LEARN’d: Tony Washington – The Queer Lead Motown Singer
The Dynamic Superiors Soul Train via Getty Images.
Did you know Motown Records signed a group with an openly gay singer in 1972?
The Dynamic Superiors‘ lead singer Tony Washington was openly gay, and often performed in gender-bending looks and glam makeup.
The group was discovered by Motown Records president Ewart Abner at an Atlanta talent showcase in 1972. The group moved to Detroit where they developed their sound with now-renowned Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson.
The Dynamic Superiors would release “Shoe Shoe Shine” in 1975 which went to number 6 on the pop charts and number 16 on the R&B chart, and making their now infamous appearance on Soul Train.
Motown released album covers that flaunted the group’s connection to the gay community. Their 1st album cover used pink butterflies and overtly feminine colors. Tony is also in full beat.
The group’s second album, “Pure Pleasure” used a man’s legs in a bathtub focusing on their painted nails as the embodiment of Tony.
The Dynamic Superiors helped break a barrier for openly gay performers, and certainly for Motown Records, which gave the group a multiyear deal in the 1970s.
The Dynamic Superior’s final recording came in 1980, and sadly the Dynamic Tony Washington passed away in 1989.
In 2010, Universal Music finally released The Dynamic Superiors’ first two Motown albums on CD for the first time.
The Dynamic Superiors helped break a barrier for openly gay performers, and certainly for Motown Records.
