Recordings of
"Love Don't Need a Reason"
late addition,
discovered 6/21
Perry Wood 1996 CD, Listen
More on Perry Wood
If you know of others,
please email me
And, April 2020,
my friend Dr Matt Jones did this wonderful talk on Michael Callen's
work;
not sure how long the
link will be good but it's worth a listen.
And the book....released
November 2020
and my review of
it...
Love
Don't Need a Reason: The Life & Music of Michael Callen - by
Matthew J Jones
I have been waiting for this book for many years, and Jones did
not let me down. Callen (1955-1993) was the gay singer I admire
the most, and having done a radio show for 15 years called Queer
Music Heritage, I have often been asked who was my favorite.
It's always Michael Callen. In 2013 I did a four-hour tribute radio
show to him, which featured interviews by eleven people/singers
close to him. So my point is…I have thoroughly 'studied' Michael
Callen, and naturally would be very critical about short-comings
in a book honoring one of my heroes. I really found nothing I can
nit-pick…this book is beautifully written and scholarly researched.
The only shortcoming was it lacking an index, but that was a financial
decision many new authors face.
In full disclosure I know the author and am honored to call him
a friend.
We have corresponded with each other for many years on Facebook,
mostly about Callen, and when he moved to Houston a year or so ago
I took him out to a welcome dinner. So I've been waiting anxiously
for
'the book." And also for his next one, titled "How to
Make Music in an
Epidemic: Popular Music-Making During the AIDS Crisis: 1981-1996."
I'm chomping at the bit for that one, as I have studied that area
also.
Callen's life really had two different driving forces….his
music and AIDS
activism. He was a pioneering activist and it is important for this
to be
documented, in how he wrote about it, spoke about it was a leader
in
getting the subject out in the open. I adored his music, with and
without
the vocal group the Flirtations. And I think it should be mandatory
that
his posthumous "Legacy" CD should be the collections of
every LGBT
person. And the song "Love Don't Need a Reason," from
his "Purple Heart"
album I consider an inspirational and emotional anthem, and one
of hope,
not to mention his simply beautiful voice. In short, if you do not
know about
his life and music, consider this your invitation.
