Hi-- I've beeen a lurker on this site for several years now, and rarely feel I have anything compelling to add to any of the discussions (I'm not a musician or Joni scholar by any means), but this one has my fingers itching to hit the keys...
I've loved Joni since about 1986, when I bought Court & Spark on a lark one day, popped it in my car stereo and took off with Help Me (the only song I really knew of hers) igniting a passion that has only grown with the years. That voice, that joy, I was hooked for good. My faves are People's Parties, For Free, The Gallery, Marci, Little Green, Urge for Going, Amelia, Two Grey Rooms, Borderline...oh man, the list is LONG... I never even considered Joni as a gay icon, or that my passion for her lyrics, melancholy and inner revelations were something other gay men could relate to. I didnt' share my Joni passion with others at all, just kept it to myself, my own little respite from my inner demons. Her voice and longing and honesty were so appealing to me, and comforted me many times during the loneliness and isolation that I felt at the time were punishments I had to endure. Talk about finding a river to skate away on! I loved this woman! Of course, to really survive your youth and even adult life in such a homophobic world, we have to turn within, and explore our feelings and pain and try to figure out how to make it in this world, whether in career, family or being loved in general. Obviously Joni would resonate with anyone facing that battle; who better to contemplate life's continuous struggle for happiness and romance? ...as for the other 'divas' out there, I've had my moments to be sure with the usual suspects (Judy, Liza, etc.) and have a vast collection of female vocalists, but I grow tired of gay cliches, and I feel like I've grown past that limited phase; now I expect to me mainstream, I've lived in NYC too long to feel like a minority, I feel like I fit in anywhere, and don't need to put my sexuality on a stage or have it seperate me from anyone else--we're all people, right? Anyway, I've suddenly found myself, with time on my hands, certaInly no child to raise, and after an unexpected job lay off, no job for the moment to go to. Lots of time to think, so wanted to share these thoughts, with gratitude that there are others out there, thinking at times as I think, and sharing something unique, our love of one special woman's music. Thanks for the thoughtful posts on this subject. Mitch in NYC
