Grace Jones slays Rihanna, Miley, Gaga and Kanye in this exclusive extract from her autobiography

The problem with the Dorises and the Nicki Minajes and Mileys is that they reach their goal very quickly. There is no long-term vision, and they forget that once you get into that whirlpool then you have to fight the system that solidifies around you in order to keep being the outsider you claim you represent. There will always be a replacement coming along very soon – a newer version, a crazier version, a louder version. So if you haven’t got a long-term plan, then you are merely a passing phase, the latest trend, yesterday’s event.

They dress up as though they are challenging the status quo, but by now, wearing those clothes, pulling those faces, revealing those tattoos and breasts, singing to those fractured, spastic, melting beats – that is the status quo. You are not off the beaten track, pushing through the thorny undergrowth, finding treasure no one has come across before. You are in the middle of the road. You are really in Vegas wearing the sparkly full-length gown singing to people who are paying to see you but are not really paying attention. If that is what you want, fine, but it’s a road to nowhere.

I look at Doris and I think: Does she look happy? She looks lost, like she is desperately trying to find the person she was when she started. She looks like really she knows she is in Vegas, now that Vegas is the whole entertainment world filtered through the internet, through impatient social media. I don’t mind her dressing up, but when she started to dance like Madonna, almost immediately, copying someone else, it was like she had forgotten what it was about her that could be unique. Ultimately, it is all about prettiness and comfort, however much they pretend they are being provocative.

Kate Moss often says to me that I am the only performer around at the moment who deserves to be called a diva.That gets us arguing, seemingly a little too serious if anyone hears us. I hate that word diva. It’s been so abused! Every singer given a makeover or a few weeks on a talent show seems to be called a diva these days! Christ almighty. Where’s the exclusivity? It’s so commercial now. For me, a diva is like the great opera singer, the great film star – out of reach, in their own world, with a real gift for invention, attention-demanding performance artists with a flamboyant, compelling sense of their own importance, so special and inimitable it verges on the alien. And of course the word is usually used to describe an apparently erratic female whose temperamental qualities, survival instincts, and dedication to perfection are seen as weaknesses, as self-indulgent, not a strength. So, Kate, I am not a diva. I am a Jones!

This is what I would say to my pupil: you have become only your fame, and left behind most of who you were. How are you going to deal with that? Will you lose that person forever? Have you become someone else, without really knowing it? Do you always have to stay in character for people to like you? Do you know that you are in character?

Doris, I would say fame is all well and good if you want to take it to another level. If you have some greater purpose. Me, I am just a singer, on one sort of stage or another, who likes to have an audience, but not all the time. Listen to my advice; I have some experience. In a way, it is me being a teacher, which is what I wanted to be. I still feel I could go into teaching. What is teaching but passing on your knowledge to those who are at the beginning? Some people are born with that gift. With me, the teaching side morphed into the performing side. It’s in there. And these are my pupils – Gaga, Madonna, Annie Lennox, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Miley, Kanye West, FKA Twigs and... Doris.

So, who is Doris?

I'm sure most of them have no idea who she is, just like most people under the age of 40. Rather high on herself, isn't she?

No R3, she is right. The Niki Minajes and the Rihannas are pawns of the system. So is the case with the rest of them, the actresses, the singers, even the writers have fallen into the trap-

Britney?

"I look at Doris and I think: Does she look happy? She looks lost, like she is desperately trying to find the person she was when she started. She looks like really she knows she is in Vegas, now that Vegas is the whole entertainment world filtered through the internet, through impatient social media. I don’t mind her dressing up, but when she started to dance like Madonna, almost immediately, copying someone else, it was like she had forgotten what it was about her that could be unique. Ultimately, it is all about prettiness and comfort, however much they pretend they are being provocative."

Or maybe Beyoncé?

r3, she kind of acknowledges that with the Rihanna body suit. She isn't sure the singer knows where it came from, but she knows her stylists do.

I love her . She was so compelling and fresh ,a true original ,loved her music her voice her style. None if these current wannabes can touch her , although I like Sia .

I agree with her for the most part. But take issue with her including Madonna and Annie Lennox on her list.

Finally, a true icon speaks!

Keeping up with the*ucking Jones' s.

[quote]I'm sure most of them have no idea who she is

Hmm, that's the whole point. Someone who's not mainstream can have everything lifted by mainstream 'artists' who are managed and created by people who know who she is and they pillage though her work. They're not going to steal from someone everyone knows, well, except for Lady Gaga who stole from Madonna who, in turn, stole from everyone.

Grace is perfect.

She was hardly the first person who did the body painting thing. It was done in movies back in the 70s. Who knows where the stylist knew it from.

Please, her vampire movie featured it R13.

I'm with r8...Annie Lennox is not her student. Her first solo cd was "Diva," too.

So R13? I assume you mean "Vamp." That was made In 1986, and body painting was hardly a new thing then.

Grace never catered to "the masses" honey ! She did her own thing out of the gate. You either get her or you don't,and she doesn't give a fuck either way ! I don't usually do autobiographies,but hers is a must read. Though I know she wont tell all of her dirt,can you imagine the shit she knows ?!? She was all in the art world of the 70s and 80s,reigning queen of studio 54,she fucked Dolph for petes sake ! Shes so above the hags she mentioned (though I don't get the Annie reference either,I adore Annie) ,a true original is our Grace.

Why does she call Britney "Doris" while she names the rest? Annie Lennox is no pupil of Grace Jones thank you. Jones was as big a fame whore as any of them in her day, but she is right that much has been stolen from her and she wants some credit dammit!! She herself owes a lot to Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich and Helmut Newton and so it goes...

It is a shame that younger artists never acknowledge or are even aware of those who "inspire" their look or style, but most do give props to their musical idols and influences.

Rant was great till she got to her buddy Kate Moss, and did her name dropping of kate Moss. Ugh.

@R17 younger 'artists'??????? artists??????? LOL!

Love Grace Jones (just saw her preform/slay at Afropunk Fest three weeks ago) and am impressed with how well-spoken and articulate she is. Given her tendency to go on stage at the 11th hour and her hit/miss televised interviews, I always thought she was a cokehead-trainwreck.

At least I don't create threads about my lust for Harry Styles R19.

How do you know that? Are you the webmaster also posting on the threads? I thought you were not allowed to... FYI, I'm not lusting after Harry but his f**** buddy Xander Ritz, he makes me want to cream my pants. So, do you happen to have some interesting insider dirt or do you just monitor other people's posts.

Isn't Grace the one who sang "Pull up to the bumper baby, in your long black limousine" back in the day?

Yes. Grace Jones is badass but what exactly is she bitching about? She never wanted to be mainstream, so she isn't? End of story. You are going to get $$ and recognition if you don't go mainstream. She is a cult figure who is adored, at least by some. That how she seems to want it.

^^ should read you are not going to get the $$.

Grace pushed boundaries, but instead of being rewarded with a shit ton of money she gets to see other copy cats getting semi rich (well, it's the record companies who are getting rich by writing, producing, manufacturing, and marketing a commercial product for the masses).

And "slide it in between", r23.

She might have wanted more main stream success , but the public at large was not going to take to her at that time . She catered to a certain kind of sensibility , a little freaky a little scary . ahead of her time she was and still is . She had a song I love called " scary but fun " which really sums up who she was.

Here are the actual lyrics, R27.

Pull up to my bumper, baby. In your long black limousine

Just pull up to my bumper, baby. And drive it in between

Grace, you in danger, girl.

Not if she's made it this far r30

Doris has to be either Katy Perry or Miley Cyrus. "Baby playing dress-up" and "pulling faces" point more toward Miley.

I felt like all the clues pointed towards Britney concerning the Doris thing , probably wrong

Think it's Miley too.

Grace is sick of all these pop whores' bullshit:

I love and admire Grace Jones — she truly seems to have more class than the pop tarts and was always a true original.

And she's right to keep her work spare and herself mysterious; to leave the audience always wanting more.

But I listened to her last full LP on Spotify and I was really disturbed by how dark, depressed and defeatist it was. It's basically Grace Jones singing about betrayals, exploitation, tragedy and being ready to die and leave this cruel world behind, which I found very sad:

Doris is Miley Cyrus, duh

I think Doris is either Miley or Gaga. Mentioning them by their actual name could just be a red herring.

I'm going with Lady Gaga because Jones refers to seeing something starker in the earlier stages of Doris' career. Neither Mylie nor Brittany have artistic beginnings abandoned on the path to success. They were both packaged when they were still cihildren.

Gaga did have a point of view before she started co-opting the work of other artists (I'm referring to meat dress and not Madonna) and it seems logical that Jones would see Gaga's increasing dependence on spectacle over content as unsatisfying for Gags - unless fame is Gaga's only objective.

Someone explain to R19 that "artist" can simply be a synonym for "performer" and does not always imply actual artistic talent.

I just can't take this cunt seriously. She is the poster gal for an increasing dependence on style over substance.

She should pay for Brigitte Nielsen to attend rehab so they can go on the road with an Amazonian take on the old ebony & ivory made famous by Wonder/McCartney

Celebrity net worth has her valued at 7 million,but they don't take into account the shitload of art she has from the likes of Warhol and Haring,to name a few.Id KILL to see what she has stuffed into her apartment,its probably mind boggling. She was never in it for the money,or else she'd have tried to conform more to popular taste. Grace does what she does cause that how she rolls !

I'm thinking Doris is Gaga. She's had some nasty things to say about Gaga in the past. She also mentioned Doris dancing like Madonna, which Gaga was quickly and loudly called out on by many. Seems to me the gal loathes Gaga.

Sunset Sunrise is my favorite track off of her last album.

Here's the link.

[bold]Vive La Madame Jones! [/bold]

Thanks R45! That was really good. I am positive she was channeling Little Edie Bouvier in that performance.

I know some people are taking offense that Grace put Annie Lenox on her list. I really think Grace would be the first to admit Annie's vocal abilities are far superior to hers. What I think she meant though is Lenox's "look". From the orange crew cut, tuxedos, and Kabuki makeup of Eurythmics to the Diva Album cover and videos, etc.

I adore Grace Jones and can't wait for this book. I've seen her live twice in The Eighties, and I was blown away by her presence and performances. Even the time I wasn't on acid! HA!

I recently added Pars & I've Seen That Face Before to the playlist I use in my retail store. I hate that I have five or six of her albums on vinyl and can't use them anymore.

She's really right about these young ones needing to give a bit of respect to such a Magnificent Queen.

Excerpt from [italic]I'll Never Write My Memoirs[/italic]:

[quote]Their first three girls at Euro Planning [modeling agency in Paris] were me, Jerry Hall, and Jessica Lange... [We] would basically use our minuscule rooms in the hotel to sleep, and for little else, and we would be out every night—clubs, music, fashion, life. Paris seemed to stay out at night even later than New York. We'd drag ourselves back to the room in daylight after a night out and get ready for the next... I developed incredible, long-lasting bonds with the girls I worked with, not least because I also lived with them and we explored new, strange territory together. I have remained friends with Jerry and Jessica to this day, and we help each other and inspire each other...

I find the whole Grace, Jerry, and Jessica living it up in Paris story fascinating. Someone should write a tell-all and give all the sordid details.

Yes, my first instinct was Miley but then at one point I thought maybe Gaga. I still think it's mostly Miley. Maybe it's Gaga too, hence an "umbrella" name. It still feels like Miley though.

[quote] I know some people are taking offense that Grace put Annie Lenox on her list. I really think Grace would be the first to admit Annie's vocal abilities are far superior to hers. What I think she meant though is Lenox's "look". From the orange crew cut, tuxedos, and Kabuki makeup of Eurythmics to the Diva Album cover and videos, etc

Agreed. Annie Lennox's "Sweet Dreams" persona was the white Grace Jones. She mimicked Jones's look and manner. She even sounded like Grace on "Sweet Dreams" -- monotone, masculine and menacing -- and her true voice is soaring and soulful. However, Lennox is also a unique artist who was able to evolve into her own personage with time. This does not diminish that Grace Jones profoundly influenced her art and presentation.

Grace is Queen Motherfucker Badass, bitch. Got that?

Very well said, R50. Can't wait to read the full book. Saw Grace at the Hollywood Bowl in 2009 and was totally knocked out by her performance. A very minimal light show, no set to speak of, just Grace, her band and one wonderfully ridiculous costume after another. That's all you need when you have such undeniably magnetic star quality. She held that 18k audience in the palm of her hand. But, unlike Gaga, it was always the woman wearing the costume, not the costume wearing the woman. Who else is seeing Grace's return to the Hollywood Bowl later this month? So excited.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, Grace's "one man show" from 1981 is an absolute must. Quite unlike anything before or since. I wonder what the casting was like for all the Grace look-a-likes.

I've seen Gaga and Rihanna live and they bored me. No presence, no electricity, a lot of noise and spectacle and they were both overwhelmed by it. I just saw Grace Jones at Afropunk 3 weeks ago and I'm still gagging. Grace is ELECTRIFYING on stage --at 67. She grabs and holds focus, all of these artists need to learn how to do that. Of the artists she slags off only Madonna has genuine stage presence.

Yeah, I'm with you, R53, though I think it's safe to say that Annie Lennox also has stage presence in spades. In fact, the Grammy Awards from the past few years have been so depressing. Stage presence and true star quality no longer seem to be in fashion, but when Annie Lennox took the stage this past year and electrified the audience and when Mick Jagger did the same thing a couple of years ago with his tribute to Solomon Burke, they both showed all of the younger artists what true star quality is like.

Some (relatively) younger artists who DO have that "x" factor; that magnetic stage presence are Alison Goldfrapp of, of course, Goldfrapp and the terribly underappreciated Roisin Murphy. In fact, I'd say they are both, in some ways, influenced by Grace as well, but have managed to carve out their own unique places in pop music.

The first person that came to mind for me re Doris was Britney, as a reference to a fake, handler-manufactured sunshine disposition covering a darker initial talent, just like Doris Day's romantic comedies painted over her smokier, sexier "Sentimental Journey" days. And we know what happened once Doris embraced that image - she got into it and never departed.

Britney was a Disney product who wanted to tear away from the good girl image (like Myrus later did with "second user" benefits) and achieved it - drugs, shaved hair, insanity and all- only to fall back into a clean, safe Vegas path, where she basically plays dress-up with Mommy's clothes (that whole circus fiasco).

But then someone pointed out Katy Perky, and I was on board with that too.

I don't think it's anyone she had already mentioned by name. The last paragraph supports that ("...and Doris").

[quote]all of these artists need to learn how to do that

Can't learn stuff like that.

I do not believe, given the way Jones describes what "Doris" was like at the beginning of her career, that "Doris" could possibly be Cyrus or Spears. She seems to be talking about Lady Gaga. Frankly, I don't see how anyone could possibly misunderstand that.

[quote]And these are my pupils – Gaga, Madonna, Annie Lennox, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Miley, Kanye West, FKA Twigs and... Doris.

Maybe I'm too literal, r57, but I don't see how it makes sense to list Gaga twice, especially after she spoke openly about her - using her real name - elsewhere.

When the true goddess speaks, we listen. None of that Jebus stuff... Grace's autobiography should replace the Bible in the hotel rooms across America.

She was talking about Gaga.

She just didn't want to outright throw her under a bus by telling the story with her name in it although she has spoken of her in the past.

Previously Gaga approached her to work together and Grace said no. Gaga also had a show in Vegas with Tony Bennett.

And on a personal note, my favorite Gaga phase was around and The Fame Monster. It totally does seem at some point she got lost in her own image. She's far away from the girl she was in 2008. She's the girl who wore a dress made of meat to an awards show. There was nothing wrong with that girl. It's also pretty interesting that none of what she says applies to Taylor Swift. (I can't stand the girl but ... I do like some of her music. She is, and has always been, herself.)

[quote]It seems that Grace Jones had been approached with regards to a collaboration. "Yes, she did, but I said no. I'd just prefer to work with someone who is more original and someone who is not copying me, actually."

The only reason people think it's Britney because of Vegas. I don't think she is. Britney has always been pretty and trashy, that's her thing. She is not a trendsetter. She wanted to be a cutesy, southern Janet Jackson and she hasn't really deviated from that.

Christina or Beyonce would be more interesting choices.

I think "Doris" is that Rita Whora that they've been trying to make happen for a few years now.

Love this French car commercial Grace did in the '80s.

I'd never seen this one before - can anyone fill in the context because it makes it seem like Russell Harty is the victim here:

Seems like she got a good ghostwriter and editor and that also she is more cogent than man of us life-long fans of Grace might have hoped for. God Bless!

A little petty that someone with her life spends so much time putting down others. Disappointing and diminishes Grace a little.

Sorry Grace... we love you but you stole your shtick from the German group Kraftwerk and the American group Devo.

And at least give some credit to Josephine Baker.

The cake is a lie!

A true original should have an enormous ego and an exaggerated sense of their own influence. Grace Jones is a true original.

She's the Little Richard of Dance Music Divas.

The comment about stark(er) beginnings suggests Gaga. Not familiar with Sia, but she hasn't crossed over enough for it to be her, I think. I have no idea what Katy Perry/Hudson was like starting out.

The dancing comment further suggests it's Gaga.

Beyoncé, Miley, Britney don't fit at all. Nothing stark(er) about their early work. And none suggest Madonna in their dancing

Does Gaga dance a lot? She definitely looked and danced like Madge in Born this Way but don't recall her dancing much beyond it but then again not a huge fan of hers. Other than that, I don't think she has copied her too much.

Who is Grace Jones? Gotta love these wannabes who live in the gutter and look down on others. That chart smash 'I need a man' at #83 certainly gives her authority to judge.

Don't hate me but I love to watch the movie "Boomerang" just because she's in it!

[quote] Who is Grace Jones? Gotta love these wannabes who live in the gutter and look down on others. That chart smash 'I need a man' at #83 certainly gives her authority to judge.

So what gives you the authority to judge her? You can go back to the George Zimmerman thread now and continue defending your precious boyfriend George.

Gaga danced a lot on the show that appeared on HBO. And she's not a natural dancer. Also her first hit "Just Dance" was hedonistic with no message -- starker than "Born This Way" and the other Madonna-redux she's been doing since.

This is from NY Daily News review of Madonna's " Rebel Heart" tour opener:

[quote] This time, she seemed to having a blast. It made for an infectious night that brought the Canadian crowd to a series of spontaneous, and escalating, standing ovations. It didn't hurt that she sang "La Vie En Rose," both in French and in bold voice.

That sounds familiar.

R72 check out the link

Thanks for posting that video mash-up R78. I don't need to be convinced that Gaga is delusional about how much she emulates Madonna, but that was well done.

I always assumed that meat bags was just trolling everyone when she pretends not to be a parody of the cunt

Is Doris Janelle Monáe?

I appreciate Grace Jones hugely but she has always thought very highly of herself. Many times she's been the canvas other artists have used their creations on, like Keith Haring did. How much can Jones take credit for that? I'm not saying she isn't part of the creative process in some ways and she probably has acted as an inspiration for the artists. But she's got fairly limited track record of high quality music and she wasn't really a good actress.

I've always thought she's a famewhoring New York club figure who relies on her talented friends to create for her. I haven't read the autobiography but what I read in OP and R1 sounds like she's just trying to protect her brand, which, let's face it, is very limited in scope. Of course she should protect it and I agree that Doris collaboration might have hurt it. But her acting like she's all original and others are just copycats is making me raise my eyebrows.

I quickly googled Annie Lennox on Grace Jones and this is what Lennox said of Jones in a biography years ago. Annie's not being too subtle about Goude's part in creating Grace's image.

[italic]"My personal style is not ripping off Grace Jones at all, that would be far too simple, it's more complicated than that," Annie expounded. "She's an entertainer in her own right and she's incredible, but don't forget that she was a product of Jean-Paul Goude's imagination, whereas I've just taken the liberty of wearing more masculine clothes. It's more of a visual joke. Something taken to an absolute conclusion."[/italic]

She is nothing more than a canvas who became arrogant enough to think she was the artist.

Great post, R82. I agree for the most part.

Grace Jones is not a canvas she is the MUSE. The art would never have been if not for Grace Jones. She inspired creativity and ORIGINALITY in others. There was no blueprint for what she did, or who she is, it did not exist until she did it. Annie Lennox copied her and adds insult to injury by suggesting Grace was just a product. Grace sprung to life from a collaborative creative process. Annie Lennox looked in a magazine or watched a video, saw Grace Jones and tried to be her -- just like what Gaga did to Madonna (and others).

Grace Jones is very much of her time. People who weren't there don't appreciate how bold, unique and shocking she was because her art has been pilfered and diluted by others, like Annie Lennox, for the last 35 years. This takes nothing from Annie as a singer. I mean, Sheena Easton was a good singer, too. Good singers are a dime-a-dozen. There is only one Grace Jones.

Fucking amazing:

Annie, you in DANGER gurl!

Who knew Annie Lennox could be SUCH a BITCH?! Because it could DEFINITELY be argued that Annie Lennox was the "product of " Dave Stewart's imagination!

With the exception of "Diva" not so much of a solo career (and don't get me going on what has to be the gloomiest "Christmas" album ever recorded). Whereas with Stewart writing, producing, arranging, playing, conceptualizing; almost every song on every Eurythmics album (as well as their ((her)) look and videos) was very good.

On her own Lennox is very hit or miss and would never be considered the "icon" she is without all the years (AND HITS!) of Dave Stewart & Eurythmics behind her. She wouldn't be included in this conversation if all she had was her solo career. I was really surprised to read that quote of her at R82's link. What a nasty fucking thing to say.

Go back to your sheep bitch.

Fucking boring:

Fucking super-amazing:

...and I forgot to mention all the MILLIONS Grace Jones has helped raise for AIDS charities.

I love her, but had no idea how much she'd actually done to help until I was reading her Wikipedia today.

"There was no blueprint for what she did, or who she is, it did not exist until she did it."

Grace was influenced by Josephine Baker who also has a history of connecting with French artists.

R85 Annie Lennox had already had chart success with The Tourists and had her own image before Grace Jones got started in music, Grace was a model at first. Grace is great entertainment but deeply delusional about Annie Lennox. I think she resents Annie's critical and commercial success. It's easy to say "I'm too unique for the public to like" but when someone else is also a tall, skinny, androgynous female singer with a unique style and IS liked then it's not so easy to pretend any more.

Annie Lennox also has a much better voice than Grace. I love them both.

Doris = Doris Dragovic

[quote] Grace was influenced by Josephine Baker who also has a history of connecting with French artists.

Not exactly in the way that Grace influenced Annie Lennox, or Madonna influenced Gaga. Josephine was an aspirational reference for Grace in that she represented what could be. Grace created her own visual chic which boldly rejected the high-society, mulatto aesthetic that Josephine epitomized. She was (blue-)black, with a man's haircut and she was not at all ladylike ("feeling like a woman/looking like a man"). Baker's influence in style and presentation is far more pronounced in Diana Ross or Shirley Bassey or Donna Summer. They all emulated the specific glamour of Josephine Baker.

I am saddened that the legend of Grace Jones is lost to several generations of queers. She was a tremendously reassuring presence in my early 80s youth. Brazenly wearing her blackness and her own version of femaleness in a way that demanded awe and reverence. The "Nightclubbing" LP was Its own calling card -- if you knew it you were either gay or very cool, or both. I later liked Annie Lennox and Madonna, too, but Grace Jones is in a league all her own..

Hellooooooooo

Where is this 'Annie Lennox was influenced by Grace Jones' stuff coming from? What I remember of Lennox from the early 80s was that she was playing with her looks and image all the time, just like every other pop singer at the time. It never even occurred to me that Grace Jones was somehow supposed to be her spiritual godmother. Musically they were different and Lennox had completely different way of singing. They were both androgynous but at those gender bending times in Brit pop I seriously doubt Grace Jones was the only role model everyone was taking influences from. Not saying she wasn't an influence but comparing Lennox to Gaga's Madonna copying seems completely absurd.

Is there a reason people can't let Grace Jones' career stand on its own and are trying to attach Lennox to her? I mean come on guys. Obviously Lennox has had career many many times more successful than Jones. Is that what's bothering Jones fans and they are trying to say Lennox owes her career to Jones? What a load of bullshit.

Preach R97

The most astute review I ever saw about Jones was in the LA Times. It said she was trying to sound like Edith Piaf but instead sounded like Edith Bunker. Three names that nobody knows today.

I remember excerpts from Grace's incredible "One Man Show" being segmented down into music videos and shown on British TV in the 80s. When I was a little kid, the image of her sharp cheekbones, her piercing eyes and the moody blue lighting seemed so strangely alluring and ominous to me. She honestly scared me a little. And that Citroen car commercial was so odd and futuristic.

Whether or not that excerpt from her book feels a bit sour grapes, it's kind of amazing to me how relatively big a celebrity she was in the 80s. If someone like her came along today, I highly doubt they'd have her success. They certainly wouldn't be doing commercials for Citroen and Honda (remember that one?) or regularly appearing on the Tonight Show; they'd be relegated to playing an early afternoon slot at Coachella. Perhaps I'm using rose colored glasses here, but it does seem like genuine oddballs like Grace and Bowie - as opposed to corporately manufactured ones - could be huge stars in the 70s and 80s - but that there's no room for them in the mainstream anymore. I guess that's what happens when media fragments so dramatically. The mainstream becomes so homogenized. It's not that there isn't great music being made today (there is) or that there aren't bold, original artists out there (there are), but the chance of them "crossing over" into the mainstream like Bowie, Grace, Kate Bush, Bjork etc seems so unlikely.

Oh, and R99, I have to disagree with the astuteness of that review. It's a cute line, but the comparison to Edith Bunker is ridiculous. In her alternative/new wave era of the 80s she didn't always strive to sing prettily, but I think we're actually deeply undervaluing the quality of her singing voice. And, when called for, she could sing quite beautifully. Like so...

r57

[quote]And these are my pupils – Gaga, Madonna, Annie Lennox, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Miley, Kanye West, FKA Twigs and... Doris.

She mentions Gaga in that list and adds 'Doris' at the end. That and the Vegas clue would seem to fit Britney. I also didn't know that Gaga did Vegas.

Unless she means a metaphorical "Vegas"? Grace isn't always straightforward.

She is a dullard and her handlers spin the whole thing as esoteric. She is most entertaining when viewed as a comedienne

[quote] Is there a reason people can't let Grace Jones' career stand on its own and are trying to attach Lennox to her? I mean come on guys. Obviously Lennox has had career many many times more successful than Jones. Is that what's bothering Jones fans and they are trying to say Lennox owes her career to Jones? What a load of bullshit.

Get over yourself. If I wanted to attach her to anyone they would be way more commercially relevant and artistically significant than Lennox. I mean, Gaga wanted to collaborate with Jones, not Lennox. Annie Lennox definitely had her moment and I take nothing away from her but she may as well be Olivia Newton-John in the context of a discussion about artistic innovation. (ONJ is fabulous by the way). Lennox borrowed, she didn't originate or innovate.

This whole discussion underscores why Grace Jones has a complaint. 1983's "Sweet Dreams" was Lennox's first and biggest commercial success in the U.S. It came 2 years after 1981's "Nightclubbing" introduced the 80s incarnation of Grace Jones to the mainstream. Lennox mimicked Grace Jones in her appearance and delivery...period. We were there and we saw it. Lennox would never have been asked about it, or chosen to address it in such a derisive manner, if it didn't happen. And of course, it isn't ONLY Lennox who's borrowed from Grace.

That Jones did not have the commercial success as a recording artist of Annie Lennox/Eurythmics means nothing to this discussion. Grace Jones has never had a Top 40 pop hit in her 40 year recording career but later this month she will headline at the Hollywood Bowl -- 67 years old and hit-less. The 18,000 seat venue is about 90% sold. Her legend stands on its own.

R105, you are seriously delusional. Never thought we'd get Jonesbot but apparently it has happened.

R105, TEAM GRACE = The Streep Troll. Not a doubt in my mind. He has a very particular style of "debate" and delusion.

If Doris is Gaga, I wonder if Jones spent so much time discussing "Doris" because Gaga is the only current pop star with actual talent, with the potential to make an artistic mark, but has instead gone the easy route.

Grace Jones has more charisma in her left fingernail than the rest of them put together. She never became a top earner because her unapologetic blackness and ambiguous gender was deeply threatening. Who else would have the guts to release a single called "Corporate Cannibal"? She is the last true star. Her stage presence alone is enough to stop the wannabes in their tracks.

R99, three names that no one knows anymore? Come on. None of them are obscure. Anyone who doesn't know those names is a clueless loser. No excuse.

And please stop with the Doris=Britney shit, people. What darkly original beginning could fucking BRITNEY SPEARS have had?

r81 that's an interesting name, except I don't think Monae was ever around Vegas. She has gone more commercial, though, no doubt. I believe she does a lot of 'society' gigs in NYC.

[quote]And please stop with the Doris=Britney shit, people. What darkly original beginning could fucking BRITNEY SPEARS have had?

How soon some forget.

R105 Lennox was around long before Jones was. Her vocal style, aesthetic, writing style were all already developed before anyone had ever heard of Jones. Unless Jones has a time machine she couldn't have been influencing Lennox - who David Bowie adores btw. If you knew anything about music you would know that.

Grace, Cher, Annie, Madona, Gaga all are unique in their own way. Most everyone else is just a dime-a-dozen singer with nothing that sets them apart: Rihanna, Miley, Katy Perry, Beyonce, etc. Except for Britany who cannot sing.

R113, go back to sleep.

I totally agree R114.

R113. You are a fucking idiot! Grace Jones recording career began in 1975!

Eurythmics first album came out in 1981!

Bowie & Jones have known each other since Jones was a model in Paris in 1973-4-5! They are friends and have recorded & performed together MANY times.

So, R113, before you jump a thread and start throwing your weight around, calling people stupid.... get your facts straight!!!

R117 Before you start shitting your panties you should check your facts. Lennox's career did not start with The Eurythmics. The Tourists had already had top ten UK hits in the 70s.

Gaga went in drag as a man with Bennett to the VMAs, which was a rip-off (or an homage, as Madonna says for everything she rips-off) of Annie Lennox. Gaga is all about David Bowie. When you look at her career, it's one Bowie inspiration after the next. Ziggy Stardust was her first incarnation for "The Fame". She did three Bowie's for her 2013 single "Applause" as well. The dirt on her was that in her early underground days, she did huge amounts of blow with Bowie blasting before going to clubs where she would go-go dance. She brought her own lights and fog machines. I can't hate Gaga in the slightest. She's always been upfront about her inspirations and being proud of pop. She is what pop was pre-Britney spears, pre-2000s crap. At least she looks back at other decades to get ideas and doesn't follow the pack. She also decides herself what she's gonna rip-off. No one decides for her. Good for her. No one in pop has ever been original. The one thing that can't be taken away from her is her talent and that is writing and performing. I couldn't take one more purity ring Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, George Bush era, tart. Thank god for Gaga. She turned an entire generation onto gay rights, and like it or not, when it comes to the advances in gay rights during the Obama years, "Born this Way" will forever be the theme song.

How many copies is this book gonna sell? 10?

I concur R119. I realize Gaga isn't the biggest thing in the world anymore, but she was so refreshing. Even if it seemed forced at times, at least she was trying to push the envelope, which sometimes included aping some of the all time greats. She seems to have an actual point of view, love it or hate it. And the fact she can actually compose makes her a great throwback to the days when pop stars actually had musical chops. Personally, I hope her next album puts her back on the map. The pop landscape is better with her than without her.

Madonna's fans are freaking out on Grace already over this.

Do enough people even know who Grace Jones is to sell this book? I liked her last album.

BTW, is that a new photo of her on the cover?

Why would Grace even bring up the likes of Miley Cyrus? I mean, she actually looks at her as something as a peer? Something significant?

I love Grace and mostly agree with her but I really hate these kind of discussions because they just turn into everyone trying to "Out-Original" each other and it becomes redundant.

Everyones celebrity is 80% contrived in my opinion.

R114 I agree except for Gaga who goes out of her way to blatantly be like Madonna, except for when she gets puked on.

R118. not that anyone fucking cares or remembers The Tourists, but they started in 1977!

Portfolio, by Grace Jones, which every gay man in America owned was released in 1975!

Googled The Tourists ! Annie sure didn't have ANY personal style of her own in those pics!!!! Yikes!

Then for Eurythmics Sweet Dreams video there's Lennox with her "signature" (copied) orange flat-top, skinny men's tie and jacket w/ riding crop singing three octaves below her normal falsetto. Grace had already done it!

I think Doris is clearly Gaga... Beyonce or Janelle Monae are the only other options. What's interesting to note is that Grace did actually do a feature on Lil' Kim's 2nd album in the early 00s... the closest she's come to working with any modern pop icon (Kim was huge back then but of course she's a nobody now).

Anyway, she's absolutely right here... when she said Annie Lennox etc were some of her 'pupils', I don't necessarily think she meant they stole from her (though she did say that earlier on), more that she had a lot to teach those people. Either way, whilst Annie Lennox was around earlier, Grace clearly had an influence on her most popular work and whilst Annie soon became dull Grace continued to innovate, visually and sonically.

I agree that originals like Bjork, Grace Jones, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Siouxsie Sioux, Klaus Nomi, etc. are hard to come by now, everyone has influenced everyone in some way. I don't think we'll be seeing many more in future. But since we finally have a Grace thread, I have to recommend her album 'Hurricane' to everyone who hasn't heard it. It's so rare for an artist to do their best work after a 20 year gap and into their 60s, but that record is masterful. "William's Blood" (especially), "This Is", "Corporate Cannibal", "Well Well Well" are all phenomenal standouts on a flaw-free record that blends pop, dub, reggae, gospel, dance, rock, electro and many other genres in a cohesive way with some really striking poetry and commanding vocal performances. Her Afropunk slayage makes me embarrassed for the Beyoncés and Mileys and Gagas of the world. When Grace can still outdo them all as a performer (and without the pyro, lighting and dance gimmicks they lean on) at the age of 67, they all need to step up their game.

Grace Jones is art.

The biggest mistake Gaga made was releasing Artpop, (or any album) so soon. So many artists who achieve huge success quickly wind-up making the same, often fatal mistake. They're under enormous pressure from labels, management & fans to produce something new. The real trick is to let 'em wait.

Even if she'd taken a year or so off then done her collaboration with Tony Bennett THEN start thinking about a new album.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Grace Jones: Shade to the Rhythm

Well, Gaga released a successful Jazz album and won a Grammy for it. She's the star of "American Horror Story" this year. Anyone who says that Gaga rip-off Madonna really knows nothing about her career. There have only been a few times that what she's worn could be attributed to Madonna. Madonna took every look she ever had from someone else. That includes 60s, 70s, and old Hollywood. Gaga's influences are vast, more rock than anything. As stated previously, Bowie is muse. The single cover for "Applause" is Bowie. She's devoted to Warhol as well. The meat dress wasn't original either. I liked one thing she said, I think it was on the Howard Stern Show - she said that what these people don't understand is that she loves the fact that they even know who she is. Gaga turned down working with Grace and Madonna. Both became bitter over it. The same thing happened with Perez Hilton. Had she kissed their asses, they wouldn't have resorted to name dropping to get attention. It's pathetic really. Especially for someone like Madonna. People did the same thing to her back in the day. Grace is a bit more arty fartsy, I'll her that, but this does scream, DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!

My two favourite singers in the Western world - Brigitte Fontaine and Grace Jones do an Islamic-themed song "Soufi". They also did another Islamic-themed song together "Caravane".

[quote] When Grace can still outdo them all as a performer (and without the pyro, lighting and dance gimmicks they lean on) at the age of 67, they all need to step up their game.

You either got it or you ain't.

[quote]Either way, whilst Annie Lennox was around earlier, Grace clearly had an influence on her most popular work

Just stop it. You're just making a fool out of yourself.

R135 Are you an idiot?

Yes, obviously, i am an idiot.

R136, I was there in the 80s as well and can clearly see that you're trying to give Grace Jones more credit than she deserves. You're Janbotting her which is a shame since I'm starting to dislike her more and more when I keep reading your attempts to rewrite history. I don't remember Jones ever really being a nice person so I guess it's all the same, though.

[quote] And please stop with the Doris=Britney shit, people. What darkly original beginning could fucking BRITNEY SPEARS have had?

This thread is like the blind item threads. Early on someone always mentions someone who obviously doesn't fit the blind item. Immediately someone will come along and list 100 reasons why that person does not fit. Then 30 more people will come and insist that it must be that same person. Despite early elimination at the beginning of the thread. Apparently some people read only their own post.

[quote] Gaga turned down working with Grace and Madonna. Both became bitter over it. The same thing happened with Perez Hilton. Had she kissed their asses, they wouldn't have resorted to name dropping to get attention. It's pathetic really. Especially for someone like Madonna. People did the same thing to her back in the day. Grace is a bit more arty fartsy, I'll her that, but this does scream, DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!

Gaga wanted to do a collaboration with Grace. Graced refused. Explaining that she didn't collaborate with people who "copy" her. Grace has been doing her own thing for 40 years. Yes she was innovative and of course other artist have been influenced by her work. Just as Grace no doubt has her own influences. It's silly to deny the obvious influence that Jones has had on other artist. Grace doesn't need Gaga for collabs, attention, or anything else.

[quote] I was there in the 80s as well and can clearly see that you're trying to give Grace Jones more credit than she deserves. You're Janbotting her which is a shame since I'm starting to dislike her more and more when I keep reading your attempts to rewrite history. I don't remember Jones ever really being a nice person so I guess it's all the same, though.

What's really a shame is how heavily dependent upon Datalounge your list of likes or dislikes is. While the datalounge opinions may be very influential in your life. Somehow, I doubt that Grace or anyone else will lose any sleep over your opinions.

Can you imagine if Grace hadn't dramatically pivoted to her bold new wave WARM LEATHERETTE / NIGHTCLUBBING period in 1980/81 and just carried on doing what she'd done in the 70s? She'd be barely remembered now as a moderately successful disco singer. Instead she's now considered one of the most powerful, iconic and influential artists of her period. So glad that she and Jean Paul Goude and Sly & Robbie (who don't get enough credit) joined forces in the early 80s. A potent combination of talents.

And, eldergays, I know that you were there at Roseland and Studio 54 to see her dance in a cage/upon a motorcycle/riding a white... man and she was fabulous and, believe, me I am jealous of those of you who were there, but let's get real, out of her 70s output, only "I Need A Man" and "La Vie En Rose" really stand the test of time. She seems to agree as the only song from her disco period she ever performs is "La Vie En Rose".

R140, that's how it goes with celebs that don't mean that much to you. Janbot has turned many people anti-Janet here and apparently you or whoever is 'TEAM GRACE' is trying the same with Grace Jones.

What I've thought of Grace Jones: an ex-model, a terrible actress, a New York club scene famewhore with a big mouth, had loads of talented friends, had few nice songs. So I really didn't have that high opinion of her to begin with.

Grace Joans.

Didn't read the entire thread, but Doris is obviously Britney Spears, Jones used a moniker, because She knows Britney is fragile & been through it, Britney has a residence in Vegas that just got extended 2 more years. Britney always looks lost or not there. The following quote explains my take.

I look at Doris and I think: Does she look happy? She looks lost, like she is desperately trying to find the person she was when she started. She looks like really she knows she is in Vegas, now that Vegas is the whole entertainment world filtered through the internet, through impatient social media. I don’t mind her dressing up, but when she started to dance like Madonna, almost immediately, copying someone else, it was like she had forgotten what it was about her that could be unique. Ultimately, it is all about prettiness and comfort, however much they pretend they are being provocative.

Yeah, the first part sounds Britney, the second part sounds Gaga. I think it might be Gaga and that she's using "Vegas" almost as a metonym.

I think the important thing to remember about Gaga is that she has plenty of time to forge her own path. Unlike most of the others, Gaga CAN put out a jazz album. Do Broadway. Do an acoustic album, just her and a piano. Because of her actual musical talent, she has so many more options. I think her "fall" will end up being the best thing for her. She can find out who she truly is as an artist, not just a pop star. Now, if she falters, we will all know it really was a case of the emperor sans clothing.

[quote] that's how it goes with celebs that don't mean that much to you. Janbot has turned many people anti-Janet here and apparently you or whoever is 'TEAM GRACE' is trying the same with Grace Jones.

1. If you're not a fan why read the fan threads and pick fights with the people who are. "Janbot" must be very powerful if he can force you to read his threads

2. Oh ok. So anyone who likes someone you dislike is "Janbotting". By your standards you're "Janbotting" Annie Lennox. Whom I, by the way, happen to love and nothing you type here can change that.

[quote] What I've thought of Grace Jones: an ex-model, a terrible actress, a New York club scene famewhore with a big mouth, had loads of talented friends, had few nice songs. So I really didn't have that high opinion of her to begin with.

You could have saved this (and all that other) and just said you don't like Grace Jones. Ok, fine move on.

No one cares what you think, r142.

R146 Gaga is a Xerox machine with a wig in a meat dress. She will forever be known as that. She's only creative at plucking things from other people succusfull careers. She's been exposed and caught. She's not a terrible signer, although at times she thinks she's signing but she's shouting. I loved her too at the beginning but she circled the drain. She won't be taken seriously as a signer, her disgusting fans who ran off buyers of her stuff have lost interest and they don't buy music anyway. DONE.

This hardly is exclusively a Grace Jones fan thread. Plus, I imagine anyone catching the name of their favorite pop star in the long list of "pupils" cited on the title line will also click in.

So it is silly to attack someone who is not ignited by Grace Jones for reading this thread. It's still entertaining.

R147, are you new here? It sounds like you don't know who Janbot is and how he operates. He's a Datalounge legend, constantly pushing Janet Jackson down our throats and bringing out her extreme importance to the world while dissing Madonna. He's apparently banned at the moment. Are you talking about this thread when you say I shouldn't read fan theads? To my understanding this thread is about Grace Jones bitching about younger singers and saying they are all copying her.

Do I dislike Grace Jones? It's not that simple. I do like her but I remember her always having had very strong opinions about her own importance. Why bitch about other copying you when you could be creating something original? It's this bitching about others I remember from her ever since the 80s. It's like fucking Janice Dickinson going around saying she was the original super model. We get it Grace, you were a trendsetter with the help of your designer and artist friends. You influenced but you were also influenced by others yourself.

When I read constant accusations of Annie Lennox practically owing her career to Jones I respond. For some reason presenting Lennox as a Jones copycat means a lot to some people in this thread. Any Lennox/Eurythmics fan knows it's all just complete bullshit. It's quite telling that on Grace Jones' Wikipedia page Annie Lennox is said to be inspired by her. On Annie Lennox's Wikipedia page there's not a single mention of Jones.

Gaga had one of the biggest selling albums of last year with her Tony Bennett collab. And her Oscar performance this year got rave reviews. I don't get where people claim her career is over, other than Madonna fans still pissed because one of her songs sounds like Madonna's. Meanwhile, Madonna's career is littered with thefts and copies. Gaga hasn't lost plagiarism lawsuits.

R151 Get some rest.

This creature is about as relevant as Michael Alig and those pathetic club kids.

[quote]It's like fucking Janice Dickinson going around saying she was the original super model.

But that's the truth...in her mind

R151 is not the one here in need of some rest. Give it a rest R153. Grace is your God, we heard you the fourth time. Most of us are more interested in her claims and comments regarding her "pupils." That is why she wrote about her many imitators so people would pay attention to HER book. She needs to shade better known and more successful performers to get attention now. Nothing sadder than old models, drag queens and club kids. Her look was on fleek, but so what? She looks like my mom heading for a swim now. Jones always claimed she discovered fire and invented the wheel. It's too bad she got stuck in 1989.

Someone expressing positive opinions about another person makes you dislike said person. (that you did not dislike before)

Good grief how weak minded are you DTLers.

Caught again

[quote] is not the one here in need of some rest. Give it a rest [R153]. Grace is your God, we heard you the fourth time. Most of us are more interested in her claims and comments regarding her "pupils." That is why she wrote about her many imitators so people would pay attention to HER book. She needs to shade better known and more successful performers to get attention now. Nothing sadder than old models, drag queens and club kids. Her look was on fleek, but so what? She looks like my mom heading for a swim now. Jones always claimed she discovered fire and invented the wheel. It's too bad she got stuck in 1989.

Translation:

I'm a poorly educated poorly informed millennial who believes that nothing relevant or important happened before the day of my birth. History is stupid. Lady Gaga is a brilliant self-inspired original. Rhianna and Miley are true geniuses. How dare anyone besmirch them. My post is a tad over wrought because I am off my meds.

Just so we're clear. I personally don't worship Jones or any other celebrity. I appreciate her talent and her contribution. I only stated the obvious. She has been very influential and she herself was influenced by others. That's usually how art works. This current crop of pop artist is influencing other artist. Despite their influence, someone will one day too believe them to be irrelevant.

Now my advice to you:

Girl get some rest. You are very very tired.

[quote] Grace Jones’s Disciples Modern pop does imitate her for profit, but that’s not such a bad thing.

[quote] Who in the world dared tell Grace Jones to imitate? In a portion of her new memoir (titled, naturally, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs), she summarizes the baffling advice recently given to her: “Be like Sasha Fierce. Be like Miley Cyrus. Be like Rihanna. Be like Lady Gaga. Be like Rita Ora and Sia. Be like Madonna.”

[quote] Jones’s reply, inevitable and correct: “I cannot be like them—except to the extent that they are already being like me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."

[quote] Jones had her own influences, from David Bowie to Josephine Baker. But she also, indeed, did things that no one had seen before. The body paint, the acrobatic poses, the boxy suit jackets, the butt-balanced champagne glass were aesthetic breakthroughs that have all been since recycled by younger entertainers. But her weirdness also had an ideology, a point, that elevated it from mere attention-seeking to actual provocation. As the critic Barry Walters recently wrote of Jones,

[quote] She was as queer as a relatively straight person could get. Her image celebrated blackness and subverted gender norms; she presented something we had never seen before in pop performance—a woman who was lithe, sexy, and hyperfeminine while also exuding a ribald, butch swagger. In ’79, Ebony got her je ne sais quoi exactly right: “Grace Jones is a question mark followed by an exclamation point.”

[quote] let's get real, out of her 70s output, only "I Need A Man" and "La Vie En Rose" really stand the test of time.

And she sounds pretty awful on "I Need a Man". I love the arrangement on "La Vie En Rose" - it's so elegant.

Oh and just for the record I don't think it's even valid for Lady Gaga to be included on this list, I'm not a huge fan but every single time I have looked up claims of her "plagiarizing" someone else's art it's either been fake claims or REACHING.

I'm not saying Gaga is a creative but whoever(probably multiple people) is responsible for her imagery doesn't rip off isn't a rehashing of another stars image. I find no parallels between Madonna or Gaga, especially musically. The only thing they have in common is being pop stars.

As for Grace claiming that Gaga (among the many others on this list) are leeching off of her art, I wanna know HOW? What has Gaga ever done that is what Grace had done before?

Another thing we need to acknowledge is that Grace Jones was never a pop star, She was more of a club-songstress. For her to list these pop stars as if they are even in the same field musically is strange to me.

Grace Jones' near-sublime collaboration with with PeeWee Herman:

Watching that clip what struck me was that Grace's presence makes the ordinary electric. SHE makes art by letting art be part of her.

What I interpret Grace as saying is that no one is original anymore that tries to use props or make up to create uniqueness. The art itself needs to be daring and innovative and original. Stop with the gimmicks, some one has already done it better than you. Be creative, that is actually the most radical you can be.

Good artists copy; great artists steal.

[quote]Personally, I hope her next album puts her back on the map.

I do too. I'm a fan of Gaga, but Artpop was an over-produced turd. Let's hope her next is better.

Why doesn't she mention Kevin Aviance?

R166 Because she's mentioning people that ripped her off and got richer and more famous than her. Kevin was never a big star.

[quote]let's get real, out of her 70s output, only "I Need A Man" and "La Vie En Rose" really stand the test of time. She seems to agree as the only song from her disco period she ever performs is "La Vie En Rose".

I agree. Her 70's stuff was shit, but she had some great songs in the 80's and early 90's that should've been hits and were completely ignored by radio (I'm Not Perfect, 7 Day Weekend, Scary But Fun, My Jamaican Guy).

[quote][R166] Because she's mentioning people that ripped her off and got richer and more famous than her.

Grace is the kind of person who thinks that after she did the cover of La Vie En Rose anyone singing La Vie En Rose is ripping her off.

I'm obviously exaggerating, but only a little.

When she discusses being ripped off she's referring to her visual and aural presentation -- which was unique and original. There were shades of Bowie in what Grace did but she used reference points she didn't rip-off huge chunks of another artist's visual and sonic presentation.

She's been out of the public eye for ages. This excerpt from the book has garnered a great deal of press and attention. No doubt many who have viewed this thread have also looked her up on YouTube.

40 years on, the b*tch stills knows how to make an entrance...

Gaga hasn't ripped off any of her Visual presentation as far as I know, and she sure as hell hasn't ripped off Grace Jones.

I need receipts for that claim.

@R171 - Helen Keller strikes again!

R172 Receipts please.

Why, unless they're in Braile you won't be able to read them.

More jokes haha....ha......ha.....

You gonna back up your claims or not?

I saw Grace at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back and she was fantastic. I am a huge fan of hers and I love Annie Lennox as well. I frankly don't see any Grace Jones influence in Annie Lennox - Grace Jones didn't invent androgyny and neither did Annie.

It's quite telling that for all her grandeur Grace takes the time to criticize others - so strange and she should rise above it. I really liked her last album as well.

I don't have the patience to find the guy who highly recommended Grace's 2008 album Hurricane, but thank you!

Wonderful! What a great surprise. I bought William's Blood, & This Is, to add to a playlist I use in my store. I also bought Ladies and Gentleman: Miss Grace Jones (it's the airy open version she performed at QE2's Diamond Jubilee).

PS, bought a really ethereal song from the Duran Duran album that came out yesterday called What Are The Chances? It's very good. Thanks again for the tip about Hurricane.

[quote]It's quite telling that for all her grandeur Grace takes the time to criticize others - so strange and she should rise above it. I really liked her last album as well.

I remember her doing it already in the 80s. It's off-putting and makes her seem like a bit of a wanker, or a sore loser. She definitely should've risen above it since it's obvious her style many times was a result of her collaborating with others. Why bitch about others all the time if you are strong enough to stand on your own. Hard to imagine truly great creators like Kate Bush bitching about others stealing her ideas.

Kate Bush? Great creator? The bitch was dry as hell.

Oh boo hoo hooey hoo hoo!

R177 - You've got some catching up to to do. Hurricane came out in 2008! But, seriously, I was so happy to see how good the album was. When an artist takes such a long hiatus from recording, the "comeback" results are usually less than stellar. Blessedly, she didn't try to chase any trends (well, perhaps except for that slight "dub-steppy" breakdown in the middle of the title song), but for the most part she her producer(s) gave us an update to that funkier side of the Sly & Robbie sound from the early 80s albums rather than trying to invent a whole new sound or make her compete with 20-somethings.

I'm getting so sick of arguing about Annie and Gaga etc. Let's share some more Grace vids...

(The cute percussionist with dreads is Paulo Goude, btw. Grace and Jean Paul Goude's son.)

Grace Jones wasn't all that.

Grace arguably led the way for pop singers who couldn't really sing... It's standard now, but back then not so much.

R177 You're welcome for the recommendation, glad you liked it! :) Here's another performance from that same Jools episode. It was a pretty weak lineup so it wasn't hard for her to steal the show, but this song still goes off and always will.

R183 I think Carole King and the success of Tapestry is more credited with that. Her voice was soulful and earthy but had a lot of imperfections, a weak trembly tone and pitch issues that (due to its massive success) led other singer songwriters who didn't have flawless voices to break through.

She was/is SO beautiful. Incredibly photogenic.

R184, Yeah, that entire show was so much fun to watch. One of the pleasures of watching Jools Holland's wonderful BBC show is seeing the other musical guests on the stage smile, sing along, bop and dance to the other musical acts.

Here's Grace performing "My Jamaican Guy" on some special reggae concert special on Cinemax in the 80s. Filmed in Kingston, Jamaica. Not only is Grace in fine form, the band gets that twitchy rhythm down perfectly.

I love that book promo = lots of Grace interviews. Hope she ends up doing one of the late night shows in the US - preferably Seth Meyers who seems to be one of the few left who knows how to actually interview someone and when to shut up and let his guests tell a good story. This interview/profile in Dazed is a great read.

Grace Jones is an icon and a legend. For some that means something, for others it doesn't.

So, Grace is starring in what sounds like a very odd film... experience along with Iggy Pop, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Lemmy of Motorhead, the diabetic lead singer of Slayer, the popular French dance/EDM duo Justice, Henry Rollins and others. Don't really know what to make of it. Trailer apparently coming soon. This could be great or truly awful.

[quote]The forthcoming loud and dark fairytale Gutterdämmerung is a new rock 'n' roll / film / gig concept from the mind of Belgian-Swedish visual artist Bjorn Tagemose. Gutterdämmerung is part rock show part immersive cinema experience featuring some of the biggest rock names on the planet including Grace Jones, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Eagles Of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes, Motörhead's Lemmy, Tom Araya, Mark Lanegan, Volbeat, Queens of the Stone Age's Joshua Homme and Justice. Two more rock 'n' roll names will be revealed in the coming weeks leading up to the big reveal of Gutterdämmerung's earth shaking cinema trailer.

[quote] Much in the tradition of classic movies of 1920’s Hollywood, the film is mostly silent but instead of a lone piano a live rock band of rock express the emotions and action whilst special effects from the film explode to life all around the audience. Think of a deafening rock ‘n’ roll version of Secret Cinema taking place in hell and you might just begin to have an idea of what Gutterdämmerung is.

[quote] This spectacular film will tour with it’s live band and a live narrator early 2016.​

[quote] GRACE JONES plays the only person that can control all of the testosterone of all rock and roll bastards in this loud film. She is the ultimate nemesis, an African Goddess from Hell. A beautiful and dangerous face that for most of them, may just well be the last one they ever see.​

Grace Jones performed in San Francisco last night. I assume to longtime, adoring fans. How was it?

R189 Doesn't sound like much of a film.. might just end up as a series of music videos or whatever all linked. Can't imagine it will end up in theatres or anything. The most exciting news about all this autobiography talk is that in the latest interview she said she was recording a new album!! 'Hurricane' will be hard to top but i'm excited to hear what her in 2015 sounds like.

[quote]Grace Jones performed in San Francisco last night. I assume to longtime, adoring fans. How was it?

R190 - according to the San Francisco Chronicle (review below) it was spectacular. And it is Folsom weekend, too. Is there anything more gay than a Grace Jones concert during Folsom Street Fair? I'm REALLY excited about seeing Grace at the Hollywood Bowl tonight, but I would have loved to have been at last night's show.

She ruled the Hollywood Bowl last night.

No. Grace Jones SLAYED at the Hollywood Bowl last night. Fabulous show. She was more thrilling just walking the length of the stage during part of one song than 90 mins with Rihanna or Gaga -- who seem like holograms in comparison.

Just bought the book! Haven't started reading it yet, but I wish the cover was a little artier... not that a cover matters of course, but this is visual mastermind Grace Jones we're talking about. Anyway... anyone else pick it up / read it?

Oh, Grace.

R5 that is just so tragic. I think she is talking about Britney.

Brilliance. Thanks for the post OP.

She is entirely right. Even if this is yet another thread from 2015.

From 2011.

Thanks for nothing, 2015 Bump Bitch™ R197 and probably R198 too.