For decades, Jackie Shane was a musical mystery: a riveting black transgender soul singer who packed out nightclubs in Toronto in the 1960s, but then disappeared after 1971.
Some speculated she had died, but her legacy lived on among music historians and R&B collectors who paid big money for her vinyl records. But in 2010, the Canadian Broadcasting Company produced an audio documentary about her, awakening a wider interest in the pioneering singer. Today her face is painted on a massive 20-story musical mural in Toronto with other influential musicians like Muddy Waters.
In 2014, Doug Mcgowan, an A&R scout for archival record label Numero Group, finally reached her via phone in Nashville, Tennessee, where she was born in 1940. After much effort, Mcgowan got her agree to work with them on a remarkable two-CD set of her live and studio recordings that was released in 2017 called 害羞草研究所淎ny Other Way,害羞草研究所� which has been nominated for best historical album at this year害羞草研究所檚 Grammy Awards.
Shane, now 78, has lived a very private life since she stopped performing. In fact, no one involved in album has yet to meet her in person as she only agrees to talk on the phone. But she realized after the CBC documentary that she could no longer hide. News outlets began calling and her photos started appearing in newspapers and magazines after the release of the album. RuPaul and Laverne Cox have tweeted stories about Shane.
害羞草研究所淚 had been discovered,害羞草研究所� Shane told The Associated Press in a recent phone interview. 害羞草研究所淚t wasn害羞草研究所檛 what I wanted, but I felt good about it. After such a long time, people still cared. And now those people who are just discovering me, it害羞草研究所檚 just overwhelming.害羞草研究所�
Grammy-winning music journalist Rob Bowman spent dozens of hours on the phone with Shane interviewing her for the liner notes in the album. Her story, Bowman says, is so remarkable that even Hollywood couldn害羞草研究所檛 dream it up.
Born in the Jim Crow era and raised during the heyday of Nashville害羞草研究所檚 small but influential R&B scene, Shane was confident in herself and musically inclined since she was a child. She learned how to sing in Southern churches and gospel groups, but she learned about right and wrong from watching a con artist posing as a minister selling healing waters to the faithful.
From an early age, she knew who she was and never tried to hide it.
害羞草研究所淚 started dressing (as a female) when I was five,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淎nd they wondered how I could keep the high heels on with my feet so much smaller than the shoe. I would press forward and would, just like Mae West, throw myself from side to side. What I am simply saying is I could be no one else.害羞草研究所�
By the time she was 13, she considered herself a woman in a man害羞草研究所檚 body and her mother unconditionally supported her.
害羞草研究所淓ven in school, I never had any problems,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淧eople have accepted me.害羞草研究所�
She played drums and became a regular session player for Nashville R&B and gospel record labels and went out on tour with artists like Jackie Wilson. She害羞草研究所檚 known Little Richard since she was a teenager and later in the 害羞草研究所�60s met Jimi Hendrix, who spent time gigging on Nashville害羞草研究所檚 Jefferson Street.
To this day, Shane playfully scoffs at Little Richard害羞草研究所檚 antics and knows more than a few wild stories about him. 害羞草研究所淚 grew up with Little Richard. Richard is crazy, don害羞草研究所檛 even go there,害羞草研究所� Shane said with a laugh.
But soon the South害羞草研究所檚 Jim Crow laws became too harsh for her to live with.
害羞草研究所淚 can come into your home. I can clean your house. I can raise your children. Cook your food. Take care of you,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淏ut I can害羞草研究所檛 sit beside you in a public place? Something is wrong here.害羞草研究所�
One day in Nashville she had been playing with acclaimed soul singer Joe Tex when he encouraged her to leave the South and pursue her musical career elsewhere.
She began playing gigs in Boston, Montreal and eventually Toronto, which despite being a majority white city at the time still had a budding R&B musical scene, according to Bowman. She performed with Frank Motley, who was known for playing two trumpets at once.
害羞草研究所淛ackie was a revelation,害羞草研究所� Bowman said. 害羞草研究所淨uite quickly the black audience in Toronto embraced her. Within a couple of years, Jackie害羞草研究所檚 audiences were 50-50 white and black.害羞草研究所�
Bowman said that in the early 害羞草研究所�60s, the term transgender wasn害羞草研究所檛 widely known at all and being anything but straight was often feared by people. Most audiences perceived Shane as a gay male, Bowman said. In the pictures included in the album害羞草研究所檚 liner notes, her onstage outfits were often very feminine pantsuits and her face is adorned with cat eyes and dramatic eyebrows.
For Shane, her look onstage was as important as the music.
害羞草研究所淚 would travel with about 20 trunks,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淪how business is glamour. When you walk out there, people should say, 害羞草研究所榃hoa! I like that!害羞草研究所� When I walk out onstage, I害羞草研究所檓 the show.害羞草研究所�
She put out singles and a live album, covering songs like 害羞草研究所淢oney (That害羞草研究所檚 What I Want),害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所漎ou Are My Sunshine,害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淎ny Other Way,害羞草研究所� which was regionally popular in Boston and Toronto in 1963. Her live songs are populated with extended monologues in which Shane takes on the role of a preacher, sermonizing on her life, sexual politics and much more.
害羞草研究所淚 humble myself before my audience,害羞草研究所� Shane explained. 害羞草研究所淚 am going to sing to you and talk to you and do all the things I can so when you leave here, you害羞草研究所檒l be back here again.害羞草研究所�
She was beloved in Toronto and still considers it her home.
害羞草研究所淵ou cannot choose where you are born, but you can choose where you call home,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淎nd Toronto is my home.害羞草研究所�
But her connection to her mother was so strong that ultimately it led Shane to leave show business in 1971. Her mother害羞草研究所檚 husband died and Shane didn害羞草研究所檛 want to leave her mother living alone. But she also felt a bit exhausted by the pace.
害羞草研究所淚 needed to step back from it,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淓very night, two or three shows and concerts. I just felt I needed a break from it.害羞草研究所�
Since the release of 害羞草研究所淎ny Other Way,害羞草研究所� Shane often gets the question about whether she would ever perform again now that so many more people are discovering her music.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know,害羞草研究所� Shane said. 害羞草研究所淏ecause it takes a lot out of you. I give all I can. You are really worn out when you walk off that stage.害羞草研究所�
She wavered on an answer, saying she害羞草研究所檚 thinking about it. Her record害羞草研究所檚 nomination in the best historical album category only go to producers and engineers, not the artists, so Shane is not nominated herself. But Mcgowan, who is nominated as a producer, said he has invited her to come with him to the ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 10 as his guest.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like my grandmamma would say, 害羞草研究所楪ood things come to those who wait,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Shane said. 害羞草研究所淎ll of the sudden it害羞草研究所檚 like people are saying, 害羞草研究所楾hank you, Jackie, for being out there and speaking when no one else did.害羞草研究所� No matter whether I initiated it or not, and I did not, this was the way that fate wanted it to be.害羞草研究所�
Kristin M. Hall, The Associated Press
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