Lavender Country

Lavender Country was an American country music of Gay Liberation 1972–1981.[11] The 1973 album was band formed in 1972, whose self-titled 1973 album rereleased on independent label Paradise of Bachelors in is the first known gay-themed album in country music 2014,[12] and the band have played several reunion shows history.[1] in 2014 to support the reissue.[13] Based in , , the band consisted of lead singer and guitarist Patrick Haggerty, keyboardist Michael Carr, singer and fiddler Eve Morris and guitarist 1 Discography Robert Hammerstrom (the only heterosexual member).[2] • Haggerty was born on September 27, 1944[1] and raised 1973 – Lavender Country (Tracks: “Come Out on a dairy farm near Port Angeles, Washington.[3] After Singin'", “Gypsy John”, “Waltzing Will Trilogy”, college he joined the Peace Corps, but was discharged “Georgie Pie”, “Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears”, in 1966 for being gay.[1] He later became an artist and an “Back in the Closet Again”, “I Can't Shake the activist with the local chapter of the Gay Liberation Front Stranger Out of You”, “To a Woman”, “Straight after moving to Seattle to pursue graduate studies at the White Patterns”, “Lavender Country”.) [1] . • 1999 – Lavender Country (reissue) The 1973 album was funded and released by Gay • 2000 – Lavender Country Revisited (Tracks: “Come Community Social Services of Seattle,[4] with funding Out Singing”, “Gay Bar Blues”, “Clara Fraser vs. and production assistance from activist Faygele Ben- Seattle City Light”, “Lavender Country”, “I Can't Miriam.[5] The band performed at the first Shake Out of You”.) event in 1974,[6] and performed at numerous pride and other LGBT events throughout Washington, and • 2014 – Lavender Country (reissue) [2] until their dissolution in 1976.[1] Shan Ottey, a DJ for Seattle radio station KRAB, played the band’s song “Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears” on the air in 2 Notes 1973, resulting in an obscenity fine from the Federal Communications Commission and Ottey’s dismissal from the station.[7] [1] Dickinson, Chris (2000). “Country Undetectable: Gay Artists in Country Music”. Journal of Country Music XXI After disbanding Lavender Country in 1976, Haggerty (1): 28–39. Retrieved 4 August 2009. ran two unsuccessful campaigns for political office, once for Seattle City Council and once as an independent can- [2] “The First Openly Gay Country Singer....Was Patrick didate for a seat in the Washington House of Represen- Haggerty, in 1973”. Queer Music Heritage, July 10, 2013. [7] tatives, and continued to work as a gay and anti-racism [3] “Country Music”. glbtq.com, 2002. activist.[7] [4] “Never Heard of 'Em: Lavender Country”. The Stranger, In 2000, the Journal of Country Music published an ar- June 22, 2012. ticle on gay country musicians, focusing in large part on Haggerty and Lavender Country.[1] As a result of the re- [5] Carole Beers (June 7, 2000). “Faygele benMiriam cru- newed attention, the album was rereleased on CD in De- saded for rights”. The Seattle Times. cember 1999, and in 2000 the band released a five-song [6] “More doors open to gays today”. Seattle Post- EP, Lavender Country Revisited, which featured three Intelligencer, June 24, 2004. rerecordings of songs from the original album and two new songs.[8] The band reunited briefly in 2000, perform- [7] “40 Years Later, Patrick Haggerty’s Gay Country Album ing the album in its entirety at Seattle’s Broadway Perfor- Gets a Proper Release”. , March 18, 2014. mance Hall in January 2000,[9] and at that year’s Seat- [8] [8] “Gay community resources, organizations and events”. tle Pride. In addition, the album was archived at the Kitsap Sun, June 25, 2000. Country Music Hall of Fame by former Journal of Coun- try Music editor Chris Dickinson.[10] [9] Patrick Haggerty at Stonewall Society.

Their song “Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears” was in- [10] Paulson, Don (16 January 2009). “Gay History: Lavender cluded in the 2012 compilation album Strong Love: Songs Country”. Seattle Gay News. Retrieved 4 August 2009.

1 2 2 NOTES

[11] “Strong Love: Songs of Gay Liberation 1972–1981”. Gay News Network, May 8, 2012.

[12] “Country music’s gay stars: 'We're still kicking down the closet door'". The Guardian, April 10, 2014.

[13] “Interviews: Lavender Country”. Pitchfork, April 8, 2014. 3

3 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

3.1 Text

• Lavender Country Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender%20Country?oldid=634255695 Contributors: Bearcat, Koavf, Mycota, Yobot, Synthwave.94 and Anonymous: 1

3.2 Images

3.3 Content license

• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0