Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 513

PRIDEFEST
NEW HOPE CELEBRATES
FIND YOUR PRIDE
MAY 19th-21st
20 years of celebrating LOVE
SATURDAY MAY 20th
PRIDE PARADE AND FAIR
NEW HOPE, PA / LAMBERTVILLE, NJ
@newhopecelebrates f
@nhcelebrates @nhcelebrates
newhopecelebrates.com

TOP 10
@DJSUSANLEVINE
“QUEEN LEVINE”
This summer “The
Queen” starts her
18th season on Fire Island
as Cherrys On The
Bay’s resident DJ
2 Saturdays a month
and holidays May
through September.
CURRENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
B.O.T.A. (JACE M & TOY
ARMADA REMIX) ELIZA ROSE
BLOODY MARY (LEAHN
FUTURE REMIX) LADY GAGA
UNHOLY (DIRTY DISCO REMIX)
SAM SMITH FT KIM PETRAS
LIFT ME UP (JOE GAUTHREAUX
& LEAHN MIX) RIHANNA
BIG BIG LOVE (EXTENDED
MIX) BELINDA CARLISLE
FLOWERS (DIRTY DISCO MAIN-
ROOM REMIX) MILEY CYRUS
TREAT ME LIKE A SLUT (AL-
BUM MIX) KIM PETRAS
WOMAN (THE SHOOTERS VIP
MIX) DOJA CAT
KILL BILL (A/K REMIX)
SZA
CUFF IT (LARRY PEACE 612
EDIT) BEYONCE
THROWBACK
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH
ENOUGH (JOE GAUTHREAUX &
LEAHN INTRO REMIX) DIANA ROSS
WHEN LOVE TAKES OVER (DAVID
MICHAEL VS ALMIGHTY 2K20
PRIDE MIX) KELLY ROWLAND
IT’S RAINING MEN (BARRY
HARRIS REFRESH 2018) THE
WEATHER GIRLS
I FEEL MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE
(BARRY HARRIS MASH) DONNA
SUMMER VS WHITNEY HOUSTON
A LITTLE RESPECT (WAYNE G &
ANDY ALLDER HURDY GURDY
CLUB MIX) ERASURE
CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF HEAD (BAR-
RY HARRIS 2018) OR (DIRTY DISCO
CLASSIC REWORK) KYLIE MINOQUE
SWEET DREAMS (JAMES
HYPE REMIX) EURYTHMICS
GIMME GIMME GIMME (BARRY
HARRIS) CHER
MAMA MIA (SCENE KINGS) ABBA
EVERYDAY (JACE M & TOY
ARMADA TRIBUTE MIX)
KIM ENGLISH
Since 2018, Levine is Rebar Chelsea’s resident FUQBOI DJ every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.
On the 2nd and 4th Fridays you will find her upstairs at the legendary Stonewall Inn.
Every other Sunday is “Drag Me To Brunch” with Androgyny and Ariel Sinclair at
Lasagna Ristorante in Huntington Village on Long Island.

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
ACLU DRAG DEFENSE BENEFIT @ DARYL ROTH THEATRE
DAVID HERNANDEZ & FRIENDS @ LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
SUSAN MORABITO @ EAGLE NYC
UNDERBEAR SPORTS BALL @ ROCKBAR NYC

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO JACK AND ROSE?
LET CÉLINE DION TELL YOU ABOARD
THIS HILARIOUS MUSICAL VOYAGE
“YOU'RE
GUARANTEED TO
LAUGH YOUR
ICEBERG OFF! ”
Dave Quinn
people
“A PERFECT
MARRIAGE OF GREAT
BROADWAY-CALIBER
THEATER AND
HARD COMEDY. ”
MATT ROGERS
LAS CULTURISTAS
BOOK BY
MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY
Nicholas Connell
CHOREOGRAPHED BY
Ellenore Scott
DIRECTED BY
DARYL ROTH THEATRE
101 EAST 15TH ST, NYC
TELECHARGE.COM
800-447-7400
TITANIQUEMUSICAL.COM
@TitaniqueMusical
#Titanique
@Titanique

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
BELINDA CARLISLE
Announces New EP Kismet & Summer Tour
“Decades” Following Prelude Single
“Big Big Love”
Rocker royalty Belinda
Carlisle–recognized
as lead singer
for the most popular
girl band on the
planet, the Go-Go’s–
will be releasing a
new EP, Kismet, via
BMG, followed by a
summer tour entitled
“Decades.” Carlisle’s
vibrancy and talent
has been lighting up
the world like fireworks,
plunging into
the night sky and
shattering the darkness
for decades.
Her new single, “Big
Big Love”, sets the
world ablaze with a
dynamic flickering
with the beauty of the aurora borealis. She has aroused the spirit
and touched the hearts of pop fans, and with her “Big Big Love”,
she will continue to do so. Her amazing string of hits is gaining
the attention of a new generation, as evidenced by Broadway’s
2015 musical “Head Over Heels”, a show written around the
songs of the Go-Go’s, which was produced by Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Go-Go’s are known for hits including “Vacation” and “Head
Over Heels”, while Belinda’s solo career took off with “Mad
About You” and “Heaven is a Place on Earth.” In a dazzling conversation,
Belinda spoke about her new release, her upcoming
tour, her animal foundation and her future plans.

INTERVIEW
Hello, Belinda. What
inspired you to do the EP?
There is no inspiration. It
was an accident. I was going
to retire and live a nice life in
Mexico and just be quiet and
once in a while do things.
And then, my son ran into
Diane Warren at a coffee
shop in L.A. and she said,
“What is your mom doing?
Let’s call her.” So they called
me, and she said, “Come
into the studio. I have some
hits for you.” I was like,
“What?” I had to really think
about it because it’s a big
commitment. So I thought,
“Well, we’ll see.” And I went
down to the studio and I was
like, Oh, my God, of course.
It would be so silly…Who
could pass up something
that was like a gift?” I love
these songs. I never really
thought that I would do an
English-speaking pop album
again, to be honest. So, this
is a complete surprise. The
album is entitled Kismet
because it was these kind
of weird things that would
happen, that it was kind of
meant to be.
Well, it’s great. I’m glad
that you did it and I’m sure
a lot of other people are
going to be too. Speaking
of living a nice quiet life:
So you’re going on tour.
What excites you most
about that?
I love performing live. It’s so
fun for me. I don’t like the
traveling part, to be honest.
Traveling is not like it used
to be, as we all know. I get
my little travel fix. I’m not
running around ragged. I
have a little time off in each
city, so that’s cool. I think the
bottom line is I love being on
stage.
Technology has really
changed since you first
started recording. Would
you have done anything
different if we had today’s
technology when you first
began recording?
No, I don’t think so.
Because I think it was a
nice progression. I love the
way that the analog and
reel-to-reel sounded back in
the day, when the Go-Go’s
were recording. It was all
analog. It has a different
sound to it, which I actually
prefer. There were probably
things that didn’t exist then
like Autotune, and I probably
could have used some help
on the older albums when
we first started out, but I
wouldn’t change it. It’s been
a nice progression, the way
it’s sort of worked through
the years.
Music is sold differently
now. Because of social
media, it’s so different. Do
you prefer it that way? Or
did you like it better the
old way?
Everything is so confusing.
It’s so polarized. Even
music. I think the music
changed with the beginning
of MTV. It was a good thing,
but at the same time, it put
a lot of emphasis on image
and what the artist looks
like. It wasn’t bad–it just
changed music that much
more. I think social media,
in some ways, it’s great. You
have these kids that live
in the middle of nowhere
that are having hit songs.
And deservedly so. I think
in some ways, it’s good. In
some ways, social media is
bad too. I long for the days
before social media. I don’t
think it’s done society a lot of
favors, at the end of the day.
Is there a moment that you
recall that changed the
whole trajectory of your
life?
I think the song “Heaven is
a Place on Earth” did. It’s
between that and sitting
on the curb in 1977 with
three other girls in Venice,
California and deciding to
form a band. That was pretty
life-changing. That was the
beginning of the Go-Go’s.
I think the song “Heaven
is a Place on Earth” really
changed my life. It was
number one all over the
world and I think it’s one
of those songs that sort of
transcends music. It means
a lot to a lot of people. So
I would say those are two
moments that changed the
trajectory of my life.
Knowing what you know
now and everything that
you’ve done and all your
experiences, what advice
would you give baby
Belinda?
I would just say, “You are
perfect.” I always had so
many hangups. I felt like
the impostor syndrome.
Especially since you’re this
teenager coming out of the
garage, and within three
years, you’re the biggest
news in America. But it was
also sort of a lot to deal with.
So, I would just say, “You
were perfect all along, the
way you were. Everything
was perfect.”

So, you have
toured a lot. And
you’re going to
tour again. Have
you had your
ultimate stage
fantasy or are
you still looking
for it?
I probably already
have had it
because I can’t
think of anything.
I think this last
Go-Go’s show
that we did as a
band, because
the band is no
longer together.
I think that last
show in L.A. was
like–between that
and the Rock Hall
thing, performing
at the Rock and
Roll Hall Of Fame.
I think that was it.
That was a dream
come true. I think
it was one of the
most amazing
evenings of my life.
So, you have just done a
new recording. You’re an
activist. Your music has
been on Broadway. You
are a mom. You’re a best
selling author. Is there
anything you haven’t
done that you still wish
to accomplish?
Now I’m sort of thinking
about having a donkey
sanctuary. That’s my
next thing. It’s something
completely different than
what I do. Professionally,
I’ve had a really
unbelievable, rich career.
A lot of highs, but a lot of
lows too. But it’s all been
great. You need the lows
to have the highs, actually.
Professionally, I’m having
a lot of fun with it. But I
think I’ve always wanted to
have a donkey sanctuary.
So, that’s what I’m kind of
working on now, hopefully.
You have an
organization, Animal
People Alliance, based
in India. How did that
happen for you?
I was spending a ton of
time in India…well before
the pandemic. I love it. I
have a lot of friends in the
NGO sector. When I was
living in Thailand, a lot of
them would come over
for long weekends and
my friend Paul (he was
working more in human
trafficking) certainly saw a
need for animal services
in Calcutta. There is a real
lack. If you’ve ever been
to India, you know that
animals live on the street.
Dogs, cats, donkeys,
cows–they are all out on
the streets. So, I thought,
“Well, I want to do that.”
So in 2014, we established
Animal People Alliance.
Basically, it took a couple
years to find our way.
PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SPANOS

But since 2014, it’s almost
30,000 animals we’ve
treated. We train vulnerable
people–like people who
have been trafficked or that
might have a disability–to
become animal carers
or dog carriers. We train
them to have a paying job.
So, it’s twofold. To create
employment and to serve
the animals of Calcutta.
They expanded into
Northern Thailand
and they work a
lot with stateless
people. Stateless
people have no
identification, they
can’t travel, they
can’t get work.
We’re training
them to do the
same things. We
have a shelter
on the border of
Burma; we do a
lot of adoption.
We work with the
world veterinary
service. We do
a lot of spaying
and neutering. It’s
been very, very successful.
So that’s why I’m working
on the donkey sanctuary. I
think that’s the next project.
I’m actually doing a lot of
the fundraising, but they
do all the work themselves.
We let them run the
organization.
If you could have me ask
you any question on the
planet, maybe something
you’ve never been asked
or maybe something
you’d like to answer, what
would it be? And how
would you answer it?
I have been asked pretty
much everything. I think
it’s funny when people ask,
“What don’t people know
about you?” I answered that
this morning, but I would
answer it again. It would
be that I annoy people.
Because I am a whistler.
And I whistle all the time
and I don’t even know it
most of the time. Some
people like it and some
people really don’t like it,
because whistling melodies
don’t make any sense.
It’s got to be a huge
responsibility having been
in the biggest girl band in
history. Do you ever think
about that? How does that
affect you?
I don’t even think about it.
The only time I did think
about it was watching the
documentary for the first
time at Sundance and I
went, “Oh, my God, we did
all that?” Everything was
encapsulated in like an
hour and 40 minutes. The
director did an amazing
job on the story, and it’s
an amazing story. I got
to work with the most
amazing people. Everybody
is amazing in that band.
Just how everything came
together was against
all odds. It’s a pretty
extraordinary story. Then I
thought about it. If it wasn’t
for that documentary, I
don’t think the Rock
Hall would have
happened. And that
brought a whole new
respect for the band,
because nobody
really knew the story.
Kids assume that
bands and singers
come from TV shows
or a talent contest.
So, when they saw
the story, they had
no idea. It was like
a new respect. I
thought about our
accomplishments
after the documentary
and after we were
inducted, I thought,
“Yeah, we’re pretty
amazing. What we do is
pretty effing amazing.”
Is there anything that I
didn’t ask you that you
want to cover or comment
on?
No, I’m just really excited
to do the dates on the east
coast in July. The tour
is material from my solo
albums. Of course, there
are always a couple of Go-
Go’s songs thrown in there.
So, I don’t know…. I’m just
really looking forward to it.

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
STEVIE B
TALKS CAREER AND NEW SINGLE, “TAKE IT ALL BACK”
A new era of dance music was born
when Miami native Stevie B’s first
independently released single, “Party
Your Body”, hit South Florida’s
glittering club scene in 1987. After years
spent paying his dues doing everything
from mowing lawns to washing cars,
Stevie B’s skills as a writer, producer
and performer thrust him into the pop
spotlight. “Party Your Body” worked
its way across America, eventually
selling over 200,000 copies, an amazing
achievement for an independently
released single. This
success paved the
way for Stevie’s debut
album, also called
Party Your Body. The
album gave birth to
two more hit singles,
“Dreamin’ of Love”
and “Spring Love
(Come Back To Me)”,
which propelled
the album to RIAA
Platinum status.
In 1989, Stevie B’s
sophomore effort, In My Eyes, showed
him growing as an artist, the album
taking on a much more sophisticated
flavor. In addition to his trademark
dance songs, the album also featured
smooth and soulful ballads and giddy
pop tunes. “I Wanna Be The One”
solidified Stevie’s crossover into the
pop market, as the song rose into the
Billboard Top 40. However, it was the
power ballad “Love Me For Life” that
took Stevie all the way into the Top 10
and made him the artist with the highest
debuting song in the history of R&R
magazine. Like it’s predecessor, In My
Eyes went on to RIAA Platinum status,
setting the stage for Stevie B to become
a household name worldwide.
Though the record debuted in the Top
10, Love & Emotion was released in
1990 to little fanfare. In fact, it was
largely ignored until radio stations
began getting barraged with requests
for “that song about
the postman.” That
song, of course, was
“Because I Love
You (The Postman
Song)” and it would
be a highlight and
pinnacle for Stevie
B, taking the number
one spot on Billboard
and remaining there
for four consecutive
weeks. Love & Emotion
also garnered RIAA
Platinum status. Stevie
B’s career has been a whirlwind of
success, with three RIAA Platinum
albums containing a total of 13 Top
40 dance and/or pop singles and one
classic #1 hit. From heart-stopping
ballads to hip-shaking dance songs,
Stevie B does it all, and his new hit
single, “Take It All Back”, will surely put
him back on the charts, as it is going to
be burning up the airwaves and clubs
all around the world.

INTERVIEW
Hello, Stevie. Is there a
moment you can recall that
changed the entire trajectory
of your life?
I think that’s when I met Tolga.
He was my producer at the
time of “Party Your Body.” He
was producing stuff already,
but when I met him, it changed
the trajectory of how I recorded
music. He taught me how
to do it electronically, when
nobody else was doing it.
He was doing stuff that was
so amazing on the computer
already. And all the analog
boys thought it was just going
to be a fad. I was like, “No,
it’s not.” The moment that
we met at this record pool,
there was magic. I went and
showed him my studio. He had
a little studio in his girlfriend’s
apartment or something. I said,
“I’ve got a nice studio over in
Fort Lauderdale. You need to
come see it.” He saw it and in
hours, everything was set up.
Ever since then, it was magic.
And that’s where that album
was created. I wrote the song,
but the production was just
next level. That changed the
trajectory of how I was going
to do music, and I have been
doing it for the last 35 years.
My favorite song on the
planet is “Spring Love.”
It has superseded everything.
It didn’t fare very well at radio
at the time. It wasn’t the
one that did the most radio
damage. “Because I Love You”
is the one that did that. But as
far as a cult classic globally,
by far “Spring Love” is the
winner. I almost didn’t get that
record because I was trying
to give it away. When I first
wrote it, I was trying to write it
as a duet, and thank God that
the manager of this girl that I
was trying to get to record it
hated it.
What inspired you to release
the new single, “Take It All
Back”, now?
“Take It All Back” has been a
theme for me for quite some
time. To try come up with an
idea that’ll be useful, relevant
and something cool. How do
you do that? The idea was
that everyone misses the old
school days. They miss all
that stuff. So, I thought, “Well,
what if I throw all of that in a
pot?” Just talking about it now
and then slipping in a few little
nostalgia clips like I did with
“Party Your Body” and “Spring
Love”. Then, of course, you’ve
got to have a cool ass beat.
You’ve got to have a cool
melody. And then you’ve got
to have somebody that knows
how to sing a little bit and try to
come up with something cool. I
think that the fusion worked out
pretty well. The idea had been
on my mind for a long time. I
just had to figure out how to
execute it.
It has the power to bring
back freestyle, which I hope
it does.
You know, that’s a big basket
to haul, to try to bring back a
genre. It would be great to see
something like that happen. I
would more so like to see it as,
“Hey, it’s Stevie B” and I’m not
just a freestyle artist. I have
ballads and all kinds of music.
I can fit right in with Lizzo and
anybody else.

Rihanna is not looked at as
old school, but she’s been
around quite a while. But
when she puts out a song,
they don’t say, “Oh, let’s try to
bring back Rihanna.” Rihanna
is just a continuation of what
she was when she started.
So, hopefully, they could start
looking at Stevie B that way
and say, “Look, this is just a
guy that’s continuing what you
knew about him a long time
ago. Making hit records.”
Have you had your ultimate
stage fantasy yet?
Yeah, the first day I hit the
stage and people liked it.
That’s a loaded question
because the first day this guy
hit the stage and made people
smile, I thought, “Hey, I might
be on to something here.”
And it worked out well. People
liked it and they’ve been liking
it ever since. As long as they
like it, I’m going to continue
to do it.
People love you. You have
that angelic voice. You are
a powerful singer as well.
What was it like the first
time you ever heard one of
your songs on the radio?
Where were you?
Miami had already broke us.
Power 96 made us and then
made us unstoppable. It’s
incredible when you make it
in your hometown. But when
you go to New York. I always
say, “If you can make it in
New York, you can make it
anywhere.” I go to New York.
And I think it was Hot 103°.
I get to the hotel and all of a
sudden, “Party Your Body”
comes on, and I mean I was
jumping around that hotel
like oh man, you don’t even
want to know. That’s a big
deal. You’re in New York and
the first record that came on
was “Party Your Body.” It was
an amazing feeling, and it’s
one of those feelings that you
never, ever forget.
Now, when this song starts
to be all over the radio, do
you think you’re going to
have the same feeling? Or
is it old already?
No, it really is not old.
Because I haven’t had
anything new on the radio in
many, many, years. Probably
since “Dream About You”
or “Waiting For Your Love”
back in 1995 or ‘96. When I
dropped the Funky Melody
album. We had a little top 40
record and it did very good.
It’s been about 25 years since
I’ve had anything relative on
the radio. And I think I would
get that feeling, let me tell
you.
I have a weird question,
but it’s going to help me.
You know freestyle did not
last all that long. I wish it
was on the radio still. The
music was so good and so
dynamic and so fun. Why
do you think it only lasted
three years?
There were a lot of elements.
And that’s a documentary
within itself. Freestyle started
with independent, no name
Puerto Ricans, Dominicans
and no identity people. It
was a way that we could get
into the music business very
cheaply. It started amongst
Puerto Ricans and Dominican
people in New York and
Miami. And it didn’t have very
much money flowing with it,
and then all of a sudden, it
“went viral”--if that’s a word
that I could use for that time.

Radio stations were
astounded, and then all
of a sudden, it gets on the
mix shows. That’s where it
started–mix shows, skating
rinks, the little teenage clubs.
Nobody was commanding that.
Nobody and no corporations
were dominating it. And then,
all of a sudden, it gets in the
mix shows with DJs who loved
us and it started to get more
requests than the stuff that
they were playing. Then, from
a corporate level, we started to
interfere with Meat Loaf, Bette
Midler, Elton John and Poison.
All those rock groups who were
dominating top 100. We were
interfering with people’s money.
Major record companies and
major independents had a lot
of money invested in those
projects.
So, all of a sudden,here come
these little whippersnappers,
and it happens every
generation. They started to
attract the teenagers and when
we attracted the teenagers, it
was over. Then it was up to the
major independents to either
sign us or they have to buy us
and show us, and a little bit of
both happened. It wouldn’t take
very much. If I’m costing you a
hundred, maybe 200 million a
year, I can go spend 10 or 20
million just to put it to sleep.
All those rock groups at the
time never made a comeback
like that. After we had our
heyday, which was like ‘87, ‘88
maybe by ‘91, it was over. No
more money was being spent.
Then s***** freestyle started
to come out. Nobody wanted
to do any more of this type
of music because producers
couldn’t get money, couldn’t
get paid. Artists couldn’t get
money. So, a lot of the cheesy
freestyle started to come out in
droves. A lot of it. And it wasn’t
radio worthy. And then a new
thing came in, and remember,
we had our heyday, we had
our day in the sun. All of a
sudden, MC Hammer and all
of that in ‘92, hip hop, Will
Smith and all of them came
along, and at that time, I was
a little bit too dark for the pop
radio stations. VH1, MTV, they
wouldn’t play me. Even when
I had the number one record
on Billboard for four weeks in
a row. They weren’t letting that
in just yet. And then, all of a
sudden, MTV and MTV Raps
came. They started playing
the Hammers and then what
happened was we weren’t
black enough. We weren’t
hardcore enough. We were a
little bit too soft. So, Freestyle
got put to sleep. And then you
saw the new stuff come in
around 1992-’93. And it was
pretty much over for us at that
time. So that’s pretty much
what happened to us, and it
never caught on again.
If you could have me ask you
any question on the planet,
what would it be?
It wouldn’t just be one thing
I think you’ve asked all the
relative relevant questions. I
don’t think I really have one
particular question that you
could ask me. Maybe just how
am I doing?
Okay, how are you doing?
I am maintaining. It gets a little
tougher out here every year.
To try to prove to people that
you’re still an item to be dealt
with. Musically, creatively.
Going live and to try to
survive as an entrepreneur.
The revenue streams are
completely different now.
These kids, they’re not just
millionaires now, they’re
hundreds of millions and
billionaires–that’s the new
focus. So, what I would want
to do is try to get into that viral
flow that is catapulting some
of these youngsters into mega
successes. I didn’t ever reach
the mega success, and before
I leave this planet, I’m going
to get it.
Watch the “Take It All Back” (DJ Sama Remix) lyric video
produced by Tolga Katas here: youtu.be/69bMbE2VxMg
Don’t Miss the Freestylin With Stevie B Podcast Hosted
by DJ Sama Fridays at 7 PM ET at www.facebook.com/
steviebmusic and https://www.facebook.com/steviebent
Follow Stevie B on the web:
Official Website: www.steviebmusic.com
Youtube: youtu.be/69bMbE2VxMg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/steviebmusic
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6V7pNWhlJpD0s0bMdB1PU9
Instagram: @stevieb_official
Tik Tok: @steviebmusic

ISSUE #513
BELINDA
CARLISLE
PUBLISHER MICHAEL TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
DESIGN AGOTA CORREA
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWER EILEEN SHAPIRO
@EILEENSHAPIRO3
NYC’S NIGHTLIFE AWARD WINNING BLOGGER/
WRITER & INTERVIEWER JIM SILVESTRI
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JEASO86@HOTMAIL.COM
The publications of MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT, getoutmag.com or any
other related print or Web publications or social media accounts, their images,
quotations or articles should not be construed to be an indication of the sexual
orientation of anyone portrayed therein.
All Content © Copyright 2019
MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT
25-21 45TH STREET ASTORIA, NY 11103
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE ENTERTAINMENT EST. 2009

BY LARRY OLSEN
WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS
David Hernandez Reflects on
Past Trauma in New Single
PHOTOS BY MATT STASI PHOTOGRAPHY
David Hernandez
began singing at age
six, starring in musicals
and performing
with various theater
companies. At 15, he
was writing original
music and recording
arrangements. He
achieved worldwide
fame, competing on
TV’s American Idol,
when he was 24.
But it wasn’t a life of
sunshine and roses. “I
had a rough childhood
growing up, with little
stability,” he recalls. “My mom had me when she was only 17, and there
was always tension between my parents.”
David was also hiding secrets: his sexuality and a former job as a male
stripper. When both were discovered by the tabloids and they outed
him, David spiraled into a mental breakdown. He admits he still struggles
with his emotions today. “I’m really great at hiding my depression, or
at least, I think I am,” he says, “but my close friends and family can tell
when I’m struggling.”
David sings about it in “When It Rains, It Pours,” the first single from his
long-awaited autobiographical Don’t @ Me EP. We caught up with him in
New York to learn more.
Hello, David. When
did your journey with
mental illness begin?
David Hernandez: It
probably started when
I was a little kid, but I
didn’t really know what
to call it. I grew up in
a divorced household,
splitting my time
between my mom and
my dad, and they didn’t
get along. Once my
stepmom came into
the mix, things only
got worse. I worked
so hard to please both
my parents and that
eagerness to please has
stuck with me through
my entire adulthood.
I’m in therapy now and
only recently have been
able to process some
of the past traumas that
have led to my current
behaviors.
How did your time on
American Idol impact
your anxiety?
DH: Well, let’s just say
it didn’t help.

I mean, being plucked
from obscurity and
catapulted in front of
35 million people at the
age of 24 is no easy feat.
It’s not that I didn’t want
fame, I just didn’t know
what it all entailed or the
toll it would take.
Was there no one on
set to help guide you
and the other American
Idols?
DH: There’s really no
rulebook for this sort of
situation and the days
and nights were long
and most of the
time, we didn’t get
much sleep. If you
watch the show
now, you can see
how much of a toll
it takes on some
of the kids. Some
break down, others
leave the show. It’s
not a normal thing
to be scrutinized in
front of the world.
Looking back, I’m
really proud of
myself for being
able to get through
and come out on
the other side.
You were outed on the
show.
DH: Another traumatic
event.
Have you forgiven the
tabloids?
DH: Oh god, yes.
Holding on to that stuff
would only hold me
back. I let go of it a
long time ago because
at the end of the day, I
get that the media had
a job to do. They battle
to get out the most
provocative stories and
at the time, and my story
was it. Do I wish that I
would’ve been
able to come
out on my own
terms? Yes.
Do I wish that
people didn’t
make such a
big deal out
of me being a
stripper? Yes.
I’d like to think
that my story
in some way
helped future
generations.
I see openly
gay people
and strippers
auditioning for
American Idol
and The Voice
and they’re
not hiding
anything
anymore. I
think that’s
incredible.
What have you found
to help your mental
illness?
DH: I think what helps
my anxiety is being
able to say no… to
people, events, and
organizations. Not
every environment is
conducive to my wellbeing
and sometimes I
need to pass on things. I
also love my alone time.
I think it’s important to
self-reflect and have
honest conversations
with yourself, without
all of the noise. But I do
think the most important
thing is therapy. I’m
not saying it’s a cure,
but it helps to get in
touch with your feelings
and work out the past
garbage that may
be responsible for your
current behaviors. Often,
when you talk a problem
out, the answer spills
from your mouth.
What is your message
to others who are
struggling?
DH: Seek therapy, talk
to somebody, reach out.
Be vulnerable and let
people know how you
feel because it’s the key
to connectivity. It’s very
possible someone close
to you is going through
something similar or has
already gone through it
and has a healthy way
of healing that they can
share with you. Lastly,
do your best to love
and forgive yourself. We
only get one shot at this
thing called life, so let’s
make the most of it.
Visit: www.OfficialDavidHernandez.com.
Follow David Hernandez on all socials
@ DHernandezMusic

JUNE 17.23
STRAPPED
BY BRYAN-KEYTH WILSON
AND ARELIA JOHNSON
JUNE 23.23
WILLIE GETS
NAKED!
BY WILLIE THE GENIUS
PRODUCED BY
PETER JAY SHARP THEATER
416 WEST 42ND STREET
@ PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS
NEW YORK, NY 10036
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