I was thrilled when the hot and sexy performer and recording artist Sir
Ari Gold responded to me on Facebook.
I’ve been wanting to add interviews to this developing project of
mine. I’m not a music person, but I
knew who he was. I’ve collected pictures
of him for several years.
Sir Gold, who was knighted by the
Imperial Court of New York, is a dancer, a writer and a Billboard top 10 pop
artist. Sir Ari has headlined
concerts in Europe, Canada, and in over 40 states including his hometown NYC at
Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub and Summerstage. He has won many awards including the
OutMusic Visionary Award three times. He has more #1 videos on LOGO than any
other artist and has received critical acclaim from many notable voices such as
Clive Davis, Boy George, People Magazine, and Vibe Magazine. His music has been
featured in the films Shortbus and Boy Culture and on the hit TV shows Scrubs
and Cougar Town. Ari can be seen acting in RuPaul's cult film Starrbooty.
He has also written some articles himself about sex and relationships, so
he’s not shy at all talking about the topic of sexuality. He is also
unapologetic for having one. When he was included in Out Magazine’s Out100, it
was said that he “has long rejected
the idea that the only suitable pop star is a neutered one".
The
focus of my interview is sexuality and being gay.
Me: I’m glad you responded to me on Facebook. I’m just getting this blog off the ground and
you are a great personality to profile for it.
Thank you.
When did you know you were gay? How hard
did you try to conceal it?
Gold: On some level when I was five
and obsessed with The Wizard of Oz. I hid it throughout childhood and high
school until I came out when I left Jewish Parochial High School and my parents’
home. I was very tortured about being gay and though it would be the end of my
life if anyone found out. It wasn’t hard to keep it a secret because at that
time everything about my world conspired to keep me in the closet despite all
evidence to suggest I was not straight.
Did you experiment with women? Try to be straight?
I had two girlfriends in high school. I
never thought I was straight but I did think that I could somehow make it work
with these two particular women who I found very attractive. I found Madonna
very attractive too so...
Did you have any gay celebrity role models
or personal role models?
Madonna was really the first and only person
I knew of who was saying that it was OK to be gay. Oprah is my personal Jesus.
I’d love to work with Harvey Feinstein one day. I love George Michael. The list
goes on.
Have you always been out as a
performer? Has it cost you gigs?
Well I wasn’t out when I was seven years old
on the Joe Franklin show, but as soon as I put out records of my own songs I
was out and writing and singing about life as a gay man. I’ll never know what
kind of career I may have had if I had been in the closet or listened to the
powerful people in the industry who told me to go back in the closet. I would
not trade my journey of truth with any amount of fame or riches.
As a performer, were you always comfortable
with the sexuality aspect of it, showing skin, etc?
I grew up feeling like a skinny effeminate
nerdy Jew although I did always have some awareness that I was a cute kid at
the same time. When I started to grow into my body and started working out,
photographers wanted to take my picture and that was a big boost in my self-esteem.
But celebrating my body and my sexuality was also a political statement for me.
I became politicized at the same time that I came to accept my sexuality and I
thought as an artist is was important for me to portray a gay man that was comfortable
in his body, his gender and his sexuality. I wasn’t seeing that being
represented. What I didn’t necessarily know was what kind
of new box I would be put in for being a gay man who showed off his body.
What do think of being labeled as a “gay recording
artist”?
When I think of being “labeled,” I think of
being limited and boxed in and no one should do that to anyone. Now we say
“branded” and then we are supposed to define what the “brand” stands for. I
resist labeling and branding because I am an artist and a human being, who
transcends labels, and brands, which is a very capitalist way of thinking, and
I’m not convinced that capitalism is working anymore. I don’t resist language
or descriptions and I AM a gay recording artist and very proud of that-especially
since I’ve been proud of being a gay recording artist since the 90’s and since
my first album came out in 2000. There was a huge gap after superstars like
George Michael, Boy George and Elton John came out and I’m very humbled and
honored to have been one of the few and some even say first to be out from the
start during that time.
Of your songs and/or videos, which is the
most gay?
My gayness or queerness runs through every
image and every lyric I’ve ever written. You hear a lot of celebrities say my
sexuality doesn’t define me and its only one part of me. I say, there’s no
separating my sexuality from my humanity—it’s all connected and no one thing
can define me completely. “My Favorite Religion” is a gay love story between a
Jewish man and a priest and in the animated “Where The Music Takes You” an
interracial gay kiss saves the world.
What are the most explicit lyrics in your
songs?
“Show me your big stick shift, I’d like to
take a test drive” in Ride To Heaven? LOL…”I don’t need any hit of ecstasy or
bump of anything to get hard for you?” in Make My Body Rock? Those are the
cheekier ones if you will.
Love it! What is the sexiest/hottest thing
you’ve done while performing?
I’ve definitely been known to hump an
amplifier in frenzy.
Would you ever go full frontal uncensored?
I have. I just haven’t released those yet!
You are teasing me! What do you think is
sexiest about your body?
I get a lot of compliments on my skin. Apparently
it’s soft and smooth.
DNA magazine called you “one of the hottest
men in the world”. What is the best
thing about being one of the hottest?
The worst thing?
The best and worst thing is that I am one of
the three and half billion hottest men in the world!
What is your favorite style and brand of
underwear?
I’m really digging this red Calvin Kline
pair of briefs lately. I need some more of those.
You’ve had many hairstyles, including no
hair. Which of the hairstyles you have had is your favorite?
Can you share with us your favorite photo
of your sexy self?
Here is the last one my friend Antonio took
of me on a red raft in a pool at Deno’s house on Fire Island in my black
speedo. Life is good when you’re on a raft in a pool on a hot summer day on
Fire Island. (See photo below)
Definitely hot. You’ve done some modeling. How straight/gay is the male modeling
industry?
Most of the modeling I’ve done, whether it
was for my coffee table book or for editorial has been about working with
specific photographers or about my work as a recording artist.
What is your take on porn, especially
gay4pay? Do you mingle with gay pornstars?
Some of my best friends are gay pornstars! I
don’t discriminate.
What do you think of Truvada? Is it the demise
of the condom?
I’m for anything that gives us more
opportunity to make responsible choices.
Are you still with your boyfriend? Do you want to be married?
I am single right now and have been for a
while. I would love an intimate romantic relationship. For me, marriage is a
celebration of a relationship that is solid and since I’m not in one, I’m not
thinking about marriage as much as thinking about how do I make sure I am a
whole enough individual to be ready to share my life with another person in that
way.
As a role model, what is your message to
the gay community?
My message has always been that “love will
take over” if we learn to love ourselves and “go where the music takes you”
which is another way of saying, “to thine own self be true.”
When we treat each other worse than the
worst homophobes and do the same to each other that was done to
us—discriminate, judge, hierarchize. We often don’t know how to be attracted to
each other and respect each other. We can treat each other worse than the most
sexist men treat women sometimes. Also, when we think we need to look outside
ourselves to validate us as a community or a people. I love our straight allies
but we could stand to prop each other up more than we prop up those who support
us.
I agree. That’s what my blog is about.
Final question. What are your proudest achievements of your career?
The fans lives that I’ve touched who have written to me and told me that my music and my message has helped them to feel better about themselves.
Gold is
currently working on his 5th album Soundtrack To Freedom which is collaboration with Subgroover from
Holland, coming out under the name Gold Nation. He is also developing his
autobiographical musical “POP OUT”, directed by David Drake.
Find out
more about Gold at the following links:
Official Website -Sir Ari Gold
The Real Ari Gold Docu-mini: America’s 1st Openly Gay Pop Star
Official Website -Sir Ari Gold
The Real Ari Gold Docu-mini: America’s 1st Openly Gay Pop Star
Videos:
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Here are some more sizzling photos of this Hot Gay Man!