“The composer must become the total musician, not only a composer. To be only a composer is not enough.”
Julius Eastman
(October 27, 1940-1990)
Sign: Scorpio
Gay black composer whose idiosyncratic compositional style and provocatively titled pieces challenged issues relating to race, class, and sexuality.
Julius Eastman’s works like Evil Nigger and Gay Guerrilla have gained particular notoriety in regards to their titles, however he defended them stating “…and what I mean by niggers is that thing which is fundamental, that person or thing that obtains to a basicness, a fundamentalness, and eschews that thing which is superficial, or, what can we say, elegant”.
Eastman’s early and innovative use of pop elements in his compositions influenced other musicians of the time, including his colleague Arthur Russell.
“Faggot Forefathers” is a weekly series highlighting the lives of historically significant gay men and their contributions to our world.
