synopsis

In 1972, David Bowie achieved superstar status thanks to his bisexual alien persona, Ziggy Stardust. Later that same year, a curious talent was discovered across the pond in New York City. His name was Jobriath, an openly gay singer-songwriter whose music fit in well with the provocative sounds of the glam rock era. Signed to Elektra Records by former Carly Simon manager Jerry Brandt, Jobriath was promoted as the world’s first actual gay glam rocker, with the artist giving unfiltered press interviews calling himself “rock’s truest fairy.” Though Jobriath’s debut album received raves from critics, most of the nation was not so progressive, soundly rejecting the gay singer and resigning him to the dustbin of rock history for decades to come. It wasn’t until artists like Morrissey began publicly proclaiming their love of Jobriath that the singer’s reputation began to be restored, culminating in the reissuing of his two seminal albums and an album of unreleased material. Kieran Turner’s terrific rock doc traces the singer’s swift rise and sad fall using a wealth of historical material and interviews with luminaries like Jake Shears, Ann Magnuson, Jayne County, Stephin Merritt, Marc Almond and more.