R.E.M singer is out of the closet (1 Viewer)

[buzd]

sept--- donuts?!?

 

[wnelson]

rem was an is a great band. the entire Automatic for the People album..... incredible stuff

by the way... who cares if he is gay?

 

[TulsaSaint]

The Dixie Chicks make a negative comment about the President and are shunned out of the music industry. Another musician comes out as gay and sells millions of records. God Bless America!

Aren't you getting this kind of backwards? The Dixie Chicks made their comments first, and then were shunned. REM sold the millions of records first, and then the lead singer came out years later. In other words, the two situations are completely dissimilar, and I have no idea what kind of point you thought you were trying to make. Let's see how many records he sells now that he's out.

 

[Joe OKC]

Actually.. Both were gay and made millions...

One came out of the closet and the other came out a Democrat...

Joe

 

[stunpals]

I thought the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks was gay. She sure looks like it. Give her 15 years I guess.

 

[geauxboy]

Being a drummer, I was always partial to Berry. I know, nothing spectacular, but I liked his style and I enjoy playing REM mainly because of him.

BTW, Mike's been out for a LONG time now.

 

[jimwnola]

This goes back to around Monster which came out in 1994. I remember comments by Stipe, shortly thereafter, about some of the songs that made it quite clear. They had one good album after Berry left. Since so many bands start stinking about that point in their career, it was likely just their time go downhill. There may be some, slight, indirect, way it could have something to do with their music. The more "Stipe comes out" is probably a reflection of his changing confidence and assertiveness. Although Stipe is critical to the band's success, it is possbile, for my taste, that I might prefer an album with a little bit more of Peter Buck influence. (Hard to tell since they credit the entire band for all songs, but I assume some of the stronger guitar songs are more Buck.) Still, I think it really is old age and losing creativity. Some of REM's best songs were of the same style as recent, but much, much better.

 

[cruize]

So, because the dude is gay he shouldn't sell records?

It was a comment about our right of free speech.

 

[llama]

The term is polyamorous.

 

[blackadder]

http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/58645834



Is everybody hurt?

This has been suspected from the start and confirmed for over a decade.

 

[johnnyd]

Stipe had been known in Athens since the 70s that he was gay.
In 1987 REM toured with 10,000 Maniacs and Stipe and Natalie Merchant shared a bus together. Merchant was asked if she and Stipe were starting an intimate relationship. Merchant replied with a laugh, "Michael, isn't my type". In 1991 on NPR Stipe was asked about his orientation. He replied that he was an "equal opportunity letch".

I heard a part of a song from their new album this morning on NPR and it rocked. Might be the first REM album I purchase since Life's Rich Pageant.

 

[geauxboy]

Actually, as much as Mike has hinted in the music, to me, Leaving New York (the whole album) sounds like a bad breakup. Even though he doesn't really give an orientation of his significant other, he surely doesn't state that it was a female. Eh, either way, it's been known for quite some time.

 

[saintanism]

Michael Stipe and Rob Halford? Who knew? I wonder what gave it away?