Macy Gray helps kick off Gay Days
Macy Gray has never shied away from being frank about sex.
From her home in Los Angeles, the pop star behind such songs as “Kissed It” and “Caligula” explained that philosophy extends beyond her music. “I am always in awe and admiration of people that I meet who are completely out sexually and completely free with who they are,” she said.
The Ohio native will be appearing Saturday at Orlando’s Parliament House as part of the venue’s Gay Days Weekend, a concert series that includes ’80s star Debbie Gibson and R&B singer Keri Hilson. (Concerts start at 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Tickets are $15-$75. Details at parliamenthouse.com.)
Adding extra weight to this year’s festivities, this will be the first Gay Days since the shooting at Pulse nightclub last year. “Definitely honored to be a part of that and to be asked to come out,” said Gray. Noting the gay community in L.A., she said of the shooting, “Everyone in the country suffered from that.”
“Anyone who is open about their sexuality is a hero to me,” she said. “Getting through all the criticism and the events that have taken place and all the repression, to come out and be expressive about your private life and who you really want to love, I think that’s the definition of courage.”
Gray, 49, sees tolerance as being on the rise. “There’s a generation that still hasn’t gotten used to people being open sexually,” she said. “But the new generation, like my daughter, she has no idea why that’s even an issue.
“It’s a new way of thinking that’s coming.”
Gray rose to prominence in 1999 with her debut album “On How Life Is.”
The single “I Try” earned her the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001.
In addition to songs about sex, several of her songs, such as “I’ve Committed Murder” and “Strange Behavior,” feature unrepentant criminals. Gray said she’s just writing about common dark fantasies. “I think everyone is in that boat of wishing they were a criminal so they could get away with stuff.”
Her most recent record, last year’s “Stripped,” featured cover versions of her own and other musicians’ songs in minimalist, torchsinger arrangements. “That album was an experiment,” she said. “I started out in jazz. I do love the kind of stuff.”
Gray is working on a new album due out this year. Unlike many modern artists who focus on creating singles, Gray said she still thinks of albums as a whole. “I’m a little old school.”
The concert this weekend will mark Gray’s first appearance in Orlando since 2007.
She said she is looking forward to the return. “I’m excited and we’re gonna have a ball that night. We’re gonna party like crazy.”