{"id":10424,"date":"2019-02-23T23:32:10","date_gmt":"2019-02-24T04:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/?p=10424"},"modified":"2019-02-23T23:32:10","modified_gmt":"2019-02-24T04:32:10","slug":"jackie-shane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/2019\/02\/23\/jackie-shane\/","title":{"rendered":"Transgender Soul Music Pioneer Jackie Shane Recorded Her Biggest Hit In 1960s Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jackie Shane\u2014the electrifying soul singer, black cult heroine, and transgender pioneer\u2014died this week in Nashville at age 78. \u201cAny Other Way,\u201d<\/a> a box set of Shane\u2019s music released in 2017 by the Chicago-based archival label Numero Group, had sparked renewed interest to her music and career. It was nominated for best historical album at this month\u2019s Grammy Awards<\/a>, but lost.<\/p>\n

The title track\u2014a smoldering soul number about putting on a brave face despite a broken heart\u2014was Shane\u2019s biggest hit, or, perhaps more accurately, cult classic. And it was recorded in Boston around August or September 1962, when Shane was singing with trumpeter Frank Motley and his Motley Crew. They were on their usual circuit of clubs from Montreal to Toronto to Washington to Boston.<\/p>\n

Shane sings: \u201cHere you come again \/ And you say that you\u2019re my friend \/ But I know why you\u2019re here \/ She wants to know how I feel \/ Tell her that I\u2019m happy \/ Tell her that I\u2019m gay \/ Tell her I wouldn\u2019t have it \/ Any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you\u2019re supposed to live,\u201d Shane monologues on a live version included in the box set. \u201cAs long as you don\u2019t force your will and your way on others, forget them, baby, you don\u2019t need them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shane had been a favorite in 1960s Toronto, where she lived, and Boston. But in 1971, she disappeared.<\/p>\n