Lynn Lavner

Last updated

Lynn Lavner is an American comedian and musician from Brooklyn, New York. Much of her material is based around the facts that she is Jewish and a lesbian. [1] She is frequently billed as "America's Most Politically Incorrect Entertainer."

Contents

Lavner began her career in 1981 when she wrote the music to the lesbian-themed play Ladies! Don't Spit and Holler! [2] After a showing of the play, a fan came up to her and asked if the soundtrack was available on the album. When Lavner told her it wasn't, the fan, who had recently inherited a large amount of money, offered to put up the money so the soundtrack could be adapted into an album.[ citation needed ] Lavner is also credited with writing the theme music - as well as starring in various segments - to the New York City-based public access program Gay Morning America , [3] which aired from 1983-1985.

Lavner's musical style harkens back to Tin Pan Alley pop. Lavner lists some of her major influences as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter. Lavner initially was inspired to begin playing piano by her father, who played to entertain company.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Renault</span> British novelist (1905–1983)

Eileen Mary Challans, known by her pen name Mary Renault, was a British writer best known for her historical novels set in ancient Greece.

<i>Coal Miners Daughter</i> (film) 1980 film by Michael Apted

Coal Miner's Daughter is a 1980 American biographical musical film directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay written by Tom Rickman. It follows the story of country music singer Loretta Lynn from her early teen years in a poor family and getting married at 15 to her rise as one of the most influential country musicians. Based on Lynn's 1976 biography of the same name by George Vecsey, the film stars Sissy Spacek as Lynn. Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo and Levon Helm are featured in supporting roles. Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, and Minnie Pearl make cameo appearances as themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley Gore</span> American singer (1946–2015)

Lesley Sue Goldstein, better known with her maternal surname as Lesley Gore, was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song "It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She followed it up with ten further US Billboard top 40 hits including "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me". Gore said she considered "You Don't Own Me" her signature song.

Die Form is a French post-industrial and electronic band formed in 1977-78. The name 'Die Form' means '(the) form/shape' in German, like the Bauhaus diary, and is a play on the English homonym 'deform' and on the French homonym 'difforme' (deformed).

Fifth Column was a Canadian all-female post-punk band from Toronto, formed in 1980 and breaking up in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summertime (Beyoncé song)</span> 2003 single by Beyoncé featuring P. Diddy

"Summertime" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé, featuring American rapper P. Diddy. "Summertime" was written by Beyoncé, Angela Beyincé, P. Diddy, Steven "Stevie J." Jordan, Adonis Shropshire, Varick "Smitty" Smith and Mario Winans, while production was handled by Winans and P. Diddy. The song was later remixed to feature vocals from American rapper Ghostface Killah. "Summertime" was included on the soundtrack album for the film The Fighting Temptations (2003), in which Beyoncé played the lead female role. The original version of the song was released as a B-side to "Crazy in Love" in the UK and Australia, while it was issued as a 12-inch vinyl single in the United States through Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pylon (band)</span> American new wave/post-punk band

Pylon was an American new wave/post-punk band from Athens, Georgia, United States. The band's danceable sound, a blend of new wave, post-punk, jangle pop, alternative rock and funk rock, influenced the Athens music scene and the 1980s American pop underground. AllMusic wrote that Pylon's "role as elder statesmen of the alternative rock explosion is unassailable".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pattie Brooks</span> American singer (born 1943)

Pattie Brooks is an American singer most frequently associated with the disco era. She was born in Fort Riley, Kansas to a military family. Her first break came in 1968 when she auditioned for the chorus on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. In the next decade she became a sought-after backing singer, appearing on the Bobby Darin Show and touring with, among others Helen Reddy. She sang backing vocals on Donna Summer's album I Remember Yesterday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Coming Out</span> 1980 Diana Ross song

"I'm Coming Out" is a song recorded by American singer Diana Ross. It was written and produced by Chic members Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and released on August 22, 1980, as the second single from Diana’s self-titled eleventh album, Diana (1980).

Sloppy Seconds is an American, Ramones-influenced punk band sometimes referred to as a junk rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana, that started in 1984. They gained notoriety in the underground punk scene with gritty and controversial songs like "Come Back, Traci," "I Don't Want to be a Homosexual", "Janie is a Nazi", "I Want 'em Dead" and "So Fucked Up."

<i>Bad Brains</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Bad Brains

Bad Brains is the first album released by American hardcore punk/reggae band Bad Brains. Recorded in 1981 and released on the cassette-only label ROIR on February 5, 1982, many fans refer to it as "The Yellow Tape" because of its yellow packaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Apostles (band)</span> English punk rock band

The Apostles are an English experimental punk rock band, who developed within the confines of the 1980s anarcho-punk scene in the UK, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.

Suzanne Westenhoefer is an American out lesbian stand-up comedian. She starred as a panelist on GSN's 2006 remake of I've Got a Secret, which featured a panel of gay celebrities who had to guess the various guests' 'secrets' through a series of timed questions. Her comedy special and documentary, A Bottom on Top, aired on LOGO Television in the fall of 2007. In 2004 she was featured in the film Laughing Matters along with Kate Clinton, Marga Gomez and Karen Williams.

"I Am What I Am" is a song originally introduced in the Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles. The song is the finale number of the musical's first act, and performed by the character of Albin Mougeotte, first played by George Hearn. His version appears on the original cast album released in 1983. The song was composed by Jerry Herman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Carns</span> American drummer

Rachel Carns is an American musician, composer, artist and performer living in Olympia, Washington, U.S. Raised in small-town Wisconsin, she went on to study painting and drawing at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, where she completed her B.F.A. in 1991. Carns began her career as drummer for Kicking Giant, later collaborating with several bands, including The Need. She is a celebrated graphic designer, working under the name System Lux, and plays drums and percussion with experimental performance art group Cloud Eye Control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LP record</span> Vinyl analog sound storage discs

The LP is an analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of 33+13 rpm; a 12- or 10-inch diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a vinyl composition disk. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire US record industry and, apart from a few relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound in 1957, it remained the standard format for record albums during a period in popular music known as the album era. LP was originally a trademark of Columbia and competed against the smaller 7-inch sized "45" or "single" format by RCA Victor, eventually ending up on top. Today in the vinyl revival era, a large majority of records are based on the LP format and hence the LP name continues to be in use today to refer to new records.

<i>Youre the Guy I Want to Share My Money With</i> 1981 studio album by Laurie Anderson / John Giorno / William S. Burroughs

You're the Guy I Want to Share My Money With is a double album released in 1981. The album is a collaboration by Laurie Anderson, John Giorno and William S. Burroughs, recorded during their "Red Night" spoken word tour of 1981. Released through Giorno Poetry Systems Institute, the album was funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. Most of Anderson's material came from her performance piece, United States, and live versions of some tracks, such as "It Was Up in the Mountains", would also be included in her later 4-LP release, United States Live. This was Anderson's first substantial album release, and she followed this in 1982 with her first full solo album, Big Science.

Tangerine Dream bootleg recordings are performances by Tangerine Dream that have attained some level of public circulation without being available as a legal release. The term most often refers to audio recordings, but also includes video performances. Bootleg recordings arise from a multitude of sources, including covertly copied live concerts, studio outtakes, broadcast performances. Some bootlegs have included material from official releases.

<i>Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!</i> 2014 compilation album by The Bangles

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles! is a compilation album of early material by The Bangles. It was released by the band on Thanksgiving Day, 2014.

<i>Nuts</i> (soundtrack) 1987 soundtrack album by Barbra Streisand

Nuts is the soundtrack album to the 1987 American film of the same name. It was released by Columbia Records on December 21, 1987, and features five instrumental compositions by American singer Barbra Streisand. Nuts is the singer's first release since her live album One Voice, earlier in 1987, and her first soundtrack since Yentl (1983). She insisted on creating the film's score after acquiring the movie through her production company, Barwood Films.

References

  1. Gianoulis, Tina (August 17, 2005). "Comedy: Stand-Up, Lesbian". glbtq.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  2. "Women sing out". New York Daily News . November 12, 1981. p. 145. Retrieved June 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  3. Karvoski, Ed (January 11, 2011). A Funny Time to Be Gay. Simon and Schuster. pp. 89–96. ISBN   978-1-4391-4499-2 . Retrieved August 7, 2023.