Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Michael Stipe

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip:

Michael Stipe

In my big gay church there is a wing dedicated to The Divas Who Represent. They're not all flashy or cocks of the walk - in fact, some never officially came out of the closet during their lifetime - but they are all extraordinarily gifted, sharing their songs, music, and insights, allowing the world at large to learn, in the most subtle of ways, what it's like 'being green'. Thanks to their gifts and their bravery, they help make the world a little more gay every time their voices are heard. And that's been their true super power all along... their voice; they were heard. They mattered. And, whether they liked it or not, they represented!

One such self-described solemn poet?

Michael Stipe.

In his way, he's the blueprint for the modern artist - always exploring new means of expressing himself. 

For the longest time, his art was brought to the world via the band, R.E.M. But since, like a cocoon, that sheltering wrap was shed and he's gone on to redefine himself as an artist. 

His lyrics have always offered glimpses into the private development of this musical icon.

And just as his definition of himself as an artist has always been fluid, so has his definition of his sexuality - a subject which has always intrigued the media and public alike. 

He's a queer artist. That's how he describes himself. And his affection is based on attraction, be it intellectual, emotional or physical. 

The lovely thing about him - there's a secret part of him no one else has access to, a part he's kept for himself which the world will never be privy to. And that's what keeps us fascinated. That's what keeps us engaged in his development. 

He's gone from brash young thing to maturing artist in the span of an honorable, successful career few have achieved. To have the world, but lose your soul? Not an option for him. That was never part of his playbook. 

He's always played for keeps, protecting what is salient, because he recognized early on what was going to be important. At the age of twenty-seven, he took a good hard look at himself and ceased being careless with people. Since that time, he's grown leaps and bounds as both an artist and a person. 

With his focus now more  than ever on the visual, via conceptional art and photography, he remains as vital and fascinating as ever.

The world awaits. Another transformation. Another great reveal.

The gospel according to him?

Well, here's three from the hip, dropping from his lips.

The topics? Sexuality, The Band, and Music Lovers

"There are people that very strongly identify themselves as gay and then lesbian, and then I think there are a lot of people who are kind of some percentage or some version of that."

"I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food."

"My feeling is that labels are for canned food... I am what I am - and I know what I am."

"I'm not homosexual, I'm not heterosexual, I'm just sexual."

"When I get really hammered I take my clothes off. That's a sure sign. It's been a long time since the last time I did that. Probably a year."

"When we first started, we were a band from Athens and that was so off the map."

"I think there were early critics who wanted us to change the world because the Sex Pistols failed."

"We toured that record for a year, which turned out to be the culmination of ten years of being constantly on the road. We were sick to death of touring."

"There was a point in the '80s when I looked out at my audience and I saw people that - were I not on the stage - they'd sooner slug me as they walked by me on the sidewalk. And I realized that I was way beyond the choir."

"We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. That's part of what people respond to outside of this country, part of the reason that we're such a huge band outside of the U.S., where we're not so popular now as we were 10 or 12 years ago."

"So, we went from being an Athens band to being a Georgia band to being a Southern band to being an American band from the East Coast to being an American band and now we're kind of an international phenomenon."

"But we're very much an American band and that's that. I think that's part of the appeal outside of this country and it might be part of the reason people turned away from us within this country, because familiarity breeds contempt."

"But I think the one thing that I can say about us is that we're very consistent about certain things and part of that is our desire to do the very best work that we can and not rest on our laurels, or not allow formula to come into what we do."

"So, when you divide the world into music lovers, music fans and then those people who are just very casual about their music, it's wallpaper to them, it's elevator music, it's just the thing that's playing in the background that helps them through their day."

"Because the casual music listeners are the ones who turn on the radio and they don't really care what's playing, they just know that they kinda like it or it's easy to drive to or it's easy to sing along to or whatever."

"Super casual music listeners. That's most of the people in the world. And you have to understand, that's why Top 40 radio exists. It's not there for people who seek out music and who love music."

"There was never a golden era of American radio as far as I can tell."

"If you disagree with me, fine! Because that's the great thing about America, we can disagree!"

Stand - R.E.M.

Losing My Religion - R.E.M.

Your Capricious Soul - Michael Stipe

And one last parting shot...

"I went through a period where I was really tired of seeing and reading about myself."

"I'm tired of being this solemn poet of the masses, the enigma shrouded in a mystery."

"If I'm tired of me, I'm sure the public is as well."

"I'm just not that fascinating a person to have had all those lives that I've written about."