Marilyn | |
---|---|
Born | Peter Antony Robinson 3 November 1962 Kingston, Jamaica |
Nationality |
|
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1983–1985; 1989; 2000–2003; 2016 |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Labels | Phonogram (1983–1985) Interbeat (1989) Desilu Records (2000) |
Peter Antony Robinson (born 3 November 1962), [3] better known as Marilyn, is an English singer known for his androgynous appearance. He was one of Britain's most successful gender bending musical artists in the 1980s. First becoming a noted figure on the London club scene, Marilyn topped the European, Japanese and Australian charts with his 1983 hit "Calling Your Name". The song was later included on his 1985 debut album Despite Straight Lines . [4]
Marilyn also contributed to the Christmas number one Band Aid song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" [5] He has modelled for several fashion designers including Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood. [6] Photographs of him are housed in London's National Portrait Gallery. [7] Marilyn has been portrayed in several productions, including Boy George's stage musical Taboo which reflected on the New Romantic scene, [8] and by the actor Freddie Fox in the 2010 BBC television film Worried About the Boy . [9]
Robinson was born in Kingston, Jamaica. [3] At age 5, he moved with his mother to Borehamwood. [10] He left school at 15, and has stated that he was bullied at school for being feminine, and that he self-harmed. [11] As a boy, Robinson loved Marilyn Monroe's image, and Marilyn became his school nickname. While the name originated from homophobic bullies at school, Robinson decided to appropriate it to his advantage. [12] As a teenager, he was a regular nightclub-goer and wanted to look different, so he adopted a Marilyn Monroe image wearing vintage dresses with bleached blond hair. He became part of the British New Romantic movement which emerged in the late-1970s club scene. [13]
Robinson was a regular at the Blitz nightclub (regulars being labelled as Blitz Kids), a highly stylised club in London run by Steve Strange of the pop group Visage, [14] and a place which spawned many early 1980s pop stars such as Spandau Ballet. [15] During this time, Robinson met Boy George (prior to his forming Culture Club). Marilyn features prominently in George's autobiography, Take It Like a Man . In the book, George claimed that while they were living in a squat together, they were chased out by a male neighbour who was attracted to Marilyn, but who then broke the door down with an axe when he discovered Marilyn was a man. He also claimed Marilyn once tried to seduce David Bowie at a London nightclub. [16]
In 1979, Robinson appeared in the documentary Steppin' Out directed by Lyndall Hobbs, which explored the fashionable nightclubs and the trendy pop culture scenes that were famous in London at the time. It was shown as the support film to Alien in British cinemas. [12] That year, he also appeared in the first segment of director Derek Jarman's 12-minute short film Broken English. While Boy George went on to form Culture Club in 1981 and secured a recording deal with Virgin Records, Marilyn was still scouting for a recording contract and had relocated to Los Angeles. There, he worked as a personal assistant to daytime soap star Terry Lester, [17] and teamed up with songwriter and pop entrepreneur Paul Caplin who became his manager. [18]
After Boy George had made a commercial impact with Culture Club, record companies were looking for other artists with a similar cross-dressing image. In 1983, following a high-profile appearance in the promotional music video for Eurythmics' hit single, "Who's That Girl?", [19] Robinson signed his own recording contract under the stage name "Marilyn" with Phonogram Records. His first chart success came in late-1983 with his debut single "Calling Your Name" [20] which reached the Top 5 in the UK (No. 4) and Australia (No. 3). Marilyn had two further minor UK Top 40 hits in 1984 with "Cry and Be Free" (No. 31) and "You Don't Love Me" (No. 40). In March 1984, Marilyn flew to Australia for a 10-day promotional tour and was besieged by fans who were waiting to greet him at Melbourne Airport. [21] [22] While in Australia, Marilyn was attacked and kicked in the face by a member of the public at the Exchange Hotel, a gay bar venue in Sydney, sustaining a bruised eye from the incident. [23]
In late-1984, Marilyn took part in the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas" along with various other pop stars of the era. [24] In early-1985, facing financial difficulties and being forced to sell his London home, Phonogram Records dispatched him to Detroit, to work with producer Don Was. While in America, he cut his trademark long blonde hair short and ceased wearing make-up, abandoning the image that had brought him his initial success. After spending a week recording new material with Was, Marilyn was scheduled to perform live for the first time at New York's Area nightclub. The performance was intended to be filmed for use in the music video for his new single, "Baby U Left Me", but the film crew were delayed, and although Marilyn proceeded to go onstage, the performance was ruined by technical problems with the club's PA system. Midway through his first song, Marilyn abandoned the performance. [25]
In June 1985, Marilyn released his debut album, Despite Straight Lines . Despite including his three earlier UK Top 40 hit singles, the album only charted in Australia (No. 73). [26] Further singles from the album, "Baby U Left Me" and "Pray for That Sunshine" were unsuccessful, although the former reached the Top 40 in Australia (No. 34). [26] By this time, Robinson's drug addiction and his highly publicised disputes with Boy George damaged his public image. Marilyn performed live once in December 1986 at the Mud Club in London, where he performed a cover version of "Spirit in the Sky" which was planned to be his new single but was never released. [27]
In 2000, Robinson attempted to relaunch his career and recorded a new single as Marilyn, a cover version of the Dennis Brown song "How Could I Live?" for Desilu Records. [28] Robinson recorded the track in Jamaica and several months later producer Nick Cabrera flew out there to supervise the final work on the track and its subsequent remixes by German producer Kinky Roland. [29] Following disagreements with the label, Robinson refused to let the single be released. [29] On 2 September 2001, Marilyn performed a live appearance at the Sound on Sunday club night in Leicester Square, London. It was his first live performance in over fourteen years. [30] [31] [32] [33] A self-released single was issued in 2003. [34]
On 16 May 2013, Robinson appeared on Birmingham's Switch Radio where he gave a 30-minute interview. [35] The following month, he appeared on Kev Gurney's Club Tropicana radio show where he gave a 20-minute interview in which he revealed that he had been working on four new tracks with a new production team, and suggested the possibility of live dates in the future. [36] Robinson appeared on an episode of Celebrity Gogglebox that aired on Channel 4 on 9 October 2015 as part of the channel's Stand Up to Cancer Charity Evening. [37]
In 2015, Robinson began writing and recording new material with Boy George as producer. [11] On 23 September 2016, Marilyn released his first new single in thirty years, entitled "Love or Money". [38] In March 2021, Bruce Ashley's documentary Blitzed: The 80's Blitz Kids' Story, was shown on Sky Arts. [39] [40] [41] Boy George, Rusty Egan and Marilyn all appeared in the film discussing their time at the club and about the early-1980s era, while La Roux was interviewed about the cultural effects of the New Romantic movement on younger performers like herself. [42]
In 1986, Robinson was arrested during a series of police raids on persons believed to be supplying Boy George with heroin. [43] On 20 August 1986, at Marylebone Magistrates Court in London, a magistrate dismissed a heroin charge against Robinson because the prosecution offered no evidence. [43] "It was not what I expected–I am ecstatic and I am very happy," said Marilyn. [43] In a November 2014 interview with the Daily Mirror , Robinson said that he had been a heroin addict from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s. [44]
In his 1995 autobiography Take It Like a Man , Boy George wrote that Robinson had a relationship with singer Gavin Rossdale in the 1980s. In a 1996 interview for Rolling Stone , Rossdale responded, "That's George's take – he doesn't know me. There's a queue of people going to their lawyers about stuff in his book. I hope he manages to sell some books by putting my name in there." [45] Elsewhere, both Rossdale and Robinson initially denied the story; [46] [47] however, in 2003, Robinson dedicated the Marilyn single "Hold on Tight" to Rossdale, citing "the years of [their] passionate relationship" and featuring a photo of him and Rossdale on the cover. [48] In 2009, Robinson confirmed that he and Rossdale had been "together [for] five years" in the 1980s. [47] In 2010, Rossdale acknowledged having a liaison with Robinson, describing it as experimentation and "part of growing up". [49] [50] Robinson later called Rossdale "the love of my life". [47]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [26] | ||
Despite Straight Lines | 73 |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | Album | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [51] | AUS [26] | BEL (FL) [52] | IRE [53] | NLD [54] | NZ [55] | ||||
"Calling Your Name" | 1983 | 4 | 3 | — | 10 | — | 17 | Despite Straight Lines | |
"Cry and Be Free" | 1984 | 31 | 24 | — | — | — | — | ||
"You Don't Love Me" | 40 | 57 | 26 | — | 18 | 16 | |||
"Baby U Left Me (In the Cold)" | 1985 | 70 | 34 | — | — | — | — | ||
"Pray for That Sunshine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Love or Money" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
Nicola Tyson's 2013 Bowie Nights at Billy's Club, London, 1978 Exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ Gallery, London W1 – 25 January – 23 February 2013. [57] [58] [59]
We Can Be Heroes: Punks, Poseurs, Peacocks and People of a Particular Persuasion by Graham Smith, published by Unbound – 20 November 2012. [60] [61] [62]
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford, Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). They were among the first openly gay pop acts and made gay rights and sexuality a theme of their music and performances.
DanniiMinogue is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She first gained recognition for her appearances on the television talent show Young Talent Time (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on the soap opera Home and Away (1989–1990). Minogue began her music career in the early 1990s, achieving early success with her debut studio album, Love and Kisses (1991), which was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and included the singles "Love and Kisses", "Jump to the Beat" and "Success". Following the release of her second studio album, Get into You (1993), Minogue's popularity as a singer had declined, leading her to make a name for herself with award-winning performances in theatre productions.
George Michael was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with his sales estimated at between 100 million to 125 million records worldwide. Michael was known as a creative force in songwriting, vocal performance, and visual presentation. He achieved 10 number-one songs on the US Billboard Hot 100 and 13 number-one songs on the UK Singles Chart. Michael won numerous music awards, including two Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards. He was listed among Billboard's the "Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time" and Rolling Stone's the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time". The Radio Academy named him the most played artist on British radio during the period 1984–2004. Michael was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Culture Club are an English new wave band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George, Roy Hay, and Mikey Craig, and formerly included Jon Moss. Emerging in the New Romantic scene, they are considered one of the most representative and influential groups of the 1980s.
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. He helped form Bush in 1992; on the band's separation in 2002, he became the lead singer and guitarist for Institute and later began a solo career. He resumed his role in Bush when the band reunited in 2010. In 2013, he received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement.
New Romantic was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New Romantic movement was characterised by flamboyant, eccentric fashion inspired by fashion boutiques such as Kahn and Bell in Birmingham and PX in London. Early adherents of the movement were often referred to by the press by such names as Blitz Kids, New Dandies and Romantic Rebels.
Visage were a British synth-pop band formed in London in 1978. The band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s, and are best known for their hit "Fade to Grey" which was released in late 1980. In the UK, the band achieved two Top 20 albums and five Top 30 singles before the commercial failure of their third album led to their breakup in 1985.
The Blitz Kids were a group of people who frequented the Tuesday club-night at Blitz in Covent Garden, London in 1979–1980, and are credited with launching the New Romantic subcultural movement.
Thomas Giles Robinson is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band. He later peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart with his solo single "War Baby".
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. In 1981, the song attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell. The song has since been covered by numerous groups and artists.
Taboo is a stage musical with a book by Mark Davies Markham, lyrics by Boy George, and music by George, John Themis, Richie Stevens, and Kevan Frost.
Haysi Fantayzee were a British pop band of the early 1980s. Their best-known songs are "John Wayne Is Big Leggy", released in 1982, and "Shiny Shiny", released in 1983.
Rusty Egan is a British-Irish pop musician and DJ.
"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single by the British synth-pop band Bronski Beat, released in May 1984 by London Recordings. It was included on their debut album, The Age of Consent (1984). The lyrics describe a young man who is forced to leave home. "Smalltown Boy" is a gay anthem and is associated with the rise of British gay culture in the 1980s. The music video was directed by Bernard Rose and filmed in East London. In 2022, Rolling Stone named it the 163rd-greatest dance song.
Alice Temple is an English musician, singer and songwriter, born in London. She collaborated with Eg White in the band Eg and Alice. She was also the first female UK and European BMX champion.
Stephen John Harrington, known professionally as Steve Strange, was a Welsh singer and nightclub host and promoter. Strange began his career in several short-lived punk bands of the late 1970s. Quickly becoming disaffected by the British punk scene, he became one of the most influential figures behind the New Romantic subcultural movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which spawned the Blitz Kids.
"Karma Chameleon" is a song by English band Culture Club, featured on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers. The single was released in the United Kingdom in September 1983 and became the second Culture Club single to reach the top of the UK singles chart, after "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". The record stayed at number one for six weeks and became the UK's biggest-selling single of the year 1983, selling 955,000 copies in 1983 and certificated platinum by BPI. To date, it is the 38th-biggest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling over 1.52 million copies.
George Alan O'Dowd, known professionally as Boy George, is an English musician who is the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham and was part of the New Romantic movement which emerged in the late 1970s to early 1980s. His androgynous look and style of fashion was greatly inspired by glam rock pioneers David Bowie and Marc Bolan. He formed Culture Club with Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss in 1981. The band's second album, Colour by Numbers (1983), sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Their hit singles include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "Time ", "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", "Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon", "Victims", "Miss Me Blind", "It's a Miracle", "The War Song", "Move Away" and "I Just Wanna Be Loved".
BodyMap was an influential British fashion label of the 1980s, renowned for its layered and innovatively structured shapes, distinctive prints and groundbreaking fashion shows.
Philip Sallon is a British club promoter, event organiser, socialite, style innovator, impresario, and clothing designer. He was born in London, England. He is particularly known for being a prominent member of the Punk sub-cultural and New Romantic pop cultural movements during the 1970s and 1980s.