Jayne County

Jayne County (born Wayne Rogers in 1947 and previously known as Wayne County) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer whose career has spanned five decades. She was the vocalist of influential proto-punk band Wayne County & the Electric Chairs and has been known for her outrageous and unpredictable stage antics. She went on to become rock's first openly transgender singer.

County's music has encompassed a number of styles over the course of her career, including glam punk, punk rock, blues rock, and boogie-woogie.^[1] County did not think her birth name Wayne Rogers "sounded very glamorous" and decided to adopt the name of the county in which Detroit was located because she admired bands from that city "like Iggy [Pop] and all those people."^[2] Though she has never been a commercial success, she has been an influence on a number of musicians including David Bowie, the Ramones, Patti Smith, Pete Burns and Lou Reed,^[3] and many of County's songs have become well-known, including "Are You Man Enough to Be a Woman", "Fuck Off", "Stuck on You," and "Night Time". Pianist Jools Holland's first studio outing was with County on her single "Fuck Off". She also appeared as an actress at Andy Warhol's Factory.

Early years

Born Wayne Rogers in 1947, County left her hometown of Dallas, Georgia, in 1968 to move to New York City, where she became a regular at the Stonewall Inn and took part in the historic riots.^[4] In 1969 County was asked by Warhol superstar and playwright Jackie Curtis to appear in her play, Femme Fatale. The play had a successful run at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and also starred Patti Smith. In her autobiography, County says of Curtis, "She was my biggest influence, the person who really got me started."^[5]

Career

1970–1979

After appearing in Femme Fatale, County wrote the play World – Birth of a Nation (The Castration of Man). The play was directed by Tony Ingrassia and promoted as a "homosexual fantasy." The play was set in a hospital and related to castration of the male sex. Wayne played both Florence Nitingale and her sister Ethel Nitingale, and the play also featured Cherry Vanilla who played a nurse named Tilly Tons.^[6]

After seeing County in the play, Warhol cast her in his own theatrical production of Pork, which was also adapted and directed by Tony Ingrassia.^[7] After a run in New York, the play was performed in London with the same New York cast. Upon returning to New York, County appeared in another play, Island by Tony Ingrassia, again with Patti Smith.^[8]

In 1972 County formed Queen Elizabeth, one of the pioneering proto-punk bands. County was signed to MainMan Artistes, David Bowie's management firm, no records were ever produced. The company spent over $200,000 to film the 1974 stage show, "Wayne at the Trucks", but footage has never been released. The show featured numerous costume changes and some of County's raunchiest material. Eight songs from the show were released on the 2006 album, Wayne County At the Trucks, on Munster Records. County claims the show was the inspiration for Bowie's Diamond Dogs tour.^[9] In particular, County maintains that the song "Queenage Baby" was a prototype for Bowie's song "Rebel Rebel", a claim which is supported by some rock critics.^[10][11]

In 1974 County formed Wayne County and the Backstreet Boys, which recorded three tracks for Max's Kansas City: New York New Wave, a compilation that also featured Suicide, Pere Ubu, Cherry Vanilla and The Fast. Wayne County and The Backstreet Boys played regularly at CBGB and Max's Kansas City, where County was also a DJ. In 1976, she appeared in the film The Blank Generation, directed by Amos Poe and Ivan Kral. The film, the recording and the shows were the beginnings of what came to be known as punk rock, and helped define the movement.^[12]

In 1977 County moved to London, where the English punk scene was just emerging, and formed Wayne County & the Electric Chairs. County released the EP Electric Chairs 1977, plus a single on Illegal Records. This was followed by "Fuck Off", recorded as a single for Safari Records and supported with a European tour. While in London, County met Derek Jarman, who cast her as "Lounge Lizard" in the seminal punk film Jubilee, which also starred Adam Ant, Toyah Willcox, Ian Charleson, Little Nell and Jordan.^[13] County and band are also featured in The Punk Rock Movie, by Don Letts, containing part of a 1977 performance at The Roxy club in London.

Shortly after this, Wayne County and The Electric Chairs recorded their first, eponymous album, as well as another EP, Blatantly Offensive, which contained "Fuck Off" and "Toilet Love." After their touring in support of these releases was done, they recorded Storm the Gates of Heaven. Their next album, released in 1979, was Things Your Mother Never Told You, which featured several songs based on County's experiences in Germany. The album was produced by David Cunningham.^[14] After it was released, the band broke up and County, along with guitarist Eliot Michaels, returned to the U.S.

When County moved to Berlin in 1979, she changed her stage name to "Jayne County",^[15] publicly identifying as a woman for the first time. County's release of Rock and Roll Resurrection (In Concert) on Safari Records, was under this new name. The first live show under County's new name in Toronto, Canada, sparked erroneous rumors of a sex change operation.^[13]

1980–present

In 1983 County returned to New York where she appeared in the theatrical production Les Girls with Holly Woodlawn. Shortly thereafter she returned to London for the première of City of Lost Souls and stayed long enough to record and tour another album, Private Oyster, with Warren Heighway as manager. Her band included members of various UK based rock bands, including Manchester-based guitarists, Stu Clarke and Chris Lynch [Rockson], Mark Pearson on bass and Bazz Creece on drums.^[16] Following widespread media attention, she returned to the U.S.

In the 1990s, many of County's earlier recordings were released, including the early Safari tracks, on a CD called Rock & Roll Cleopatra. She recorded the album Goddess of Wet Dreams in 1993, followed by Deviation in 1995. Later that year, she appeared in Wigstock: The Movie and released her autobiography, Man Enough to Be a Woman.^[5]

Since that time several new tracks have surfaced on various compilations and through County's official website. Many of these tracks, both live and studio recordings, were collected on the Ratcage Records release So New York, including collaborations with Lisa Jackson and former Electric Chairs guitarist Eliot Michaels. A live show, recorded on County's birthday, was released on the 2002 CD Wash Me in the Blood (of Rock & Roll)- Live at Squeeze Box by Fang Records.^[17] The CD features a duet on "California Sun" by County and former nemesis "Handsome" Dick Manitoba of The Dictators.

After leaving New York City, County settled in the Atlanta area where she has a band called the Electrick Queers with guitarist Jet Terror, bassist Gary Yoxen, and drummer Rob Kirkland. In 2014 she released a DVD of Wayne/Jayne County and The Electric Chairs, Live in Germany from 1978.^[18] On July 22, 2015, Jayne County & the Electrick Queers headlined ARMageddon, to benefit Blast-Off Burlesque's Trey Chic.^[19]

Personal life

According to her autobiography, County has not had a sex change operation, but does take female hormones.^[5]

Works

Filmography

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

• "Twist and Shout"/"Boys" with Jimi LaLumia & The Psychotic Frogs/also featuring Johnny Thunders and Cherry Vanilla-Beat This Label-1981
• "Razor Clam", (with She Wolves), Poptown Records 2007
• "California Uber Alles", (with She Wolves), Poptown Records 2007
• "Hail Satan!", (with Sharon Needles), Independent 2013

Biography

• Man Enough to Be a Woman, Jayne County with Rupert Smith, 1995, published by Serpents's Tail ISBN 1-85242-338-2

References

External links

• Official website
• Jayne County at AllMusic
• Jayne County at the Internet Movie Database
• Jayne County discography at Discogs