What was the first-ever record directed at a gay audience? For the answer, we have to go all the way back to 1962, when a label called Lace Records released an album called Love is a Drag.
As far as anyone knows, this was the first album to feature a man singing love songs about other men. The artwork read “For adult listeners only. Sultry stylings by a most unusual vocalist.” Titles included “Lover Man,” “He’s Funny That Way,” “The Boy Next Door,” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man.”
Back then, such expressions of homosexuality were not tolerated. In fact, being gay was still a criminal offence in many countries, so issuing this record was a big risk, and few stores dared carry it.
So, who was the singer and who were the musicians? His name was Gene Howard, who, by the way, was a straight married man.
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