David Raleigh • The Videos

Later on tonight, I will be in New York City to attend the launch of the latest from David Raleigh, the wonderful singer, songwriter, and pianist. I first discovered Raleigh about four years ago, when he worked on a project with some very talented men, but I will get to that shortly. Once I heard him, I needed to hear more, so I soon found his solo stuff. Man, am I glad I did. His music is just as special ass the man is, and I can't get enough. You want to know much I love David? I will be traveling to see him, and will be missing one of my favorite guilty pleasures, 'Sleepy Hollow'.

As I said before, I first found David by way of a project he worked on with some very talented men. David collaborated with Tony Award winner Billy Porter, the gifted Sir Ari Gold, and intriguing Alan Cumming on "That's What Friends Are For", a new look at the classic best remembered for the 1985 version by Dione Warwick and Friends, with Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder joining Dione to raise money for AmFar. The song was written by Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach. Raleigh, Porter, Cumming and Gold revived it to also raise money, for the Ali Fortney Center, a New York City shelter for homeless GLBT youth. The song was produced by Nathan Leigh Jones. This is David, Billy, Alan and Ari with "That's What Friends Are For".

You can purchase the single from iTunes. I think the money will still go to the great cause. Watching this video, and purchasing the song, lead me to find other music by Raleigh, and I was able to do that fairly quickly. Not long on YouTube, and I had a great new music video I kept watching, time and time again. There is such joy and love emanating from the core of "I Do!", and I knew once again, I was addicted. This is David Raleigh with the great song, "I Do!".

I quickly found out that "I Do!" was just the first single off his recently released album, 'Beginning Again'. Once I found it, I purchased the album, and found a wealth of great music that warmed my heart, and inspired my soul. I was very excite when it was time for a second video to be released, and was thrilled it was the beautiful "One Together". The song is a stunning song that goes directly to the heart of love, and I just adore it. This is the official music video for "One Together".

I must admit, I was near giddy with excitement when I heard David would release "Do It To Me", the first single/video from the new album, 'The Equation of Love'. And once I heard it, I was understood why. The song once again as the joy and love I have come to expect from Raleigh's music, and more. It made me so eager to hear the rest of the album, and I am so glad that time is almost hear. This is the official music video for "Do It To Me".

This evening, I will be hearing many of the songs from 'The Equation of Love' played live, and be leaving with my own copy. For that, my friends, you can be jealous. Or you can join us! To learn more about David Raleigh, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. You can find his music at your favorite online music stores. You can purchase 'Beginning Again' from iTunes and Amazon. Today is the official release date for 'The Equation of Love', and you can find it on iTunes and Amazon.

Dark Monday • Sex Is In The Heel

On April 4, 2013, 'Kinky Boots' debuted on Broadway. The musical featured music and lyrics by the incomparable Cyndi Lauper, and a book by the great Harvey Fierstein. The cast was also stellar, with Stark Sands, Annaleigh Ashford, and the outrageously talented Billy Porter. To top it all off, it was both directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. It stole many a heart during the early run, including from several critics. When it came time for the Tony Awards, the show took home six trophies, including one for Mitchell for his choreography, and for Best Musical. Porter took home a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, and Lauper took one for Best Original Score. In fact, Cyndi was the first woman to take home the Tony as the sole contributor to the score.

The show was inspired by the 2005 film, which was, in fact, inspired by a 1999 documentary about a man's attempt to save a family business. The storyline remained, as Charlie, played by Stark Sands, inherits the family shoe company, and tries to figure out a way to save the failing business. He meets Lola, a drag queen with plenty of style played by Billy Porter. Soon, Charlie asks Lola to help him design a line of footwear for the drag market. In one song, Lola explains to Charlie her philosophy of she design. This is Billy Porter singing "Sex is in the Heel" from 'Kinky Boots'.

I love the album, and it is a great addition to my iTunes playlist. You can purchase the Original Broadway Cast Recording of 'Kinky Boots' from iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about the show, and to find out the schedule for the Broadway production and the upcoming US tour, visit the official website. You can also 'follow' 'Kink Boots' on Twitter, and 'like' the fan page on Facebook.

Billy Porter • Show Me

Billy Porter recently became a name on the lips of everyone, having won the 2013 Antoinette Perry Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Lola in 'Kinky Boots' at the 67th Tony Awards. But that wasn't his only award for the role, as he also won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. But long before that, Porter had released an amazing studio album, one I am proud to have in my collection. In 1997, Porter released an eponymous album, although it is sometimes referred to as 'Untitled'. It is very hard to come by now, but it is well worth the trouble.

I have to admit I first learned about Billy Porter not from this album, but from the soundtrack of a 1996 film, 'First Wives Club'. The movie, featuring Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn as funny, smart, and fierce women, featured a great song, "Love Is On The Way". The song was written by Peter Zizzo, Denise Rich & Tina Shafer, and was going to be featured on the 1997 album, until Midler heard it and decided it had to be part of the film soundtrack. It is an amazing song, and Bill performed it so well. Here is "Love Is On The Way", off the 'First Wives Club' soundtrack.

That song shined the light on Porter, and left the crumb trail for me to follow to the album. The 12-track collection is filled to the brim with R&B lusciousness, starting with the first song, "Show Me". The song was written by La La, and is a wonderful mid-tempo song that allows Porter to soar. Here is the music video for "Show Me".

The rest of the album is filled with new material, save a wonderful cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed". It starts off sweet and mild, and takes us on a wonderful journey. Speaking of journeys, his take on "Borrowed Time", written by Gary Haase and Brett Laurence, is a sexy and steamy song. It also features the depth of his voice, being able to show off a softness, some heat, and some beautiful strength. Enjoy the music video featuring Billy Porter singing "Borrowed Time".

The album is just filled with love, truth, and caring. I love it, and still play it all the time. While I can't find anywhere you can purchase this album online, he does have another album I love, 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul'. It is available on iTunes and Amazon. For more about Billy Porter, you can 'like' him on Facebook, and to 'follow' him on Twitter. Both will give you links to learn more about what it is like to be the toast of Broadway, and give you the chance to let Billy know how much you appreciate his great musical talent!

Dark Monday • Billy Porter Does Liza

Billy Porter as Lola in 'Kinky Boots' and with his Tony Award.

"And The World Goes 'Round" was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb for the film 'New York New York', where Liza Minnelli gave the song full Liza treatment. Honestly, I loved the song when I first heard it, a kid going to Smyrna High School. It is a tough song to sing, you really need to have great control of the vocal instrument, and not let it get away from you. Liza certainly could do that, and did in the recording. And the very talented Billy Porter most definitely does as well. Porter recently won his first Tony Award for playing Lola in Broadway's 'Kinky Boots'. The show, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, and a book by Harvey Fierstein, has been getting great reviews from everyone I know show has seen it. With talent like his, you can see why I love listening to him sing. Check out this video of Billy Porter singing "And The World Goes 'Round" from the soundtrack of 'New York, New York'.

You can find plenty of great music on Billy's album 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul', available on iTunes and Amazon. Trust me, it is well worth having in your music library, as Billy dazzles throughout.

Valentines For Independent Hearts

Clockwise: Jake Walden; Matt Alber; Billy Porter, and Bobby Jo Valentine.

This morning, I brought you a collection of love songs that was heard on mainstream radio in the 1980s, so I thought for tonight, I would venture into the more independent music of some amazing LGBT artists I listen to all the time. And, as you can tell from the pictures above, they also happen to be very handsome, too. And they all deliver these songs like only they can, making it very special, indeed. I will begin with a song written by singer/songwriter Jake Walden for his sister's wedding. He wanted to capture the love of the event, as well as the love he felt for her, all into this song. It was later included on his most recent album, 'Same Something Different'. He also released a music video including images from the wedding. Enjoy as Jake sings "For You Anything".

The next song comes from an artist how continually manages to surpass my expectations. When I first heard Matt Alber's recording of "End of the World", I was blown away. When I first heard him live, I didn't think he could equal that, yet he did, perhaps even topped it. When I heard he rerecorded it, I was excited to hear what he could do with it. When I saw the video of Matt singing it live with the Cello Street Quartet, I was once again astonished. Hit play, and allow Matt Alber to take you away with "End of the World".

Bobby Jo Valentine is a more recent addition to my playlist, having only discovered his music last year. But that has not kept me from falling hard for his music, which has more charm than a Disney parade. His latest release, 'Home' wraps you up warmly in Bobby Jo's voice. With his recently released music video for "Come Back To Bed", there is a wonderful intimacy, both in the performance and the song.

I am a huge fan of Billy Porter, and the final entry is one of the reasons why. Porter is a gifted performer, both in the studio and on the stage. I think most people became familiar with the vocal talents of Porter when he sang "Love Is On the Way", featured in the 1996 film 'The First Wives Club'. It was also on his 1997 album, 'Untitled'. And there is a magnificent live version of the song on 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul', a truly great album. Here is Billy singing the song live on Rosie O'Donnell's talk show about the time the single was playing on the radio.

You can purchase all these songs online. You can find Jake Walden's 'Same Something Different' on iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon. You can find Matt Alber's 'With Strings Attached' at his online store, and his latest album, 'Constant Crows', on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. You can purchase Bobby Jo Valentine's 'Home' on iTunes and Amazon. You can purchase Billy Porters 'At The Corner of Broadway and Soul' on iTunes and Amazon.

Sunday Morning with Billy Porter

Earlier this week, I was listening 'At the Corner of Broadway & Soul' and loving it, as I do whenever I hit play. Porter is an amazingly gifted vocalist, and I am constantly blown away by him. Whether he is singing music from Broadway musicals, or some great R&B, he always delivers. The first time I remember hearing his voice was when I heard "Love Is On The Way", best known as a theme song from 'The First Wives Club'. I also loved that he was part of the recording of "That's What Friends Are For" for The Friend's Project, along side David Raleigh, Sir Ari Gold, and Alan Cumming. The single raised money for the Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth from the harm of homelessness, and to support them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. But when "Feel It To Heal It" started playing, I knew it had to be played on Sunday morning! It was written by Billy with Gary Haase, and is certainly uplifting.

There was another song on that album that is just perfect for this post, and I am happy to let you hear it. Porter sang the song written by Gospel maestro Kirk Franklin, "Why We Sing". It is beautiful and joyous, just what one wants from music on a Sunday morning.

Both songs can be found on the album 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul', available on iTunes and Amazon. But I would like to add one more video for this morning. In 2010, Billy, Ari, David and Alan recorded the song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, amazingly talented songwriters. While it was originally sung by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack to the movie 'Night Shift', it was best known when sung by Dionne Warwick and Friends, featuring Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. The song raised fund and awareness for AMFAR, American Foundation for AIDS Research. That cover was released in 1985. Twenty-five years later, it was recorded by the new group of friends, to raise money for the worthy cause. And as the Ali Forney Center suffered greatly during Hurricane Sandy, I thought now would be a great time to hear it once again. Here is "That's What Friends Are For", the 2010 version.

You can purchase the single on iTunes or Amazon. You can also donate directly to the Ali Forney Center at their official website.

Sunday Songs

Album covers from featured artists, clockwise: Blondie; Morrissey; Billy Porter; and Sinéad O'Connor.

In picking the songs which feature the work "Sunday" in the title, I simply went to my iTunes, typed in 'sunday' and wondered what would come up. To my surprise, 48 entries appeared, so some thought needed to get put into it. I decided to go with four songs, each from different decades. And while I was tempted to toss in Etta James' "Sunday Kind of Love" or Julie London's "Sunday Blues", I opted to go with other songs from other times. And I will start with the earliest selection, a favorite of mine. In 1978, a bunch of amazing things happened. I graduated from Smyrna High School, and went off to college in Reading, PA. And a Punk band released an album that changed the way some heard music, and what people thought about women rockers. It was, of course, Blondie, who released their breakthrough album, 'Parallel Lines'. The album was still churning out hits in 1979, like "Heart of Glass" and "One Way Or Another". Sandwiched in between those two singles was the delicate and beautiful "Sunday Girl".

You can purchase 'Parallel Lines' from iTunes and Amazon.

To leap into the next decade, it feels like I have little choice but to go with a song that the 'Mo' in Emo, the always blue Morrissey. Through his time with the Smith's and on to his solo career, Morrissey cornered the market on teenage angst, and put it into so many great songs. Here he sings "Every Day Is Like Sunday" from the 1988 album 'Viva Hate'.

You can purchase 'Viva Hate' from iTunes and Amazon.

Is there anyone out that who doesn't love Sinéad O'Connor? I mean, come on, really? Her voice is just so very special, and she has an amazing way to communicate the common struggle we all face. And wow, that voice. In 1992, Sinéad released the album 'Am I Not Your Girl?", with some great songs. Here she sings "Gloomy Sunday" off that album.

You can purchase 'Am I Not Your Girl?' from iTunes and Amazon.

I have had a wonderful crush on Billy Porter for a while now. And when I was trying to decide on the entries for this post and saw his name, I knew I would regret not including him. His voice is brilliant - soaring and glorious, carrying so much depth as it does. For the last entry, here is Billy Porter singing "Sunday" from Stephen Sondheim's great 'Sunday In The Park With George'. It is off Porter's 2005 album 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul'.

You can purchase 'The Corner of Broadway & Soul' from iTunes and Amazon.

Hope your week is special!

Dark Monday with Billy Porter

Now I have to admit something right off the start here. I have a big crush on Billy Porter, and when he sings, it gets even worse. Many will remember him as the singer for "Love Is On The Way", the theme to 'The First Wives Club', starring Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler. But he is also a star in the theater, having been featured in some of the great musicals of our time. He's been featured in show such as 'Grease!', 'Ghetto Superstar (That Man That I Am)', 'Topdog/Underdog', 'Jesus Christ Superstar', 'Dreamgirls' and 'Angels In America'. He is currently working on the production of 'Kinky Boots', the musical with music and lyrics by the fabulous Cyndi Lauper and a book by the great Harvey Fierstein, due on Broadway in 2013. He will, of course, be playing the role of Lola, the drag queen who saves the day for a shoe factory that has lost it's way. While I do regret never having the chance to see him perform live so far, it hasn't stopped me from adding the music he has released so far to my collection.

Sadly, his performance of the great song written by John Kander and Fred Ebb for Liza Minnelli, "And The World Goes 'Round", has yet to be recorded, but thankfully, it was caught on video from a performance at Joe's Pub in New York City. The song was written for the Soundtrack to the 1977 film musical, 'New York New York', starring Minnelli and Robert De Niro, and directed by Martin Scorsese. The movie centered on the troubled relationship of Big Band singer Francine Evans and musician Jimmy Doyle as they explored love and lost their way. One of Francine's hit songs was "And The World Goes 'Round". Here is Billy Porter giving his own take on the song.

When I listen to his brilliant 'At The Corner of Broadway and Soul', an amazing live recording that soars, I swear I hear the angels singing background for him. He sings many of the great songs by some of the great composers of musical theater, including one of my favorites. He does and incredible version of "Sunday" from the musical 'Sunday In The Park With George' by the great Stephen Sondheim. While the following clip is not from the performance captured on the live album, it is a performances with the Broadway Dreams Foundation, performing arts training program. With a faculty made up of talented Broadway stars, casting directors, choreographers and agents dedicated to giving back to the theatrical community, to provide invaluable training to anyone who aspires to a career in musical theater.

The work he did with those kids was amazing, wasn't it? Billy's brilliant album 'At The Corner of Broadway and Soul' can be purchased and downloaded from iTunes and Amazon, and can order the physical CD from CD Universe. For more about Billy Porter, 'like' his page on Facebook.

That's What Friends Are For 2010

L to R: Alan Cumming, David Raleigh, Billy Porter & Ari Gold.

On the 25th anniversary of the Dionne Warwick (and friends) hit song, "That's What Friends Are For", David Raleigh, Alan Cumming, Billy Porter and blog favorite Ari Gold came together to remake it to raise money for the Ali Forney Center, a New York City shelter for homeless GLBT youth. David is a New York City-based singer/songwriter and piano player, and Cumming is an Emmy nominated and Tony Award winning actor and producer, Porter is a very successful Broadway performer and singer, and Gold is and independent Pop sensation. The song was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, who have written so many great songs. Together, the group of men make magic here, and once I heard it, I just wanted have it on my iPod. Now I do! Here is the video for the song, produced by Nathan Leigh Jones and directed by Michael Akers.



The proceeds from each download go to Ali Forney Center, so go iTunes to purchase it. To find out more about the Center, check out their official website.