!

 

You go Chaz Bono for being true to yourself and deciding to have gender reassignment surgery—an addadictomy, I believe it’s called.

 

 

I don’t think anyone will ever forget June 25th! Not only did we lose a King, but hours earlier an Angel passed as well. Of course I’m speaking of the tragic deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

 

Late filmmaker John Hughes’ oeuvre, such as Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, spoke to the outcast in all of us.

 

You don’t need a crystal ball to predict that certain pop culture events happening this year will have LGBT audiences sitting on the edge of their couches or theater seats. Trust me, it’s easier to make a New Year’s resolution to watch the new season of The Bad Girls Club (or drunk chicks in a house, as I like to call it) than it is to lose weight or other healthy alternatives. Here are some events, which will please your eyes and ears in the coming year.

 

 

Ellen DeGeneres takes over her judging duties on American Idol during “Hollywood Week” in February and the show utilizes guest judges like Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Mary J. Blige, Katy Perry and Posh Spice to fill in the weeks leading up to her debut. I am surprised that So You Think You Can Dance didn’t snap her up way before Idol thought about doing so. Go figure.  

 

Season Two of RuPaul’s Drag Race kicks off its high heel high jinks in February, while The L Word will be resurrected as the reality show The Real L Word: Los Angeles for Showtime and follows six lesbians going about their day-to-day lives. Its air date is yet-to-be-announced. Bravo keeps churning out new seasons of its Real Housewives franchise.

 

Thank God! The network recently began production on New York City, renewed New Jersey for a second season , and greenlit a DC version. The best news is…or do you need your smelling salts, first? All three will be airing in 2010— talk about a gay trifecta!

 

 

The Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor gay prisoner flick I Love You Phillip Morris will receive a limited release on February 5. The movie was fraught with controversy over a graphic sex scene in its first ten minutes, while it was said that the project was headed, uh, straight-to-DVD because of it. Looks like it was granted a pardon and won’t be stuck in the hole—but, that would certainly have been a case of full circle, no? 

 

The phrase “highly anticipated” seems to be written in every story about the forthcoming Sex And The City sequel. And, it seems as though there are as many casting and plotline rumors floating about, as there were men who Samantha had relations with on the show whence it came.

 

Here’s what this intrepid reporter knows for sure. How the gals (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis) met will finally be revealed—and from the pictures of Cattrall’s ode to big hair heavy metal bands of the 1980s, we have her to thank for global warming.

 

A plotline will involve the quartet traveling to Morocco; Tim Gunn of Project Runway is slated to make a cameo as himself, as is Miley Cyrus, who shows up at a film premiere in the same outfit as Samantha. I’m hopeful of a good ole Dynasty-style catfight! 

 

Now, rumors have it that…Samantha may marry ex-boyfriend Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis), and that Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson) and Anthony Marentino (Mario Cantone) will also wed. Liza Minnelli will reportedly perform at their nuptuals and sing “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé, I don’t think gay marriage gets any gayer than that! Opens on May 28, 2010, like you already didn’t know that!  

 

 

Even though she just released her Number Ones CD, Janet Jackson is said to be prepping her eleventh studio album for release this year. Christina Aguilera is also going the TBA route with her upcoming effort Light & Darkness. Hopefully, Jennifer Lopez can kick it like it’s 1999 with her release of Love? in February.

 

The White Party, which is an annual celebration of a musical nature, will take place on April 9-12 at host hotel the Wyndham Resort in Palm Springs. The talent pool (as well as the multitude of pool parties) sparkles with acts that are both global and US-based with DJs such as: Spain’s Chus+Ceballos, the UK’s Moto Blanco and Wayne G. While Manny Lehman, Tony Moran, Brett Henrichsen, Joe Gauthreaux and The Freemasons represent the very best mixes the States has to offer.

 by bill biss

 

Every song tells a story. In well-crafted songwriting, the performer sheds light on their own emotions and experiences and when done right opens a window of feelings to the audience as well.

 

Katharine McPhee along with other seasoned songwriters and musicians has captured this in her new CD called Unbroken set for release on January 5.

 

The Rage Monthly spoke with her on a bright and bushy tailed Monday morning to discover a very personal take on the process of creating this new work, her new look and how one very bad morning brought forth a joyful philosophy on life with her song “Lifetime.”

 

As the newly blonde Katharine McPhee aptly put it, “Blondes do have more fun. But I think the brunettes could give them a run for their money!”

 

Katharine McPhee: Oh, thank you.

KM: Well, that’s nice. You did some reading up on me so I didn’t have to explain all that. It was really an amazing experience. I went like four different times. I learned a lot just as far as writing goes. I hadn’t done a lot of writing. I got to go through an experience of being with a lot of people. Almost like a betting experience of getting to see whom I worked with great and whom I connected with and what styles were going to come out of these writing sessions.

 

And ultimately be who I wanted it to be which is…me. I really felt like I got a chance to grow on this. To take the time away from L.A. and Hollywood and the limelight…take myself away from all the events. Just really figure out where I wanted to go musically.

KM: I think it’s just dependent on each song. Some songs, I contributed equally, lyrically and melodically.

 

KM: That’s awesome. That was really a collaboration of melody. It was one of the first songs that I wrote. It’s almost two years ago it feels like. It’s hard even to remember. Looking at that song now, I can’t even believe that I wrote that. There was a writing session set up with Boots Ottestad and me.

 

He’s a British songwriter but he lives here in America. It was literally the first writing session set up by my management here in L.A. to begin…making my record.I was like “Okay. I don’t even know what this process really is.” I didn’t really get to do that on my first record…very little.

 

I did it very quickly if I did. I was kind of in a bad mood. I was kind of hesitant to go. It was like, “All I have our journals of things I’ve been through. I had never actually turned them into songs. I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I want to do this.” On top of it, I got stuck in traffic.

 

I was late to meet this guy. I’m always an on-time person. I hate being late so…(laughter) so that made me angry. I was in Hollywood and Hollywood has the worst parking…blah, blah, blah.

 

I walk in he’s a really nice guy. Usually I put on a happy face. For this guy, I just couldn’t help being in a bad mood. I said, “I’m sorry. I’m just really in a bad mood. “ He said, “No problem,” and just started plucking this thing out. Really it was just that tempo and we actually wrote that song quickly in about three hours, which is very quick to complete a song.

 

It just poured out. He had this idea of ‘lifetime’ and I came up with the idea [Katharine sings] “breathe, breathe, breathe, before you get old.” It just really turned into a really sweet, happy song.

KM: Exactly. Coming out of such a non-happy state that I was in. I find when I’m in these happy states…I was very happy in Nashville. I love that. I was so happy; I was actually looking for property to live there. I didn’t end up doing it but I really fell in love with just the simple countryside.

 

I found it was really easier for me to write sad songs. I wrote this song called “Anybody’s Heart.” It literally came out of a journal entry that I had written two years prior to it.

 

I felt very comfortable to read from the journal. That’s a personal thing and you don’t want to be “oh I wrote this…I don’t know. It might be stupid.” I read it and they were like, “Katharine. That’s a song. Let’s write it.”

KM:Yeah. I think everyone can relate to that. Someone who you loved and loved so much. Even the one you loved the most let you down. That was a really personal song.

KM: Oh, oh my god. I’m glad you picked up on that. It’s very hard to identify a genre of music. People are like, “Well what do you do?” Well, I’m still a pop singer. I still sing pop but it definitely has a flair of folkyness and a little bit of rock.

 

So how do you identify that? I think the best way to identify it is just that it’s songs that are heartfelt and tell stories.

 

I really wanted this record to be something that could give a little glimpse into my life and then people could see themselves in these stories as well. I think they are all very relatable. That was my goal, to have lyrics that were meaningful and that I could sing.

 

I think it’s exciting for me know because I’m singing the songs live and it’s almost like I’ve grown singing them, from the first time that I even recorded them. I’ve become settled in the songs so that I can take them vocally to the next level live. Making this record was a growth in my life.

KM: There was no time for doing television things the beginning of the year. But, thank you. That’s very sweet. It’s just been mostly focused on the record but always looking for new opportunities to do some stuff and have people see me on screen so stay tuned, that’s all I can say.

 

KM: Blondes do have more fun but ummm….but, I don’t know. I mean, I think the brunettes could give them a run for their money. (laughter)

KM: Take care. Bye!

by david vera

 

He can’t help it, really. Whether it’s a gown fitting for Kim Kardashian’s red-carpet cameo, a freestyle apartment makeover for a gal-pal or simply a casual mixer for his fellow stylists, it’s in Gary Samuelian’s inherent nature to do it all with style.

 

It’s no wonder he’s currently gracing our TV screens as the cute brunette junior stylist at Margaret Maldonado Agency (MMA) on MTV’s best-dressed reality show, Styl’d.

 

On the go and in the know, this visibly driven talent with a refreshing attitude recently showed The Rage Monthly just what drives him, as well as some of the obstacles over which he’s had to strut. But first, I simply had to decipher the surname whose pronunciation eluded me. Sam-well-ian? Suh-moo-lee-in?

 

“It’s ’SAM-yu-len,’” Gary revealed warmly. “It’s Armenian. Yes, I’m another Armenian who lives in Los Angeles,” joked the Laguna Beach native.

 

In an introduction video on MTV, Gary recounted all the creative branches that he envisioned himself pursuing—which included a clothing line and a home-accents line among a few others.

 

“Oh my gosh, I said I wanted to do, like, EVERYTHNG! That’s so embarrassing,” blushed Gary. “I watched the interview and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Gary.’ (laughter) Seriously, my oldest dream since I was little was to be a fashion designer. ”

 

Along with the unwavering support he’s had from his family, this one-track fascination kept Gary going when the path to his dream career seemed to have become buried under a blizzard of college transcripts.

 

“I went to BYU [Brigham Young University] for a year before I moved to New York,” Gary explained. “It just wasn’t where I wanted to be; I wasn’t happy about it. I wanted to be at Parsons School of Design in New York—It’s one of the top design schools in the U.S. So I enrolled in a certificate program there and I took classes like fashion design, fashion construction, fashion drawing, etc. It’s a really great school. It’s where Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan went.”

 

When he’s not making people look more beautiful, we can find Gary getting lost in himself doing the same for spaces as well. Not surprisingly, Gary’s modus operandi is always about improving things.

 

“I just finished decorating Lauren [Conrad’s] apartment. I’ve been doing that for the past eight months now—through the process of filming [Styl’d],” said Gary. “Lauren let me have carte blanche and the place looks amazing. Just trying to make the world a more beautiful place from within—whatever I can do to serve. (laughter)”

 

From what the show’s first few episodes have demonstrated, Gary is very capable of maintaining a high quality of work while still making time to build social relationships—namely, getting to know his fellow cast members on the show. Gary hosted a particularly cute little mixer for the junior stylists. Very extra-mile.

 

“Well thank you! That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me! I guess I am the homemaker! I’ve been reading Martha Stewart since I was like 6.”

 

Martha hasn’t been around terribly long, so after a few failed bouts with simple arithmetic, I inquired as to Gary’s age. “I’m 24. People think I’m so much older. I’m like, ‘Dude, really? I know I’m receding but I’m not 30!’”

 

Regardless of which generation claims him, Gary fits the profile of someone who “keeps the team together,” so to speak. Being that Styl’d is a reality show, one has to wonder to what extent the inevitable drama envelops our stylish little pacifist on screen.

 

“Yeah, there’s conflict that happens throughout the show,” detailed Gary. “It’s because we’re all competing for this position at the agency and so it sometimes gets a little cutthroat. I really tried to stay out of the drama as much as I could. There comes a point when I become involved because it’s been really thrown in my face.”He may have managed to dodge the daggers of wrath, but what about Cupid’s arrow? Did things ever get a little “too friendly” on the show?

 

“Um, NO! (laughter) Definitely not. I’m taken. I have a man. He’s someone I care about deeply.” How is this mystery man handling Gary’s growing spotlight? “He’s good, but there isn’t really any spotlight yet,” maintained Gary. “He’s very happy for me and proud of my accomplishments. He believes in me, so he’s great. He’s perfect! It hasn’t been crazy because it’s only the second episode. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen. I did get an assistant job with Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi, actually. They style Rihanna, Jay-Z, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith… It’s an amazing opportunity; I’m having so much fun. They make trends; they’re forward and original and amazing.”

 

Gary’s stylish eye is reflected in the fun personal touches he adds to his own wardrobe. Nevertheless, he keeps it clean and uncluttered.

 

“I believe that men look their sexiest and hottest when they keep it simple. What’s attractive to me when I look at men is really simple and understated. I’m all about the raw denim. If you want to dress it up, you can get a suede Prada loafer and a cashmere sweater. Or you can just use a vintage Nike high-top. If I’m dressing up, I’ll throw on a blazer. I’m very casual, though. I’m not a fussy queen.”

 

Even the coolest of characters must go all out and dress to the nines once in a blue moon. Surely Gary brings out the big designer guns on these rare events.

 

Do I ever go out in drag? No. (laughter) But I will have you know that I was “Man GaGa” for Halloween! My roommate was Lady GaGa. I made our red lace costumes. They were amazing. I was living!”

 

What has he learned from the rich and famous that we mere mortals could only dream to know? “They’re just like us!” Gary revealed. “It’s not really weird for me to work with celebrities because I’ve never been star struck. To me, they’re just people who do what they love—they’re driven and that’s why they are where they are.”