Sir ARI GOLD ~ Spirit, Flesh, Sparkle
Sir Ari Gold
is certain to
'Sparkle'
at the
stage this week. I got turned on to Ari Gold about four years ago through his music videos which played regularly on the LogoTV Network. The music was great and well, Ari was easy on the eyes. So, with that said, you can imagine my excitement when I read in
that Ari Gold was to headline Pride! I wasted no time in contacting him for a "chat".
We chatted about the things that matter most to Sir Ari Gold: his music & LBGT rights. And if you're not familiar with his music, Gold describes it as a mixture of R&B, dance, soul and pop. [
I describe it as fabulous.
]
I asked Sir Ari Gold how he came to choose Atlanta Pride and learned that we chose him! He said: The Pride Committee approached me. I've done about fifty Prides but I have never done Atlanta. I'm excited to come. I hear Atlanta has a love of music.
What can we expect on Sunday October 9th?
I want people to get a good feeling of what I do. I'll perform songs from the new album
Between the Spirit & the Flesh
. I'm bringing dancers along with me so we'll take a journey with my sets. I like to give a little theater...
You made a choice to be openly gay. Will you talk about that?
I think it stems from being an
artist and not really being famous nor rich but its more about being able to write and sing about the things I'm passionate about. I couldn't justify in my head being 'out' in my public and private life and not having that be a part of what I do. I need to write about the things I see every day from the perspective of a gay man - that's a big part of my life...
How did folks react at first to your lyrics and content?
I came into resistance from the industry. Unfortunately many of them were gay themselves who told me I should go into the closet or that I won't sell records.
You are an active supporter of gay/civil rights and anti-bullying. Tell me about [your]
It Gets Better
video.
I read
column religiously. Its amusing and informative. I saw a call for those videos so I did one. That too got a great response! Whenever I can use my platform to propell acceptance to move LBGT people forward, I try and do so. [
]
When I asked Sir Ari Gold about his musical inspirations he laughed a little because he gets asked this loaded question all the time. He answered as concisely as possible since his influences are multi-layered and cross generational:
[At first] I loved and worshiped many great artists in the 80's like Michael Jackson, Madonna and George Michael. However, as I did my research, I fell in love with the 70's and artists like Sylvester, Chaka Khan and Johnny Hideway. And of course, I'm influenced by 90's.
The videos for
Human, Make My Body Rock
and
Wave of You
are some of my favorites. They're beautifully artistic. Sir Ari Gold describes the sexy
Make My Body Rock
video as "a True Blood meets Mad Men deconstruction of heterosexual marriage and a heterosexist economy." His
Wave of You
video was a collaboration between Ari and director Guy Guido and serves as an homage to the "iconic" body of work of the late photographer Herb Ritts.
Currently, Sir Ari Gold is promoting his new album, the critically acclaimed,
Between the Spirit & the Flesh.
The second single to be released,
Sparkle
, features the vocals of
Sarah Dash
. The song serves as a "self-empowerment" anthem and "a rallying cry against all bullies" as described by Sir Ari.
When I asked if he'd ever consider doing a full concert in Atlanta Ari enthusiastically answered, "I would love to!" In the meantime, you can enjoy Sir Ari Gold on Pride Sunday, October 9th at the
at 6:15. [
I know I'll be there... not missing this one!!
]
BTW, and if you're wondering why the "Sir"... Ari was knighted by the
...
fashionado