Arts & Entertainment

Studio revival

Gay favorites outnumber LGBT acts on fall album release schedule

Published

15 years ago

September 8, 2011

Original Blondie members (from left) Chris Stein, Debbie Harry and Clem Burke have reunited and have a new album ready, one of fall’s most anticipated U.S. releases. (Photo courtesy EMI)

Several singers and bands that have been out of the studio for eons have albums slated for fall. Buzz is highest for new releases from long-absent acts Blondie, the Bangles and Gloria Estefan. A few openly gay acts also have projects on the horizon.

Lesbian folk rocker Catie Curtis just released her 11^th album, “Stretch Limousine on Fire.” Curtis made headlines in 1997 when she won the Best Album Award from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards for “Catie Curtis CD.” Curtis is married to Liz Marshall and has two daughters. Curtis became ordained to officiate weddings in 2010, inspired by her commitment to marriage equality. Some of her songs are written to reflect this commitment.

On Sept. 13, Blondie will release “Panic of Girls,” the band’s first album since 2003 and ninth album overall, but only the second album to be recorded outside of Manhattan. A whopping 35 songs were recorded during the sessions, but only 12 will make it onto the album. Front woman Debbie Harry is a long-time gay fave whose pop culture cred was cemented with her own Barbie doll a couple years ago.

Grammy-winning Lady Antebellum will release a third album “Own the Night.” One song, “Just a Kiss,” was released from this 12-track album on May 2, and quickly shot to the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. This hit helped build fans’ anticipation for the release.

Tori Amos is set to release “Night of Hunters,” on Sept. 20. The album is sure to break music barriers with its genre blending. Amos calls the album a “21st century song cycle inspired by classical music themes spanning over 400 years. I have used the structure of a song cycle to tell an ongoing, modern story. The protagonist is a woman who finds herself in the dying embers of a relationship. In the course of one night she goes through an initiation of sorts that leads her to reinvent herself allowing the listener to follow her on a journey to explore complex musical and emotional subject matter. One of the main themes explored on this album is the hunter and the hunted and how both exist within us.”

The Bangles, an all female American band, are set to release “Sweetheart of the Sun” on Sept. 27, a 12-track album. They’ve been working on their highly anticipated album since spring of 2009. When The Bangles started out, they were opening for Cyndi Lauper on her “Fun Tour.” Their performance caught the attention of Prince, who later wrote their famous song “Manic Monday,” which catapulted them into superstar status.

Also out Sept. 27 is LeAnn Rimes’s 13th album, “Lady & Gentlemen,” a 12-track album with two bonus cuts.

Also out that day is “Miss Little Havana” from long-dormant Gloria Estefan. First single “Wepa” premiered in May.

Grammy-winning Mary J. Blige is scheduled to release “My Life II: The Journey Continues” on Oct. 4, her 10^th studio album. It’s a sequel to Blige’s 1994 classic album “My Life.” The album is designed to be a reflection of the time and lives of the people around her.

Monica is scheduled to release her seventh album “New Life” on Oct. 18. She’s getting buzz for “Anything (To Find You),” the first single, which is on the Hot 100 now.

On Oct. 25, Kelly Clarkson releases “Stronger.” Anticipation is high as she’s taken some artistic detours, not always successfully, on her last few albums.

Also on Oct. 25, Coldplay will release its fifth album “Mylo Xyloto.” Oddly enough, the album was influenced by HBO’s “The Wire.” Lyrically, this album will have more acoustics and more intimate feel than their previous album. “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” the first single, dropped in June. “Paradise,” the second, goes to radio this weekend.

Bi neo-soul goddess Meshell Ndegeocello releases “Weather” on Nov. 8. Listen for sparse, orchestral melodies and her usual thoughtful lyrics. She plays the highly intimate Birchmere in Alexandria on Nov. 15.

Adam Lambert has an as-yet-untitled set ready for November.

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Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

Published

22 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.

The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.

Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.

Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.

Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.

The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”

“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”

“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”

Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Michael Key

'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week

Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Staff reports

The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.

Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026

⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP