It’s a painful truism that, in arts and culture, the truly radical and visionary – those who kick down doors and widen possibility – are often lost to history, their contributions picked up and carried forth (and often watered down) by people far less gifted. That’s certainly the case with the late singer-songwriter Jobriath, the groundbreaking, openly gay, would-be rock & roll star who died of AIDS in 1983 at the age of 37, largely forgotten. Pitched somewhere between David Bowie and cult icon Klaus Nomi, while being wholly original, Jobriath was a brilliant musician and lyricist who was never coy or secretive about his sexuality – not in his professional or personal life – and his frankness may have cost him the career his talent seemingly all but ensured.
On April 21st, Factory 25, the Brooklyn-based indie film and music label, is releasing the DVD of Jobriath A.D., director Kieran Turner’s loving, impeccably researched documentary on the complicated life and career of the man. It will come as part of a package that also includes an LP of previously unreleased music from Jobriath’s lost musical Pop Star. The documentary is utterly enthralling, filled with rare archival footage and fleshed out with animation, insightful commentators (including narrator Henry Rollins, and interviews with Jobriath influenced artists Marc Almond, Joey Arias, Jayne County, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields, Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Will Sheff of Okkervil River, and Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons,) and lots of Jobriath’s own music to make the case that a true genius fell through the cracks. At times, the mood of the documentary echoes that of John Cameron Mitchell’s brilliant film adaptation of his musical Hedwig & the Angry Inch, being movingly melancholic and inspiring at once.
Related: Watch ‘Revenge of the Mekons’ for a Lesson in Principled Perseverence
This Thursday, April 16, in Los Angeles, the Cinefamily theater will host a screening of Jobriath at 10:30 PM, followed by a Q&A with director Kieran Turner. There will also be giveaways of the DVD, the LP, and collectible posters. For more information, go here.
Ernest Hardy is a Sundance Fellow whose music and film criticism have appeared in the New YorkTimes, the Village Voice, Vibe, Rolling Stone, LA Times, and LA Weekly. His collection of criticism, Blood Beats Vol. 1: Demos, Remixes and Extended Versions (2006) was a recipient of the 2007 PEN / Beyond Margins Award.
