As the world celebrat Ellgton's birthday, we look back on his openly gay pianist, poser, and iend Billy Strayhorn.
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JAZZ: GAY MEN JAZZ
Jelly Roll Morton, the self-proclaimed "ventor of jazz," didn't praise many people bis himself, but he ma an exceptn for Tony Jackson: "Tony was nsired among all who knew him the greatt sgle-hand entertaer the world.” And Jackson was openly gay at a time when that was credibly rare. * gay jazz pianist *
Bis beg a talented mician, Jackson was somethg even rarer those days: he was openly gay. Sometime after the turn of the century, spe his succs New Orleans, Jackson left his hometown and me north to Chigo – perhaps to fd a place more tolerant of his homosexualy and his race – Jackson was Ain Amerin.
Ined, the famed stretch of nightclubs along State Street on the South Si of Chigo, known as “The Stroll, ” seems to have offered an clive and receptive atmosphere: Ain Amerins and wh alike gathered to dance and hear the proto-jazz there, while gay men were relatively ee to show off their sexualy.