Timeline of UK LGBT Music
From LGBT Archive
(Redirected from Music)
This is a Timeline of UK LGBT Music, created in connection with the theme of Music being adopted for LGBT History Month 2014.
Contents
Musicians born up to 1899
- Blondel (c. 1155–1202) – minstrel, composer, possibly lover of King Richard I.
- Mark Smeaton (c. 1512–1536) – young court musician executed for alleged adultery with Queen Anne Boleyn.
- Arabella Hunt (1662–1705) – musician whose "husband" turned out to be a woman.
- George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) – said by Beethoven to be "the greatest composer that ever lived".
- Dame Ethel Smyth (1858–1944) – composer and suffragette.
- Clement Harris (1871–1897) – composer, lover of Siegfried Wagner.
- Edward J Dent (1876–1967) – Cambridge Professor of Music.
- Roger Quilter (1877–1953) – composer of songs and light music.
- John Ireland (1879–1962) – composer of chamber music.
- Lord Berners (1883–1950) – eccentric composer, painter and novelist.
- Fred Barnes (1885–1938) – music hall performer.
- Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892–1988) – reclusive composer of piano works.
- Ivor Novello (1893–1951) – singer, songwriter, composer of musical comedies.
- Douglas Byng (1893–1987) – music hall artist and pantomime dame.
- Sir Noël Coward (1899–1973) – actor, singer, playwright, composer.
Musicians born 1900–1929
- Leslie Hutchinson, "Hutch" (1900–1969) – cabaret star.
- Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989) – composer, sometime lover of Benjamin Britten.
- Richard Addinsell (1904–1977) – composer of the Warsaw Concerto.
- Sir Michael Tippett (1905–1998) – composer of A Child of Our Time.
- Sir Peter Pears (1910–1986) – singer, life partner of Benjamin Britten.
- Stanley Bate (1911–1959) – composer of symphonies and other works.
- Benjamin Britten, Lord Britten, (1913–1976) – composer of Peter Grimes, founder of the Aldeburgh Festival.
- Sir John Pritchard (1921–1989) – conductor, Musical Director of the Glyndebourne opera.
- Noel Mewton-Wood (1922–1953) – concert pianist.
- John Lanchbery (1923–2003) – composer and arranger of ballet music.
- Angela Morley, previously Wally Stott (1924–2009) – composer for films and TV.
- James Bernard (1925–2001) – composer for the Hammer horror films.
- Johnny Brandon (born 1925) – singer and composer of stage musicals.
- George Melly (1926–2007) – Jazz musician and writer.
- Joe Meek (1929–1967) – record producer who composed the best-selling "Telstar".
Musicians born 1930–1949
- Lionel Bart (1930–1999) – writer and composer of Oliver!
- Peter Katin (1930–2015) – pianist and CHE supporter.
- Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003) – Master of the Queen's Music.
- Brian Epstein (1934–1963) – the man who discovered The Beatles.
- Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016) – composer, Master of the Queen's Music.
- Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936–2012) – classical and film composer, jazz pianist.
- Kathy Kirby (1938–2011) – blonde bombshell who sang Secret Love.
- Dusty Springfield (1939–1999) – icon of the swinging sixties who sang "You don't have to say you love me".
- Long John Baldry (1941–2005) – blues singer known for "Let the heartaches begin".
- Patrick Fyffe (1942–200) – "Bracket" of Hinge and Bracket.
- George Logan (born 1944) – "Hinge" of Hinge and Bracket.
- Labi Siffre (born 1945) – poet, singer, author of "Something Inside So Strong".
- Freddie Mercury (1946–1991) – lead singer with Queen.
- Sir Elton John (born 1947) – singer/songwriter who has sold over 250 million records.
- David Bowie (born 1947) – influential singer and songwriter who has reinvented himself several times.
- Dave Davies (born 1947) – singer and guitarist with The Kinks.
- Mark Bunyan (born 1949) – cabaret artist, co-founder of the Pink Singers.
- Paul Gambaccini (born 1949) – radio presenter with an encyclopaedic knowledge of music.
- Brian-epstein1.jpeg
Sir Elton John
Musicians born 1950–1959
- Stephen Oliver (1950–1992) – prolific opera composer.
- Kris Kirk (1950–1993) – music journalist and gay activist.
- Carole Pope (born 1950 – singer-songwriter who moved to Canada as a child.
- Graham Johnson (born 1950) – pianist and accompanist.
- Tom Robinson (born 1950) – writer of "Glad to be Gay".
- Joan Armatrading (born 1950) – blues singer originally from St Kitts.
- Rob Halford (born 1951) – lead singer with Judas Priest.
- Andy Fraser (born 1952) – bassist with Free.
- Billy Lyall (1953–1989) – one of the Bay City Rollers.
- Richard Fairbrass (born 1953) – Lead singer with Right Said Fred.
- Neil Tennant (born 1954) – half of the Pet Shop Boys.
- Bobby Crush (born 1954) – pianist and singer.
- Annie Whitehead (born 1955) – Jazz trombonist.
- Les McKeown (1955-2021) – lead singer with the Bay City Rollers.
- Peter Christopherson (1955–2010) – half of the experimental music group Coil.
- Douglas P. (born 1956) – neo-folk musician performing as "Death in June".
- Marc Almond (born 1957) – singer/songwriter.
- Jennifer Maidman (born 1958) – musician, partner of Annie Whitehead.
- Horse McDonald (born 1958) – singer/songwriter who fled homophobia in her home town.
- Limahl (born 1958) – lead singer with Kajagoogoo.
- Morrissey (born 1959) – formerly with The Smiths.
- Pete Burns (born 1959) – singer and TV personality.
- Steve Strange (1959-2015) – singer and club promoter.
- Paul Rutherford (born 1959) – backing vocalist with Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Musicians born 1960–1969
- Holly Johnson (born 1960) – lead singer with Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
- Jimmy Somerville (born 1961) pop singer who wrote "Smalltown Boy".
- John Foster (born 1961) – singer with Bronski Beat.
- Boy George (born 1961) – singer/songwriter, DJ.
- Rev Richard Coles (born 1962) – priest, broadcaster, formerly with Bronski Beat.
- John Balance (1962–2004) – partner of Peter Christopherson and the other half of Coil.
- Marilyn (born 1962) – pop singer with the androgynous look.
- Ian Shaw (born 1962) – voted Britain's best male jazz singer.
- George Michael (1963–2016) – singer/songwriter, formerly with Wham!
- Alison Goldfrapp (born 1963) – half of the band Goldfrapp.
- John Mark Ainsley (born 1963) – lyric tenor.
- Richard Thomas (born 1964) – Composer of Jerry Springer the opera.
- Andy Bell (born 1964) – Lead singer with Erasure.
- Brian Kennedy (born 1966) – sang for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest.
- Samantha Fox (born 1966) – singer and former Page 3 model,
- David McAlmont (born 1967) – singer/songwriter.
- Skin (born 1967) – lead singer with Skunk Anansie.
- Matt Goss (born 1968) – singer, formerly with Bros.
Musicians born 1970 onwards
- William Whitehead (born 1970) – organist.
- Thomas Adès (born 1971) – composer, pianist and conductor.
- Beverley Knight (born 1973) – singer/songwriter, straight campaigner against homophobia.
- Stephen Gately (1976–2009) – singer with BoyZone.
- Samantha Ronson (born 1977) – London-born American DJ.
- QBoy (born 1978) – Homo Hop rapper.
- Dan Gillespie Sells (born 1978) – lead singer with The Feeling.
- Jill Jackson (born 1979) – singer/songwriter.
- Will Young (born 1979) – singer/songwriter, first winner of Pop Idol.
- Kele Okereke (born 1981) – singer and guitarist, rated "Sexiest Out Gay Male Artist".
- Jessie J (born 1988) – singer/songwriter.
- Marcus Collins (born 1988) – singer and X Factor runner-up.
- Rylan Clark (born 1988) – X Factor contestant, winner of Celebrity Big Brother.
- Joe McElderry (born 1991) – singer/songwriter, winner of Popstar to Operastar.
- Lucy Spraggan (born 1991) – X Factor contestant.
- Sam Smith (born 1992) – soul singer.
- Marcus-Collins-X-Factor.jpg
Key dates in LGBT music
- 1972: CHE Music Group founded (now the Allegro Music Group).
- 1978: The Tom Robinson Band releases "Glad to be Gay".
- 1983: Pink Singers founded.
- 1984: Bronski Beat release "Smalltown Boy" and the album The Age of Consent.
- 1991: London Gay Men's Chorus founded.
- 1992: Diversity Choir founded.
- 1996: London Gay Symphony Orchestra founded.
- 1997: Gay Abandon choir founded in Leeds.
- 1997: Rainbow Chorus founded in Brighton.
- 2003: Reading Gay Men's Chorus founded (now Thames Valley Gay Chorus).
- 2005: Actually Gay Men's Chorus founded in Brighton.
- 2005: Brighton Gay Men's Chorus founded.
- 2005: Loud and Proud Choir founded in Edinburgh.
- 2005: London Gay Symphonic Winds founded.
- 2006: Out Aloud choir founded in Sheffield.
- 2007: Edinburgh Gay Men's Chorus founded.
- 2007: Sing Out choir formed in Bristol.
- 2008: Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra founded.
- 2008: South Wales Gay Men's Chorus founded.
- 2009: Various Voices European LGBT choir festival held in London.
- 2009: Liverpool LGBT Choir founded.
- 2011: London Gay Big Band founded.
- 2011: L Fest music festival founded.
- 2011: Proud Voices network of LGBT choirs founded.
- 2005: Actually Gay Women's Chorus founded.
- 2013: London Alternative Choir founded.
- 2013: The Fourth Choir founded.
- 2013: Glow Choir East founded in Ipswich.