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Lavender Country was an American country music band formed in 1972, whose self-titled 1973 album is the first known gay-themed album in country music history. Based in Seattle, Washington, the band consisted of lead singer and guitarist Patrick Haggerty, keyboardist Michael Carr, singer and fiddler Eve Morris and guitarist Robert Hammerstrom (the only heterosexual member).〔("The First Openly Gay Country Singer....Was Patrick Haggerty, in 1973" ). ''Queer Music Heritage'', July 10, 2013.〕 Haggerty was born on September 27, 1944〔 and raised on a dairy farm near Port Angeles, Washington.〔("Country Music" ). glbtq.com, 2002.〕 After college he joined the Peace Corps, but was discharged in 1966 for being gay.〔 He later became an artist and an activist with the local chapter of the Gay Liberation Front after moving to Seattle to pursue graduate studies at the University of Washington.〔 The 1973 album was funded and released by Gay Community Social Services of Seattle,〔("Never Heard of 'Em: Lavender Country" ). ''The Stranger'', June 22, 2012.〕 with funding and production assistance from activist Faygele Ben-Miriam. The band performed at the first Seattle Pride event in 1974,〔("More doors open to gays today" ). ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', June 24, 2004.〕 and performed at numerous pride and other LGBT events throughout Washington, Oregon and California〔 until their dissolution in 1976.〔 Shan Ottey, a DJ for Seattle radio station KRAB, played the band's song "Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears" on the air in 1973, resulting in an obscenity fine from the Federal Communications Commission and Ottey's dismissal from the station.〔("40 Years Later, Patrick Haggerty’s Gay Country Album Gets a Proper Release" ). ''Seattle Weekly'', March 18, 2014.〕 After disbanding Lavender Country in 1976, Haggerty ran two unsuccessful campaigns for political office, once for Seattle City Council and once as an independent candidate for a seat in the Washington House of Representatives,〔 and continued to work as a gay and anti-racism activist.〔 In 2000, the ''Journal of Country Music'' published an article on gay country musicians, focusing in large part on Haggerty and Lavender Country.〔 As a result of the renewed attention, the album was rereleased on CD in December 1999, and in 2000 the band released a five-song EP, ''Lavender Country Revisited'', which featured three rerecordings of songs from the original album and two new songs.〔("Gay community resources, organizations and events" ). ''Kitsap Sun'', June 25, 2000.〕 The band reunited briefly in 2000, performing the album in its entirety at Seattle's Broadway Performance Hall in January 2000,〔(Patrick Haggerty ) at Stonewall Society.〕 and at that year's Seattle Pride.〔 In addition, the album was archived at the Country Music Hall of Fame by former ''Journal of Country Music'' editor Chris Dickinson. Their song "Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears" was included in the 2012 compilation album ''Strong Love: Songs of Gay Liberation 1972–1981''.〔("Strong Love: Songs of Gay Liberation 1972–1981" ). ''Gay News Network'', May 8, 2012.〕 The 1973 album was rereleased on independent label Paradise of Bachelors in 2014,〔("Country music's gay stars: 'We're still kicking down the closet door'" ). ''The Guardian'', April 10, 2014.〕 and the band have played several reunion shows in 2014 to support the reissue.〔("Interviews: Lavender Country" ). ''Pitchfork'', April 8, 2014.〕 ==Discography== *1973 – ''Lavender Country'' (Tracks: "Come Out Singin'", "Gypsy John", "Waltzing Will Trilogy", "Georgie Pie", "Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears", "Back in the Closet Again", "I Can't Shake the Stranger Out of You", "To a Woman", "Straight White Patterns", "Lavender Country".) *1999 – ''Lavender Country'' (reissue) *2000 – ''Lavender Country Revisited'' (Tracks: "Come Out Singing", "Gay Bar Blues", "Clara Fraser vs. Seattle City Light", "Lavender Country", "I Can't Shake the Stranger Out of You".) *2014 – ''Lavender Country'' (reissue) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lavender Country」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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