He was the first openly gay music star! Sadly, he was mainly only known for that gimmick and mostly ignored. What's even sadder, I think is when Morrissey tried to find him and give him a comeback, not knowing that he had died from AIDS almost a decade before.

Posted by Hailey on Monday, 01/25/2021 @ 12:19pm

Yes, He ended up being an influence on Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Marc Almond (Soft Cell) Gloria Jones, Morrissey, & Adam Lambert. He also influenced Justin Tranter, lead singer of Semi Precious Weapons and one of biggest songwriters of the last decade. He also helped lay the groundwork for future LGBT artists to make their mark in the music industry.

I wish he was still around because in retrospect, he left a bigger legacy then a lot of the artists that were getting good reviews and chart success at the time have.

Posted by Bill on Friday, 04/7/2023 @ 22:26pm

Solid case for Musical Excellence. He was the first openly gay rock musician to be signed to a major record label, and has received a cult fanbase since his passing. He didn't necessarily open the doors, in fact the industry enforced deeper closets after he came out, but he became a crucial blueprint for future generations. When alternative rock, synth-pop, and indie artists began looking back at music history in the 1990s and 2000s, Jobriath was rediscovered as a tragic hero who possessed immense courage. Musicians like Morrissey, The Pet Shop Boys, Marc Almond, and Siouxsie Sioux cited him as a massive influence. By proving that a gay artist had made brilliant, compromise-free glam rock on a major label, he posthumously gave future LGBTQ+ artists the validation and creative courage to be entirely themselves.

Also, his self-titled debut rocks. Give it a listen, it won't disappoint.

Posted by The Towerman on Monday, 10/19/2026 @ 15:39pm